How competitive is admission to your program?

Admission to the Graduate programs in CMCL is quite competitive. We typically admit approximately 11-12% of our applicants. To increase your chances of being chosen, please be sure to submit all materials by your deadline. We WILL NOT review late items. This includes letters of recommendation, so please give your recommenders plenty of notice.

Application Deadlines

December 1, 2011 for international applications
January 2, 2012 for domestic applications

Please note that all non-U.S. citizens are considered international applicants. Only international students currently studying at, or holding degrees issued by, Indiana University, or those holding Permanent Resident status, are exempt from this rule.

Please also note that your recommenders will not be given access to upload your Letters of Recommendation (LoRs) until your pay the fee and submit your application. If you wait until the last minute, your recommenders may not have time to submit your LoRs. PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY!

What are your GRE or TOEFL codes?

By putting the correct code on your standardized test, you may ensure that your scores make it directly to your application file. Departmental and University codes are:

GRE Departmental Code - 4599

GRE Indiana University Code - 1324

TOEFL Code - 1324

What kind of financial aid does CMCL provide, and how do I apply for it?

The Department of Communication and Culture offers Associate Instructor appointments to all admitted students. This support provides a tuition remission, health insurance, and a living stipend ($13,544 for the 2011/2012 academic year). Two years of support is awarded to M.A. students; four years for Ph.D. students. There is no separate application for this financial support.

What are CMCL expectations for GRE scores?

On the older (pre fall 2011) exam, we expect a score of at least 600 in either the Quantitative or Verbal sections of the GRE and a 5.0 on the Analytical Writing assessment. Furthermore, we expect a minimum total score of 1150 (Quantitative and Verbal scores added together). Higher verbal scores are more important to us.

For the new iteration of the GRE, minimum scores will be determined after ETS makes the score concordance tables available in early November, 2011. The Analytical Writing score expectation will remain the same.

Please note: We do not require, nor will we review the new Personal Potential Index (PPI). ETS will send results for this to four schools without charge; please don't waste one of your four free notifications on CMCL.

Letters of Recommendation - how many do I need?

In most cases we prefer three letters of recommendation. Generally, these are from faculty with whom you have worked, or from whom you have taken a class. However, we often have letters from employers, volunteer supervisors, etc.

Whoever you think will be best able to speak to your ability to do well in our academic program is who you should ask for a recommendation. Please do not solicit many more than three letters. Extras may not be read.

Please remember that here, as with your personal statement/statement of purpose, generic is not good. Please ask recommenders to speak specifically about your qualities.

Finally, please remind recommenders that their letters must be submitted electronically, or arrive in hardcopy, before the deadline that applies to your application (international or domestic). Letters that arrive after the deadline WILL NOT be accepted and WILL NOT be included in your application dossier.

PLEASE NOTE: The application system will not give your recommenders access to upload your Letters of Recommendation until AFTER you have paid the fee and submitted your application. If you wait until the last minute to submit your application, your recommenders will not have time to upload your letters. Please plan accordingly!

What goes in the personal statement?

In your personal statement, you should indicate your reason for pursuing a graduate degree and describe your professional/academic goals. Explain why you want to study in CMCL at IU. Don't be generic. We want to see that you are familiar with our program and the work of our faculty. Help us understand why you believe you belong here. This is your opportunity to set yourself apart from the crowd. Don't waste it!

Please limit your statement to 700 words.

Please Note: Please combine your Personal Statement/Statement of Purpose, your resume/CV, and your Writing Sample into a SINGLE document and upload this SINGLE document from the Personal Statement area of the application. It is fine if you just cut and paste these three elements to create a SINGLE document for upload.