A grad school application is not one form that goes to every school. At the schools we read, you apply program by program through each university’s graduate school, and in some fields through a shared application service. The dates and many of the rules belong to each school.
This guide walks the process in order, from research to decision. Each step is tied to the graduate school pages that state it, read in October 2026 while schools were taking applications for fall 2027.
Key Takeaways
- You apply to each program on its own. UC’s graduate site says you “apply directly to each UC graduate program,” and at Cornell each field “makes independent admission decisions.”
- Some fields add a shared service: GradCAS for the programs that use it, PTCAS for the physical therapist programs on it. Programs inside them still set their own extras.
- For fall 2027 entry, Berkeley’s Graduate Division opened its application in late September 2026. Princeton’s requirements can change every year before its September opening.
- Decisions come from the program. Berkeley’s FAQ says they typically go out between January and April. At schools that sign the April 15 Resolution, you have no obligation to answer offers of financial support before April 15.
How the grad school application process works
At the University of California, undergraduates reach every campus through one form. UC Santa Barbara’s admissions page says “All University of California campuses use the UC Application.” Graduate study at UC works differently. UC’s graduate site says “When you apply to graduate school, you’ll apply directly to each UC graduate program,” and two programs on the same campus mean two applications.
The other graduate schools we read split the work between a central office and the program or field:
| Source | Where you apply | Who sets the rules |
|---|---|---|
| UC graduate site | Each UC graduate program, one application per program | Each program; requirements and deadlines can differ |
| UC Berkeley Graduate Division | Berkeley's online application, one program per admissions cycle | Graduate Division minimums, usually a 3.0 GPA; the program reviews the file |
| Cornell Graduate School | Cornell's graduate application | Each field sets its requirements and decides |
| Princeton Graduate School | Princeton's graduate application | The Graduate School sets minimums; deadlines and added requirements vary by program |
| GradCAS (Liaison) | One GradCAS application for participating programs | The institution sets program-specific questions, essays, documents, letters and fee rules |
| PTCAS (APTA) | One application to physical therapist programs | Programs can add questions, documents, references or prerequisites |
Cornell’s Graduate School puts it in one line: “Each field sets its own admission requirements and makes independent admission decisions.” Princeton’s Graduate School “coordinates the admission process and establishes minimum requirements for admission,” while its deadlines and added requirements vary by degree program. Berkeley’s application FAQ adds a campus limit: you “may apply to only one graduate or concurrent degree program per admissions cycle.”
Some fields add a shared layer on top. GradCAS calls itself “a centralized application platform for graduate admissions,” and the institution sets “program-specific questions, essays, documents, recommendation requirements, and applicable fee rules” for each program. Physical therapist programs that take PTCAS share one application: PTCAS is “the physical therapist centralized application service provided by APTA.” Its program materials section lets each program add its own items.
All six sources in the table leave part of the rules to the program. That is why each step below starts with the program’s own page.
The grad school application timeline at a glance
Here is the order the steps take, with the timing each source gives. Where a page names a cycle, the dates are for fall 2027 entry.
| Step | When | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Research programs | Before the application opens; Princeton's opens in September | Princeton Graduate School |
| 2. Take required tests | Early enough to retake; GRE scores arrive 8 to 10 days after the test | UC graduate site; ETS |
| 3. Invite recommenders | From inside the application, once it is open | UC Berkeley Graduate Division |
| 4. Write your statements | Before you submit | UC graduate site |
| 5. Submit, then pay or waive the fee | By each program's deadline; at Cornell the fee step comes last | Cornell Graduate School |
| 6. Decisions | January to April on Berkeley's FAQ; as early as January and as late as June on its application-process page | UC Berkeley Graduate Division |
| 7. Answer funding offers | No obligation before April 15 at schools that sign the resolution | Council of Graduate Schools |
Grad school application timeline, step by step
1. Research programs, then reread their pages when applications open
Build your list program by program, since each one sets its own rules. Princeton’s Graduate School adds a timing warning: “Application requirements are subject to change annually prior to the opening of the application in September.” A page you read in spring can change before you apply, so read it again once the application opens.
Berkeley’s own first step is to browse its programs and deadlines, then read each department’s site “to learn about the curriculum, career outcomes, alumni profiles, and more,” and it says to “Begin at least 3 months before you apply” when gathering materials.
At Berkeley’s Graduate Division, “You can start your online application in late September.” For fall 2027 entry, its requirements page gave the opening as September 24, 2026. Its fee-waiver page gives September 21 (see the fee waiver section below).
2. Take required tests early
Tests are a program decision. UC’s graduate site notes that “Some programs require applicants to take the GRE or other standardized tests.” Its advice is to “Prepare for and take tests early so you will have time to study and retake them if you’re not satisfied with your scores.”
