When Are Grad Applications Due

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It’s not quite “have you heard back yet” season here at The GradCafe. Many applicants just submitted or are in the process of submitting grad applications. Below, we’ll share some resources to help with the process.

This Week’s Resources

• When to Apply to Grad School (with Timeline)

• How to Write a Letter of Intent for Grad School

• How to Apply to Stanford Grad Programs (Stanford)

• How Many Grad Schools Should You Apply to?

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When to Apply for Grad Programs

Different schools have different admissions processes, and even those at a single university differ for undergraduate and graduates. So when do you need to apply for grad programs?

According to the graduate admissions portal at Stanford, the graduate admissions portal will open in mid September for 2025 entry.

So now is a good time to:

• Request reference letters

• Draft letters of intent

• Learn about specific programs

We detail an 18-month timeline for applications in this article.

And remember that the professional schools have their own admissions departments. So you’d need to apply at Stanford Business to get an MBA at Stanford.

The deadline for that MBA program is September 10 for Round 1 and January 8 for Round 2.

There’s a different application process for the JD Law program at Stanford.

Do Letters of Recommendation Get Sent with PhD Applications?

Here’s a recent post from the forum. The question centers on reference letters. Do they get sent with the application for PhD programs, or do the referrals get sent directly?

The answer depends on the program, but usually the referrer sends the letter directly to the university admissions department via an online portal.