Frequently Asked Questions
Because we know that applying to graduate school can be very confusing at times, we’ve collected some of the more Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that we have received over the years. Our FAQs are broken down into two sections. Please click on one of the following links or simply scroll down to find answers to some very commonly asked questions:
Questions:
- APPLYING TO IBS
- Requirements/Deadlines
- Graduate School Application
- Application Fee
- Letters of Recommendation
- GRE/TOEFL scores
- Transcripts
- Immigration (for international students)
- Admissions Process
- Status of application
- Interviews
- Visiting campus
- ADMISSION TO IBS
- Orientation
- Stipend
- Health Insurance
- Email Account
- Parking
Answers:
- APPLYING TO IBS
- Requirements/Deadlines
- What are the admission requirements for the IBS program?
- Admission to IBS is based upon academic background, recommendations, GPA, GRE scores, and prior research experience. Personal interviews provide critical perspectives for both students and the IBS Admissions Committee and are required. Students must also meet the requirements set by the Graduate School, including a bachelor’s degree from a four-year fully accredited institution of higher learning.
- Students applying for admission to IBS must meet the prerequisite requirements of: Biology Courses with lab components, Chemistry Courses with lab components, Inorganic Chemistry with lab components, Organic Chemistry with lab components, Physics, and Calculus.
- What are the deadlines for applying to the IBS program?
- While domestic students are strongly encouraged to apply early to receive priority review, domestic applications will continue to be reviewed throughout the spring. Please note that the IBS Admissions Committee will begin reviewing applications as soon as they arrive and will set up interviews with qualified candidates beginning in early January. For international students, it is very important to keep in mind that the Graduate School application itself must be submitted by February 1; applications received later than this date cannot be considered for fall admission.
- Graduate School Application
- When do I have to complete the Graduate School Application?
- The deadline for domestic students to fully complete their Graduate School application is not until mid-July. However, it is important to keep in mind that the Graduate School application must be completed before the admission process can be finalized. For International students, it is very important to remember that the Graduate School application itself must be submitted by February 1 or it cannot be considered for fall admission.
- Can I send my Graduate School application materials to the IBS office?
- No, please do not send your Graduate School Application materials to the IBS office. The Graduate School and the IBS Office are two separate departments and are in fact on opposite sides of the campus! To ensure that your Graduate School application materials reach the appropriate office, please do send them directly to the Graduate School.
- Application Fee
- What is the application fee?
- Currently the application fee for the Graduate School application is $55 for domestic students and $65 for international students. There is no additional application fee for the IBS application.
- I cannot afford the application fee. Can the application fee be waived?
- Since the application fee is a part of the Graduate School application, we are unable to waive the fee.
- Is there a separate application fee to IBS?
- There is no separate application fee required with the IBS application.
- When do I have to pay the fee?
- The Graduate School application fee must be paid before the Graduate School application will be finalized. Most importantly, however, the Graduate School application itself must be completed early on in the application process especially for international students. It is very important that international students submit the Graduate School application by February 1. Internationals submitting their Graduate School application after this date cannot be considered for fall admission.
- Letters of Recommendation
- How should I choose my recommenders?
- Choose your recommenders wisely. It is important to choose recommenders that are sufficiently familiar with you to address your academic preparation, abilities and accomplishments. We are especially interested in learning more about your scientific background and your abilities in the lab.
- How should letters of recommendation be returned?
- Letters of recommendation are a part of the electronic IBS Application. Only in rare circumstance will we accept letters via mail. Once you have completed your IBS Application, your recommenders will receive an email requesting they submit a letter on your behalf. Make sure you include the correct email address for your recommenders.
- GRE/TOEFL scores
- Where do I have my scores sent?
- Please have your official GRE and TOEFL (international students only) to Graduate School. To route your official exams, the code for UK is 1837.
There is no separate department code for the IBS program. Please leave this blank and your score report will be routed to the
Graduate School.
- Does IBS need official GRE scores?
- For your IBS application, official GRE scores are not necessary. A copy of your GRE scores will suffice for the IBS application. The official scores are required by the Graduate School.
- Is a GRE Subject exam a requirement?
- While a GRE Subject exam is not required, it is strongly encouraged. Most external fellowship applications require a GRE subject test.
- What is the average composite GRE score? Are there minimal requirement for those admitted to IBS?
- While there is no minimum GRE requirement, typically an average combined GRE Verbal and Quantitative score is above 1200. Keep in mind, though, that admission decisions are based on your entire application. Your coursework, GPA, letters of recommendation, and previous lab experience are equally important.
