Graduate Admissions

• There is NO APPLICATION FEE upon submission of your application. Only those admitted and who start in the Mathematics or Applied Mathematics program at Iowa State are charged the application fee, which is applied to the University bill.
• The GRE is no longer required for admission into our program.

• One official set from every college attended. Be sure to include grades and credits earned along with degree received (if applicable). Foreign transcripts need to include an official English translation. Please upload an unofficial transcript to your MyAdmissions account with other materials. Official transcripts can be sent at a later date.

• A brief essay describing your academic and career goals and how this program will help you meet those goals. If you complete this as part of the online application, please do not need to send an additional statement.
• The length of the statement of purpose is subjective, as applicants should describe their research interests, experiences, and all educational accomplishments thoroughly. We recommend roughly 500 words.

This can also be uploaded as part of the online application.

• Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can attest to your potential for graduate study in mathematics are required. These are submitted as part of the online application. Fill in the emails of your recommenders and then email is sent to them with submission instructions. Students who have attended REU or other similar programs, are encouraged to have a letter from their supervisor or program director. Letters from individuals not able to assess mathematics can be sent but should be above the required three letters and could be emailed or postal mailed to the department with the following form attached.. They can be submitted using the online application process or sent to the address below. If they are submitted online, a paper copy does not need to be sent. Graduate College Letter of Recommendation (PDF)

• Mathematics requires this additional form which can be sent by postal mail or email. You can access the form in the following two formats: (PDF) (MS Word)

• The GRE is no longer required for admission into our program.

Minimum Scores required:

• TOEFL Paper (PBT) – 550
• TOEFL Internet (iBT) – 79
• IELTS – 7
• PTE – 53
• Duolingo – 105

Unless English is the only official language of home country or bachelor’s or master’s degree earned from a US institution.

• Since it takes approximately 3-4 weeks for the official copy of your test scores to reach ISU, please take your test early enough to allow the scores to reach ISU prior to the application deadline. If you designate Iowa State University as one of the institutions to which scores must be sent by ETS (while making arrangements to take the test), the scores go directly to the Graduate Admissions Office and are entered into an online system accessible by departments.