 
|
HILS Home > Admission/Application
To apply to a Harvard Integrated Life Sciences (HILS) program, students complete and return the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) admissions application. HILS students are admitted to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard, and register in one of the 12 life sciences PhD study areas that are members of the HILS federation.
Summary HILS Admission Data
Here's what the most recent (Fall 2007) HILS entering class looks like:
Application, Deadline, and Fee Information
Applications and supporting documentation for the 12 HILS PhD member programs must be received by GSAS by December 7, 2007 along with a $90.00 application fee. The 12 HILS member programs and subject areas, along with their application code numbers, are:
* Applications to the Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Human Biology and Translational Medicine, Pathology, Genetics, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Molecular Pharmacology, Immunology, Neuroscience, and Virology subject areas are received and processed by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS); admissions decsionmaking for these disciplines is managed by the Division of Medical Sciences (DMS), an administrative unit based at the Harvard Medical School which coordinates biomedical PhD admissions and academic activities at the Longwood Medical Area.
Prospective HILS students wishing to receive their PhD degree in a DMS subject area must complete the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application and submit it to GSAS. For more information on DMS, see the Division of Medical Sciences web page.
HILS Application Procedures
Ordinarily, students apply to one HILS program, and we strongly recommend this targeted approach. While each program’s admission committee makes its admissions decisions independently, the committees also consider each candidate’s suitability in adjacent HILS programs as part of their evaluation process, and will transfer files accordingly. You will be notified by the GSAS Admission Office if this occurs.
For candidates who nonetheless wish to formally apply to more than one program, HILS will accommodate the submission up to three applications to its member programs under a single $90.00 application fee. Applicants submitting multiple applications should follow the instructions below and submit a separate Statement of Purpose for each program applied to.
Note that for application purposes, the Division of Medical Sciences (DMS) and its four subject areas (Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), Virology, Immunology, and Neuroscience) are considered by HILS to be one department. DMS applicants may thus apply to just one DMS subject area, and this will be considered—and counted—as one program choice on the HILS application.
Online submission of the application for admission is encouraged. If you choose to apply using the paper application, the application(s) and all supporting documents must be enclosed in the admissions envelope provided in the GSAS application booklet to ensure full consideration. Do not submit admission material in the financial aid envelope.
Applying to One HILS Program
The first step for online candidates is to establish an online account and log in. Once you’ve done this, you will be prompted to select your HILS department from the droplist at the “Preliminary Questions” screen. After clicking the “Save and Continue” button at the bottom of this screen, follow the instructions on the subsequent online pages to complete your application.
If you apply using the paper application, complete the GSAS Application for Admission and Summary Forms in the application booklet following the instructions provided. Supporting documents must be enclosed in the admissions envelope to ensure full consideration
Applying to a DMS Subject Area Within HILS
Once you’ve established an online account and logged in, you will be prompted to select “Biology: Division of Medical Sciences” from the droplist at the “Preliminary Questions” screen. Online applicants wishing to do research in the DMS subject areas of Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Pathology, Genetics, Human Biology and Translational Medicine, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, and Molecular Pharmacology should apply through the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) Program using the appropriate droplist (marked “Biology: Division of Medical Sciences/BBS xxxx) on the “Step 2: Application Form” screen. Online applicants wishing to do research in Immunology, Neuroscience, or Virology should apply directly to the DMS program of that name, (marked “Biology: Division of Medical Sciences/ xxxx) on the “Step 2: Application Form” screen.
As noted above, students may apply to only one of the four DMS subjects.
The DMS Admission Office mailing address for admission-related correspondence is:
Admissions Office
Division of Medical Sciences
Harvard Medical School
P.O. Box 209109
Boston, MA 02120
Telephone: (617) 432-0162
If you are unsure which DMS program is best for you, please explain this in an essay using the “Step 3: Essays” (page 7) of the online application or in an additional letter accompanying your paper application. DMS welcomes discussion with applicants who would like assistance in determining the most appropriate subject area for their interests.
Applying to Multiple HILS Programs
All online candidates submitting multiple applications should follow the instructions on the online system and submit a separate Statement of Purpose for each program applied to.
For example, if you formally apply online to two or three HILS member programs that are not within DMS, you will be prompted to select your first HILS department from the droplist at the “Preliminary Question” screen. After clicking the “Save and Continue” button at the bottom of this screen, follow the instructions on the subsequent online pages to complete your applications. As part of this process, you will complete and submit your first application, and then begin a second (or third) application by using the “Start New” function of the online application. Please click on the “Apply to more than one program” link on the “Step 1: Instructions” page for detailed instructions about this. As noted above, you are required to submit two (or three) separate Statement of Purpose documents explaining your specific interest in each program as part of the multiple application process.
If you formally apply to one DMS program within HILS and one or two non-DMS HILS member programs, you would follow the same process as above.
If you are using the paper application to apply to multiple HILS departments, please submit a separate application, statement of purpose, and supporting materials for each program applied to, and mail these documents in a single admissions envelope to the GSAS Admission Office to the address below. Indicate your program choices as Number 1, Number 2, and (as needed) Number 3 on the top of each page of your paper applications. GSAS admission staff will distribute these applications to the appropriate programs.
Finally, note that it is Graduate School policy that an individual may submit no more than three applications during the course of his or her academic career. This policy applies to multiple HILS applications, whether or not they are submitted under a single admission fee (two applications to Division of Medical Sciences (DMS) subject areas within a given application cycle will be counted as a single application by GSAS in this regard). If you apply to two HILS PhD programs this admission cycle, for instance, you will be able to apply to just one Harvard PhD program in the future. If you apply to three HILS PhD programs this admission cycle, you will be unable to apply to any other Harvard PhD programs in the future.
Completed Applications
Each application is complete when the following materials are submitted:
-Application Form with Applicant's Signature (If using the paper application)
-Completed Online Application Form
-Signature Page (If using the online application)
-Application Fee
-Applicant's Summary Form (If using the paper application)
-GRE General Test Score Report
-TOEFL (if required)
-3 Letters of Recommendation
-Official Transcripts
-Statement of Purpose
GSAS Office of Admissions Mailing Address
If you are submitting a paper application(s), it (they) should be mailed in a single envelope (provided in the application booklet) to:
Harvard University
Office of Admissions
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
P.O. Box 9129
Cambridge, MA 02238-9129
Candidates submitting the paper application(s) should mail all pertinent financial aid materials (using the grey financial aid envelope provided in the application booklet) to:
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Harvard University
Office of Financial Aid
Holyoke Center, 3rd floor
1350 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
