It’s that time of year. The clock is ticking ever closer to our application deadline of 11:59pm Eastern time on December 1. Email and phone inquiries are coming in at a frenzied pace, and someone keeps humming the tune of “The Final Countdown.” You are putting your final touches on your application, and we are gearing up for what we call reading season.

We realize applying to graduate school can be stressful. To help ease any last-minute anxiety, below please find some resources and information that may help you in the last push as you prepare to submit your application.

• Our application deadline is December 1 at 11:59pm Eastern time. The portal will be closed after that time, and the Graduate School does not offer extensions. Yes, we are pretty serious about the deadline. Did we mention the deadline is December 1 at 11:59pm Eastern time?​

• The School only offers fall-entry admission, and we have a single application deadline. The December 1 deadline is for all three graduate degrees – the MPA, the MPP, and the PhD.

• Here’s how you check on the status of your application:

  • When you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email.

  • An applicant who has submitted an application can return to the application menu, click on Manage Your Account, and log into the application.

  • Under Submitted Forms, select the Princeton University application and then click View Checklist.

  • The Checklist shows received materials. Only required documents will be added to the application and checklist.

  • Received test scores will be listed by test date.

• If you are scheduled to take your GRE in December, please include a brief statement in your application that contains your test date so our Admissions Committee knows your GRE scores are forthcoming. Also, when you receive your GRE scores from ETS, please forward a copy to wwsadmit@princeton.edu. It will be used as a placeholder until the School receives your official scores. Note, testing after December is not recommended as we cannot guarantee that scores will be received in time for our review process, and files will be deemed incomplete.

• It is fine to submit your application even if your three recommenders have yet to submit their letters on your behalf. Granted, you might want to give them a gentle and polite reminder of the application deadline.

• For additional application questions, please refer to the following pages:

The Graduate School’s Applying to Princeton

The Graduate School’s Application FAQ , Recommenders FAQ, Transcripts FAQ, English Language Test Scores FAQ, and Prerequisite Test Scores FAQ

The Graduate School’s overview of the School's application requirements

The School’s application FAQ, as well as detailed pages on the application for the MPA, the MPP, and the PhD.

The School's Blog, which includes a few other posts with application tips

• For future email inquiries, do not send the same email to multiple people and lists. Here are the appropriate emails:

  • Technical difficulties with the online application inquiries should be sent to help@applyweb.com

  • General interest, the Graduate School’s website, or updates to an applicant’s contact information inquiries should be sent to gs@princeton.edu

  • GRE, IELTS and TOEFL tests or fee waiver inquiries should be sent to gsadmit@princeton.edu

  • Application requirements that were not previously uploaded to an applicant’s submitted application should be sent to gradapp@princeton.edu. Please review these tips when sending emails to this account.

  • Emails specific to the School should be sent to wwsadmit@princeton.edu

​Thank you for your interest in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. If you choose to apply, we look forward to learning about you and reading your file. We wish you the best!

_{Photo: Princeton University, Office of Communications, Daniel A. Day (2018)}