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Quantitative & Chemical Biology Program at Vanderbilt

Online Application

Our online application is due December 1, 2023 for Fall 2024.

IMPORTANT NOTES ON THE APPLICATION:
The above link takes you to the Vanderbilt Graduate School application and you have to specify which program within the Graduate School you are applying.

  • Under Area of Study, select “Biomedical and Biological Sciences” or “Interdisciplinary Programs”.
  • From the Program Selection menu, select the “Quantitative and Chemical Biology Program”.

In the application, you will be asked to submit transcripts, TOEFL scores (international applicants only), and three letters of recommendation (GRE scores are optional).

  • Please feel free to upload your unofficial transcripts into the application; you will not need to send in your official transcripts until requested by the program.
  • If you are submitting GRE scores and would like to report your official scores, the GRE institution code for Vanderbilt is 1871. GRE scores older than five-years old will not be accepted, however, we are happy to accept unofficial, self-reported scores.
  • A CV or resume is not required for the application. However, if you would like to upload one, you will see a place to upload it under “Experiences”. We would be happy to review this with your application, but it is not required or expected. Please still complete the “Experiences” tab of the application, even if you upload a CV or resume.
  • You will be asked to provide the e-mail addresses of three recommenders. Vanderbilt will contact your recommenders by e-mail and provide them with instructions on how to submit their recommendations online.
  • The Graduate School application fee is $95.00. However, there will be no application fee for anyone who has performed research funded by a US entity. The vast majority of US applicants qualify for this fee waiver; simply check the box on the application asking if you have performed research and you will not be asked to pay a fee. There is more information on the application fee and fee waivers below.

QCB admissions are conducted on a rolling basis. The admissions committee will begin reviewing completed applications early in December. A fraction of the applicants will be invited for an on-campus interview, which is required before any offer of admission. Students who have been selected for an interview will be notified by e-mail or phone call. Once all interview invitations have been extended, the program will contact all applicants regarding their application status. We expect our review process to be completed by March 15.

Graduate School Application Fee and Fee Waiver

There will be no application fee for anyone who has performed research funded by a US entity, public or private. Simply check the box on the application asking if you have performed research and you will not be asked to pay a fee.

Application Fee

The Graduate School application fee is $95.00.  After you submit your application online, you will see instructions to pay the fee with a credit or debit card via a secure payment portal. If you submit applications to more than one program (maximum of two per year), only a single fee will be charged. In addition to fee waivers being granted based on the criteria below, a small number of additional waivers will be granted at the discretion of the program and school based on recruitment priorities. If you are not covered by any of the categories listed below but feel your circumstances may warrant a fee waiver, please contact us at GSfeewaivers@vanderbilt.edu. We will be happy to discuss your situation and direct you to the appropriate person.

A candidate’s eligibility for admission will not be impacted by an application for or receipt of a fee waiver.

Application Fee Waiver Eligibility

In accordance with the interests of the US congress and its commitment to training well qualified and highly diverse students for careers in the biomedical sciences, fee waivers can be obtained for any student who has performed biological or biomedically-oriented research which has been supported by the NIH, the NSF, or any other agency or private foundation within the US.

Waivers of the application fee will be considered upon request for US citizens and US permanent residents1 if they have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.0 in their last program of enrollment AND meet at least one of the criteria below:

  • Demonstrated financial need in the past year (Pell Grant eligibility).
  • Participated in a designated Vanderbilt-sponsored program/activity in the past three years (see below*).
  • Participated in a designated fellowship, research, or training program in the past three years (see below**).
  • Current or former member of the United States Armed Forces.

1US permanent residents must provide proof of this status, such as a copy of a Green Card – Permanent Resident Card.  International applicants attending US colleges and universities are also eligible to apply for a fee waiver.

Extenuating circumstances
Students with extenuating circumstances can apply for waiver; explanation with documentation must be provided with application.

*Vanderbilt Sponsored Programs
Students that are members of the following VU sponsored programs are eligible for a fee waiver.

  • Fisk-Vanderbilt Master’s-to-PhD Bridge Program
  • Vanderbilt NSF REU in Chemical Biology
  • Vanderbilt NSF REU in Nanoscale Science and Engineering
  • Vanderbilt NSF REU in Physics
  • Vanderbilt Summer Science Academy
  • Vanderbilt National Name Exchange (NNE) Diversity Fair
  • Vanderbilt-hosted recruitment event
  • VU-EDGE Pre-VU PhD Recruitment Event

**Fellowship, Research, and Training Programs
Students that are members of the following VU-associated Fellowship, Research, and Training Programs are eligible for a fee waiver. Documentation demonstrating that student is/was member of the  VU-associated program must accompany the waiver request:

  • California Polytechnic State University, Pomona Undergraduate Research Program
  • Dozoretz National Institute for Mathematics and Applied Sciences (DNIMAS)
  • Gates Millennium Scholars Program (GMSP)
  • Initiative to Maximize Student Development (IMSD)
  • Leadership Alliance Summer Research Early Identification Program (SR-EIP)
  • Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
  • NIH/NIGMS Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC)
  • Mellon Mays Minority Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF)
  • National Name Exchange (NNE)
  • Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement Program (RISE)
  • Ronald McNair Scholars Program
  • The National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science (GEM fellows and associate fellows)
  • University of Baltimore Maryland County Meyerhoff Scholars Program
  • University of Central Florida Academic Advancement Programs

Please visit our graduate school application fee information website for more information.