Application Review
Applications are reviewed by an admissions committee composed of faculty and senior graduate students. The admissions committee considers all aspects of an application (see application requirements).
Unfortunately, we cannot respond to all individual requests for application updates given the large number of inquiries we receive. Please check your status page in the UC Berkeley Graduate Application regarding the status of your application.
Interviews & Campus Visit
Top applicants are invited to one of two in-person interview visits scheduled for February 2-4 and February 23-25, 2025. During the visit, candidates interview with 5-6 faculty members, interact with current graduate students, and attend social events such as a program dinner. These visits introduce candidates to Berkeley's neuroscience community, both socially and professionally.
During your faculty interviews, you are evaluated on your ability to explain your own research, understand the lab’s research or ideas, and demonstrate both scientific and interpersonal communication skills. The purpose of the interviews is to evaluate applicants’ preparedness for graduate research.
Faculty evaluations from the interviews inform final admissions decisions, which are made shortly after the second interview visit. Official admission offers are sent to successful applicants by early March.
Accepting Your Offer
Admitted applicants who intend to accept their offer of admission to UC Berkeley should complete the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) by April 15 as per the Council of Graduate Schools Agreement. See also Accepting Your Offer of Admission on the Graduate Admission website.