Applying to MCB

Deadline for All Applications: December 1st

• All supporting documentions (letters of recommendation, TOEFL for international students if not self-reported) are due December 1st)
• December 1st - Last day to submit an application.
• January - Interviews will be held virtually
• February - Applicants are typically notifed of their admission status.
• March - Accepted students will be invited for an in-person visit

The application fee is $75.00 (USD) and is required for each applicant. Criteria for a fee waiver can be found here: Guarini Fee waiver information. 

Applications to join the class of 2026 will be open in September. Online Application link here: https://apply.gs.dartmouth.edu/portal/apply_guarini. 

• Personal Statements (required) - The application will ask you to complete two essay prompts about your experiences, motivations, and research.
• Curriculum Vitae (required)
• Description of laboratory research experience (required) - Within the MCB Supplemental section, you will list your laboratory research experiences (up to 5).
• Three letters of recommendation (required) - We encourage applicants to provide at least one recommendation letter from a mentor or supervisor who has known the applicant in a research capacity. Letters of recommendation must be submitted through the application by the recommender. We will not accept letters submitted by other means.
• College Transcripts (undergraduate and graduate, if applicable) - Uploads of unofficial transcripts are accepted in the application, but official transcripts are required for enrollment.
• All Components of an application are taken into consideration. Therefore, it is not possible to make an assessment of materials/qualifications before an application is submitted.
• We do not require GRE or subject scores though a strong GRE score may help your application.
• Language proficiency test scores are required for non-U.S. citizens, with the exception of those who are earning or have earned a degree from institutions in the U.S., Canada, or the UK, or whose primary language of instruction at their non-U.S. institution was English.*
  • * You do not need to seek our approval or submit documentation to prove eligibility for an English test score waiver. Indicate your eligibility in the Academic History section of your application by confirming that English was the language of instruction at your degree-granting institution. Your transcipts should indicate that English was the primary language of instruction at the degree-granting institution.
  • For all graduate programs, Guarini accepts the following English proficiency tests: TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo. During the application process, self-reported scores are acceptable. However, once admitted, students will be required to electronically submit official test results directly from the testing organization.
  • You may still choose to submit your English language scores, even if you meet the criteria for a waiver.
• We do not require applicants to find faculty advisors during the application process. All MCB students complete 3 research rotations, which are selected at the beginning of each term.

For more information, including FAQ's, please check out these links: MCB Program FAQs, Admissions information, General Admission FAQs, and Funding information.

• Applications to MCB are reviewed by an MCB graduate admissions committee, composed of MCB faculty and student representatives.

• We do not release information about our current students such as GPA or research interests (average or actual).

• The MCB academic year is arranged by terms - Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer - and requires attendance on campus for all four terms.

• It is typical that entering graduate students will have had at least one year each of physics, and mathematics (calculus) and two years of biology and chemistry (general and organic) although relevant material will be covered in the MCB core course during the first year of graduate study.

Email us any questions regarding your application, program requirements, etc.