Kellogg INSIGHT
Kellogg faculty bring their latest research emphasizing key findings.In this issue:
Name-Letter Branding Miguel Brendl
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Kellogg Doctoral Program
Application Requirements and Checklist
The online application is available through ApplyYourself.
For questions concerning the application process, please contact the Office of Doctoral Studies by telephone at 847.491.2832 or by e-mail.
For technical support for the online application, please contact ApplyYourself by telephone at 1.800.526.3313 or by e-mail.
Below is information regarding the application requirements and document submission process. These materials will supplement the online application form.
When submitting documents to Kellogg by hard copy, please send everything in one envelope to ensure timely processing. These documents may include letters of recommendation, transcripts, résumés and copies of test scores. Please note that recommendation letters and résumés may be submitted electronically within the online application form (details are below). Official transcripts may be sent directly from your school’s registrar to Kellogg or collected by the applicant and submitted in one envelope addressed to the Kellogg School.
Any questions should be directed to the Office of Doctoral Studies.
- A cover sheet (PDF 76 KB / 1 page). Any supplemental documents sent by mail must include a cover sheet.
- One copy of a statement of purpose (one to two pages, single-spaced) outlining the applicant's research interests and reasons for seeking a PhD at the Kellogg School. (If the statement of purpose was submitted within the online application, there is no need to send a hard copy by mail).
- One official transcript documenting each course taken beyond high-school level, whether or not within a degree program. Transcripts must bear the registrar's signature and/or the institution's seal to be official and acceptable. Northwestern must also receive certification of degrees received, including the date the degree was awarded. This information may be included on the final transcript or on the diploma. Final credentials must be submitted as soon as they become available.
For international students, the academic records we refer to as “transcripts” should provide a listing, year-by-year, of all courses taken and the grades or marks received for each one. It is helpful to have the grading scale of the institution and the student’s rank in class included when such information is available.
Do not submit secondary school (high school) records. Secondary school records will not be reviewed and will be discarded.
If your college or university will not mail original official academic documents to you, you may send exact copies that have been verified as "Certified True Copies" by the appropriate institutional official of each institution you have attended. Uncertified photocopies are not acceptable. To be considered, all documents not in English must be accompanied by official English translations.
Northwestern requires literal, certified translations for all documents issued in a language other than English. We accept translations from the institution issuing the transcript, ATA certified translators, or from the consulate. You may find an ATA translator here. Plain translations, notarized translations, and translations prepared by someone other than a certified translator are not acceptable.
Northwestern will accept applications from international students earning a three-year bachelor’s degree. - Two confidential letters of recommendation — preferably from professors who are familiar with the applicant's academic background, qualifications and preparation for PhD study — are required. Letters from employers and business associates are also accepted. While Kellogg requires only two letters, the online application form does allow three letters to be submitted. Three letters will be accepted by the Kellogg School.
Electronic submission of recommendation letters is strongly preferred. The recommender should submit his or her letter electronically through an upload into the ApplyYourself application system. Directions for this option are printed on the application form. If your recommenders submit their letters online, it is not necessary to send a copy by post.
Please note that Northwestern does not provide evaluation forms for the use of recommenders; only letters are accepted. If the recommender cannot submit his or her letter electronically, recommendation letters are also accepted by mail. - Official Test Scores. Scores on either the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are accepted if taken within the last 5 years. Please note the following exceptions:
• The Managerial Economics & Strategy PhD Program prefers the GRE rather than the GMAT.
• The Management & Organizations & Sociology PhD Program requires the GRE. The Sociology Department does not accept the GMAT.
Scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) are required for those applicants whose native language is not English. Exceptions to this policy are outlined below in the section, “Certification of Proficiency in English.”
Institutional CodesGMAT 6WZ-3J-54 (PhD Program, Kellogg) GRE 1565 (Northwestern), no Department Code TOEFL 1565 (Northwestern)
Paper-Based Exam: Department Code 01 (Graduate School)
Internet-Based Exam: Graduate Office; then select the program name that closely matches the program of interest. If no match, then choose option 99.IELTS (IELTS -- There is no institution code. IELTS scores must be sent directly from IELTS, in a sealed envelope, to the Kellogg School of Management.) - Certification of proficiency in English. All applicants whose native language is NOT English must certify their proficiency in the English language. An applicant may certify proficiency in the following ways:
Providing official scores for either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The test must be taken no more than two years before the intended quarter of entry (fall quarter). To be considered for admission with financial aid, an applicant’s TOEFL score must be 600 or higher on the paper-based exam, 250 or higher on the computer-based exam, or 100 or higher on the Internet-based exam. IELTS test takers should score 7.0 or higher. The Kellogg School does not require the Test of Spoken English (TSE).
Earning an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited institution where the language of instruction is English. This degree must be awarded BEFORE the student enrolls in doctoral classes in the upcoming fall quarter at Northwestern. If you have a degree from an accredited institution where the language of instruction is English, you will have satisfied the TOEFL requirement. (If possible, applicants should include one copy of any TOEFL or IELTS scores they have — even if they have expired.) - Application fee. The application fee for fall 2010 is $75. Fees must be paid by credit card within the online application only. (Checks or money orders are not accepted.)
This fee is NOT refundable and cannot be waived. If applicants do not submit the required fee, their applications will not be processed or reviewed by the Kellogg School. - Résumé. The resume may be submitted electronically. Within the online application, there is a section where applicants may upload their résumés. Since this section is designed as an upload, the résumé will print only if it is uploaded. A text box is not available where applicants can “type in” the résumé. Résumés are also accepted by hard copy through the mail.
Applicants to the Marketing Program should visit the marketing department’s PhD Web site for additional information. - Writing Sample. The Kellogg School of Management does not require a writing sample or paper from its applicants. The online application form managed by Northwestern’s Graduate School enables applicants to submit a paper; however, if the applicant submits a paper to a Kellogg program, it will not be printed. That function will be disabled when the application form is sent to Kellogg. The admissions committee does not read papers.
Please note that only one program affiliated with Kellogg requires a writing sample, and that program is Management and Organizations and Sociology. More information about this requirement for the Sociology Department is discussed below (see item 11). - Interviews. Due to the number of applications Kellogg receives each year, it is not feasible for our faculty to interview every applicant. Instead, each program initiates phone or campus interviews for only those candidates who are being strongly considered for admission or for candidates for whom additional information is needed. An applicant cannot request an interview. The program will contact the applicant to arrange an interview. Even candidates who are being strongly considered for admission may not be interviewed until late February or early March.
- Students applying to the joint program in Management and Organizations and Sociology: Scores for the GRE rather than the GMAT should be provided. Also, a writing sample of no more than 30 pages is required. Social-scientific papers are preferred but not required. This is a Sociology Department requirement; Kellogg does not require a writing sample. Any questions about the writing sample requirement should be directed to Murielle Harris.
- Department/program code numbers required on the application. Applicants must apply directly to one specific program/department within the Kellogg School. Below are the seven PhD programs available, accompanied by the program code number required on the application form:
• Accounting Information and Management (#A05PH)
• Finance (#F05PH)
• Managerial Economics and Strategy (#M10PH)
• Marketing (#M15PH)
• Management and Organizations (#020PH)
• Management and Organizations and Sociology (#015PH)
(A joint PhD Program offered by Kellogg's Management and
Organizations Department and the Weinberg College of Arts and
Sciences' Sociology Department)
• Operations Management (#O30PH)
Doctoral Admissions
c/o Susan Jackman
Kellogg School of Management
Northwestern University
Allen Center
2169 Campus Drive
Evanston, IL 60208-2800
USA
