Admissions is an annual process, with an application deadline of December 15.  All applications are submitted online.  The elements of the application are:

• Statement of purpose (research interests and experience, career plans) not to exceed 1,000 words and written in English
• Academic transcript
• Curriculum vitae
• Three letters of recommendation
• Passing English language proficiency scores from TOEFL, IELTS, or DET (for non-native English speakers). 
• Application fee (or a request for a fee waiver — see below).
• (Optional for 2024/25) General and Physics GRE scores
• Essay to convey any relevant information not represented elsewhere in the application, such as personal experiences. 
• (Optional) Any other supporting materials, such as papers-in-progress.  Most applicants leave this blank.

Please note:

• There are no "cut-offs" on grades, GRE scores, etc. 
• All applications will be read completely and carefully.

Application fee waivers:

We do not want the application fee to be a significant barrier to applying.  Applicants may request fee waivers as follows:

• The Graduate School accepts requests for fee waivers from applicants with financial hardship.
• The Graduate School also accepts requests for fee waivers from any applicants who have attended one of about 40 participating programs such as the U.S. Military, QuestBridge, the National Society of Black Physicists, the National Society of Hispanic Physicists, the Peace Corps, the McNair Scholars, and the Princeton Prospective Ph.D. Preview. 

The Horizon Fellowship:

Applicants to our Ph.D. program may also indicate their interest in being considered for the Horizon Fellowship.  The Horizon Fellowship (formally known as the Pre-Doctoral Fellowship) is a one-year, fully-funded fellowship that includes an offer of regular admission to the Astrophysics doctoral program the following year. The fellowship is intended for students who would benefit from an additional year of training.  Among the possible reasons students may have for seeking admission to the Program are:

• There were limited opportunities for research or rigorous physics courses at their undergraduate institution.
• They come from a physics background and would benefit from extra time to study astronomy (or vice versa).
• They have been out of academia for a while and would benefit from extra time to re-adjust to the academic environment. 

Incoming Horizon Fellows work with faculty members to design a one-year academic plan, which may involve taking courses or developing research skills, depending on the student.  They are fully integrated into our graduate student community from the moment they arrive.  Members of groups who contribute to the department’s diversity — including members of groups that have been historically and are presently underrepresented in the United States (e.g., individuals from first generation/low income backgrounds) — are encouraged to apply.

Applicants who opt to be considered for the Horizon Fellowship program will still also be considered for regular admission; indicating interest in this program does not decrease the chance of being chosen for regular admission.

Please direct department-related questions to Polly Strauss, Academic Program Administrator, Department of Astrophysical Sciences, [email protected].  Thank you.