- Transcripts
- Where do I send official transcripts?
- Official transcripts from all the universities you attended must be sent to the Graduate School. Copies of your transcripts are all that is required for your IBS application and you may send these copies directly to the IBS Office or email to comibs.@uky.edu.
- If I only took one course at another university, do I have to provide official transcripts?
- Even if you only took one course from another university and even if that course is listed on another transcript as having been transferred, you must have an official transcript from the university where you took the course sent to the Graduate School.
- International Students please do not send documents other than those requested in the information above. We DO NOT need research journal articles, copies of birth certificates, or multiple letters of recommendation (only three letters of recommendation). We only need the information listed above. Please do not enclose each document in a separate envelope. Your official transcripts and letters of recommendation only, must be in sealed envelopes.
- Immigration (for international students)
- When will my I-20 be sent?
- If the Admissions Committee decides to offer you admission, we will email that offer of admission to you immediately. When you accept our offer of admission, we will contact the Graduate School and request that you be admitted to the Graduate School and an I-20 be completed for you. It is very important to understand that the Graduate School cannot complete your I-20 until you have fully completed your Graduate School application including the fee. Also, keep in mind that our main line of communication is via email so please do check your email frequently. Graduate School will also be emailing you and will not be able to proceed with issuing an I-20 to you until you have responded to them on a number of different issues.
- What should I do when I receive my I-20?
- As soon as you receive your I-20, please make an appointment with the consulate to obtain your visa. It is very important that you do this as soon as possible since obtaining a visa can now take much longer with the new regulations in place.
* please do not contact us for your I-20 right away. We will notify
you of its availability and of the date on which it will be sent to you.
- Admissions Process
- What is the admissions process?
- Once an application file is complete, it is scheduled for review by the IBS Admissions Committee. They may decide to invite a prospective student for an on-site or phone interview; they may decide to hold on the application and review it at a later date; or they may decide not to offer admission to the candidate. Once the interview is completed, the Admissions Committee again reviews the full application, including interview evaluations. At this point, the Committee may decide to offer admission, they may hold the application for review at a later date, or they may make no offer of admission.
- Who makes the final admission decision about my file?
- The IBS Admissions Committee is made up of faculty representatives from each basic science department participating in the IBS program. Together with the director of IBS, they review applications and decide on offers of admission.
- When will I know my admission decision?
- For candidates who have interviewed, decisions concerning their admission are generally sent within 2-3 weeks. For all other applicants, decisions are made as the applications are reviewed.
- Given the number of applications received each year, it is not possible to update applicants continuously about the status of their applications. All applicants will be notified of their admissions status as soon as possible.
- How do I update my application?
- If you sent an application for us to review the previous year and would like for us to consider it now, please send us an email at comibw@uky.edu requesting that we reconsider your application. Also send us any updated information that you would like for us to consider, such as any new letters of recommendation, or updated transcripts or GRE scores. We also request that you send us a letter describing what you have been doing this past year that relates to your application to IBS.
- How many students are admitted to IBS each year?
- Approximately 25-35 students are admitted to IBS each year. Of those admitted, only about 10 are international students.
- When do I have to accept an offer of admission?
- Offers of admission must be accepted by April 15, the universally accepted deadline by most universities in the U.S. If an offer is made after April 15, the offer letter will indicate when a decision must be made.
- Status of application
- When will I find out whether or not I have been accepted?
- Admissions is an ongoing process. We begin processing applications in November, and begin reviewing them as early as December. As positive decisions are made, applicants are notified. Applications will continue to be reviewed through April, and those who are not offered admission are notified by mid-May.
- Given the number of applications received each year, it is not possible to update applicants continuously about the status of their applications. All applicants will be notified of their admissions status as soon as possible.
- Interviews
- What can I expect during the IBS interviews?
- The IBS interviews are a chance for us to meet you and learn more about you, as well as a great opportunity for you to learn more about us. During the 2-day interview schedule, you will learn about our programs, tour our research facilities, meet with our graduate students, and talk with faculty from each of the departments participating in IBS.
- What can I do to better prepare myself for the interview?
- Your individual schedule will be sent to you via email the Friday before your scheduled interview. It is strongly suggested that you go online and learn more about the research of the faculty with whom you will interview.
- What should I wear to my IBS interview?