The timing comes from ETS. Official GRE General Test scores reach your ETS account 8 to 10 days after the test, and ETS sends score reports to the schools you named on test day at that time. Scores stay reportable for five years. A test less than about ten days before a program’s deadline leaves no margin (our note, from ETS’s timing).
3. Line up your recommendations
UC’s graduate site says “Generally, all your letters should be from professors,” though, if you have done research or worked in your field, “a letter from your mentor or supervisor also may be helpful.” It also asks you to “Give recommenders enough time to provide you with a strong, thoughtful, well-written letter.”
At Berkeley, the request itself comes from the application. You enter each recommender’s name and email “In the Recommendations page of the application,” and Berkeley emails them a unique upload link. The invitation can go out only after you start the application, so ask your recommenders before then (our reading of Berkeley’s FAQ).
4. Write your statements
UC’s graduate site describes the statement of purpose as the essay admissions committees use “to gain insight into your motivation, competence and potential.” Some schools also ask for “an additional essay, often called a personal history statement or personal statement,” which UC notes “is different from the statement of purpose.”
For annotated model excerpts to study, see our graduate personal statement examples and statement of purpose examples. Our statement of purpose template lays out an SOP section by section. If you want a second reader before you submit, ExceptionalGrad’s advisors “will review your application, help edit essays,” in the words of our graduate application advising page.
5. Submit, then pay the fee or request a waiver
Deadlines belong to each program, and at Berkeley the time to apply runs “September to December, but as late as February, depending on the program.”
At Cornell, paying the fee or requesting a waiver “is the final step in submitting your application.” Its fee page warns: “Once a fee is paid or a fee waiver request is submitted, you will not be able to make changes to your application.” Finish every section before you reach that step.
6. Decisions, then the April 15 date for funding offers
Decisions come from the program. Cornell says “You will receive a decision notification directly from your field.” Its application review page adds: “In most cases, offers that include a funding package or other financial aid are made no later than April 1.”
Berkeley’s two pages give two ranges. Its FAQ says decisions “are typically sent out between January and April,” while its application-process page says “you may receive your decision as early as January and as late as June.” Both pages put the spread down to each department’s or program’s own timeline.
Offers that include funding have a shared reply date at schools that sign the Council of Graduate Schools’ April 15 Resolution. Under it, students “are under no obligation to accept or decline offers of financial support prior to April 15.” The resolution applies to the institutions that subscribe to it, and for programs beginning in fall 2027, institutions must re-sign it.
Graduate school application fee waivers
Fees add up because each application carries its own. UC’s graduate site says to expect a separate fee for each university, and perhaps each program. It also says “Many institutions, including all UC campuses, offer fee waivers to applicants based on financial need or participation in certain programs.” The two graduate schools below show how far the details differ.
| UC Berkeley Graduate Division | Cornell Graduate School | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee (read October 2026) | $135 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents, $155 for others, plus a 4.22% processing fee | $105, nonrefundable |
| Who can get a waiver | U.S. citizens or current permanent residents who show financial need or took part in listed programs | A financial hardship waiver in exceptional cases; approved only for applicants to fully funded doctoral or research master's programs, or those who will file a FAFSA for federal aid |
| How to ask | A form in the payment section of the application, with documents, before you submit | A form on the application's payment page, with the application in at least three business days before the deadline |
At Berkeley, “The form to request an application fee waiver is included in the payment section of the online application.” Its fee-waiver page dates the application’s launch to September 21, 2026, three days before the date on the requirements page.
At Cornell, “In exceptional cases, applicants may be approved for a financial hardship waiver.” Cornell approves requests only “for applicants to fully funded doctoral or research master’s programs, or those who will submit a FAFSA to apply for federal student aid to pay for their program.” If you plan to ask, Cornell says to “submit your application at least three business days before the application deadline.”
A waiver can matter after you apply, too. ExceptionalGrad’s graduate advising page offers discounts “For students who have qualified for a full application fee waiver and can provide a copy of their fee waiver documentation.” The discount covers individual services and comprehensive application packages, and it depends on that documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I apply to grad school for fall 2027?
Inside each program’s window. For fall 2027, Berkeley’s Graduate Division opened its application in late September 2026 and says the time to apply runs “September to December, but as late as February, depending on the program”; Princeton’s opens in September. Ask recommenders before you start, since Berkeley sends letter invitations from inside the application.
Can I submit a grad school application before my recommendations are in?
At Berkeley, yes, as of October 2026. Its Graduate Division FAQ says “you can submit your application before all of your letters are submitted.” Its system also accepts letters after the deadline, but Berkeley tells you to check each program’s own recommendation deadline. Other graduate schools may set a different rule.
Do grad schools require the GRE?
Some programs do. At Cornell and Berkeley, the field or program decides. Cornell’s Graduate School says “GRE requirements vary by field,” and Berkeley’s Graduate Division says some of its programs require a test such as the GRE General Test. ETS keeps GRE scores reportable for five years after the test date.