Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have advice for how I can best prepare my application and improve my odds of admission?
Please see the American Economic Association's website, Preparing for graduate school: What you need to do to get in, as well as Stanford’s website, Guide on Getting Into Grad School.

Can I tour the department or meet with faculty prior to admission?
No, due to the volume of applicants to our program, we do not schedule tours, interviews or meetings with prospective applicants.  There will be a scheduled flyout visit day in April of 2024 for students who are admitted to our program.

When can I expect to be notified about an admission decision?
The exact timeline for admission notifications varies from year to year, but we anticipate that 2024 decisions will be disseminated by mid-February.  Stanford abides by the April 15 Resolution, and we ask you to inform us of your decision by 12pm (noon) Pacific Time on 15 April.

Is an accepted student allowed to defer?
The department will consider proposals for deferral of admission (with guaranteed funding) on a case-by-case basis.

Can I apply to receive a Master's degree in Economics?
No, we do not offer a terminal MA degree in Economics. You can only apply to the PhD program and then add the MA as an additional degree once enrolled in the PhD program.

May I transfer credits from another Master's or PhD program I have attended?
No, we do not transfer previous graduate work toward Stanford degree requirements.  However, students with previous graduate work may be able to count some of their previous course credits toward the university residency (unit) requirement by submitting the graduate residency transfer credit form, thus reducing the time required for the Ph.D. degree. This is not available until after the completion of one-quarter of the program.

Does my foreign degree qualify me for the PhD program?
Stanford's assessment (at the university level, not at the department level) of a foreign degree is based on the characteristics of your national educational system, the type of institution you attended, and the level of studies completed. A guide to the minimum requirements can be found on the International Applicants page.

What is the last date I can take the TOEFL?
Applicants should complete all required exams no later than November for score reports to be received by our application deadline.  The department will consider unofficial score reports while waiting for official score reports to arrive from ETS. 

Will you accept the IELTS score instead of the TOEFL score?
No, we only accept the TOEFL.

Do you require GRE scores?  
Yes, GRE scores are required for this next application cycle and are reviewed holistically in our application process. Official scores must be submitted by our deadline for consideration during our review process. 

Do you require a writing sample?
Yes, we require writing samples for this application cycle.  

Is there a department code for ETS to use to send my test scores?
No, an individual department code is not needed.  Please submit scores to the Stanford University score code, 4704.

If I apply to the GSB and the Econ Department at Stanford, do I have to send my official test scores twice?
No, all scores are sent to Stanford University using the institution code 4704.  All departments will be able to access your scores.

Can letters of recommendation and official transcripts arrive after the deadline?
Letters of recommendation should arrive by the application deadline.  We cannot guarantee that late letters will be reviewed.  Official transcripts submitted by university registrars are not required until you are admitted and accept the offer of admission to the program. Please do not send anything to the department directly.

I submitted my application with uploaded transcripts and asked ETS to send my test scores.  Why does my application status still say "incomplete"?
Make sure that you upload a transcript for every college or university that you attended for at least one year as a full-time student.  Contact your letter writers if any letter has still not been submitted.  Please do not contact the department to check the status of your application.  Your application will be updated as soon as possible.

I confirmed that ETS sent my test scores to Stanford, so why are my test scores still listed as not having been received on my application status page?
If you requested that ETS send your scores before submission of your application, it can take up to one week from the time you submit your graduate application for scores to be electronically matched.  If there is any discrepancy between the name used for your exams and the name on your application, then scores might not match correctly.  Please notify the department if there is a discrepancy between the name used for ETS score reporting and the name on your graduate school application as we may have to match your scores to your application manually.