- This is always a difficult question to answer. While it is important to keep in mind that this is a formal interview process, you should also be sure that you are comfortable and that you wear very comfortable shoes as you will be walking a lot. Generally speaking, for men this tends to be a pair of khakis and a well-pressed shirt with or without a tie and sports jacket. For women, a nice pair of pants or skirt and top, or a casual suit is the norm.
- Visiting campus
- I am planning a visit to the University of Kentucky and would like to tour the College of Medicine and speak with someone about the IBS program. Whom do I contact?
- If you will be visiting the University of Kentucky and are interested in speaking with someone about IBS, please contact the IBS office using the Contact Form, by emailing us at ibs@lsv.uky.edu, or by calling us at (859) 323-0004 or toll free at (866) 239-0004. We are always happy to talk with you about our program! We also hold an Open House every fall to showcase IBS and our doctoral programs. If you are interested in attending, please call or email us for more information!
- Where do I park when I come for a visit?
- When you are visiting, please park in the UK Hospital Parking structure or the Kentucky Clinic Parking structure and bring in your parking ticket for us to validate!
- ADMISSION TO IBS
- Orientation
- When do I have to arrive on campus?
- All those admitted to the IBS program must arrive prior to the start of IBS Orientation, which begins the first Monday in August. Please plan to arrive in time to move in, get all your utilities hooked up and everything unpacked before the start of Orientation. The first week is especially busy and you will have little time to run errands.
- What is the IBS Orientation?
- The IBS Orientation, which begins the first Monday in August, is packed with workshops, training sessions, social events and many other different activities, almost all of which are mandatory! (The new schedule will be posted by the end of May!)
- Stipend
- The current IBS Stipend is $23,500 for 12 months.
- How much of the stipend is take-home pay, and do we pay taxes?
- It is unfortunate but even our students are responsible for Federal and state taxes! Depending on how many exemptions you are allowed to claim, this often can be 15% of your stipend. Keep in mind, however, that this varies from case to case and how you are being funded. In addition, certain foreign countries have tax treaties with the U.S. If you are from one of these countries, it is possible that you will be exempted from U.S. taxes for a specified number of years.
- How are IBS students funded?
- IBS uses a mix of fellowships and research assistantships as part of the financial aid packages awarded to IBS students. Some students are paid on the bi-weekly payroll; some students on the monthly payroll, and some students receive stipend checks on both the bi-weekly and monthly payrolls. All students are required to use automatic payroll deposit.
- Health Insurance
- What is the difference between the Student Health Services and the Health Insurance provided by the UK?
- IBS pays both the Student Health Fee and the Health Insurance Premiums for each IBS Student. This permits use of the Student Health Services located in the Medical Center for a variety of primary and specialty care needs, most of which are free or at reduced charges. The Student Health Insurance covers large expenses such as surgery and hospitalization. Together, the Student Health Service and the Student Health Insurance offer students the ability to meet most normal medical needs. To learn more, please visit the Student Health Service Web site at http://www.ukhealthcare.uky.edu/uhs/ and the Student Health Insurance page on the Graduate School Web site at http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/studentfunding/health_insurance.html.
- Email Account
- How do I set up an email account through the University of Kentucky?
- Instructions will be sent to you on how to activate your University email account upon your admittance to UK and the IBS Program.
- Can I keep my hotmail/yahoo account and not use my UK email account?
- Because the UK email addresses are listed in a Global Address Book accessible to all faculty, it is very important that you access your UK email address regularly. There is an option to forward your UK address to another account, but often this causes problems because of the size limit on most commercial accounts. We use your UK email address for all official information and we do advise that you make your UK email address your main email address.
- Parking
- What type of parking permit should I get?
- UK funded Graduate students are eligible for either an E permit (for staff) or a K permit (for students). There are benefits to each type of permit. The E permit parking options are generally closer to the Medical Center, but this is only true if you arrive before 8:00 am – which is often not the case for most of our graduate students! While the E permit costs about $100 a year more, this can be deducted from your check monthly rather than paid at the time of purchase for a K permit. Since most students park in the back of the stadium and take the Med Center Shuttle to the Medical Center, a K permit is often your best bet. For more information visit: http://www.uky.edu/Parking/. If you live in graduate student housing, you are eligible only for a “resident” permit.
- When should I get a parking permit?
- You can get a parking permit after Orientation begins. This will give you an opportunity to check out what works best for you. Keep in mind that if you wait until the undergrads come back, the line will be down the street!
- Where should I park when I first arrive?
- You will receive instructions from the IBS Office about parking on day one. Typically, if you park in a UK Healthcare Structure on the first day - we will be able to validate your parking.
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