Apply

Apply online here; you will be required to submit a $95 application fee. Select applicants may be eligible for an application fee waiver. Please visit our Fee Waiver webpage for more information.

To apply to the Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling, please use department code G10MS. To apply to the dual-degree program in Genetic Counseling and Medical Humanities and Bioethics, please use department code G12MS.

The following items are required to apply:

• Academic Statement [1000 words max]:
  • Your essay should describe your reasons for pursuing a degree in genetic counseling at Northwestern and examples of experiences that have motivated you personally. Tell us what those experiences meant to you and how they have strengthened your psychosocial and other skills that you can use as a genetic counselor. Please do not simply provide a list of things you have accomplished (we have that information from your resume).
• Personal Statement [500 words max]:
  • The Graduate School values diverse backgrounds, approaches, and perspectives, understanding them as essential ingredients for true academic excellence. As a Northwestern graduate student, how could you contribute to an intellectual community that prioritizes equity, inclusion, belonging, and cultural humility? Your answer may draw upon past or present experiences, whether in academic work, extracurricular or community activities, or everyday life. Please focus on the Northwestern Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling’s core values of advocacy and diverse perspectives you will bring to the field of genetic counseling.
• Program Specific Question [400 words max]:
  • From the Northwestern Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling’s values of accountability, humility, and innovation: select one value that you have demonstrated and briefly describe your experience(s) that exemplify it; and select another value that you want to work on and tell us why.
• CV or Resume
• Letters of Recommendation:
  • Submission of two (2) letters of recommendation.
  • These must be submitted online through the application.
  • They should come from people who know you well and can speak to your personal and academic qualifications for graduate school. At least one should come from an academic such as a professor or lab supervisor. Letters from employers and volunteer experience supervisors are also acceptable.
  • It is not advisable to submit letters from personal or family friends.
• Transcripts
  • Provide transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate schools you have attended. They can be either official or unofficial transcripts.
  • Upload transcripts online. It is not necessary to send official transcripts unless an offer of admission is made and accepted.
  • Note: If you are an international applicant from a non-U.S. university that does not offer classes in English and/or does not use the 4.0 grading system, we ask that you upload an evaluation through World Education Services or a similar service.
• Supplemental Form:
  • Use the Supplemental Form to list prerequisite courses that are completed/in progress as well as any volunteering experience. Please upload the form to your online application.

Match

All students are required to sign up for the National Matching Services before applying. More information can be found at the Genetic Counseling Admissions Match website.

Dual-Degree Programs

Additional documents are required for applications to our Dual-Degree Program; visit the program page for more information.