English Proficiency Requirements

To be eligible for the Stanford Biodesign Innovation Fellowship, you must demonstrate sufficient proficiency to read English with ease, understand rapid idiomatic English as used in lectures and group discussions, and express thoughts quickly and clearly in spoken and written English.

English proficiency test scores are not required if you meet one or more of the following criteria:

• You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Your first language is English.
• You earned a US bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, or international equivalent from a university where all instruction was conducted in English.

If you do not meet at least one of the criteria listed above at the time of application, please submit an official test score with your application. We accept results from:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT)
• International English Language Testing System Academic Test (IELTS Academic)

Score Requirements

The following requirements provide guidance on acceptable scores:

Submitting Scores

When completing your application in Slideroom, you will be prompted to enter your English language proficiency and upload the results of a qualifying TOEFL or IELTS exam taken within the last 24 months.

Results must be submitted with all other application materials on or before the application deadline. Scores received after the deadline date will not be considered.

Acknowledgment

Thank you to the Stanford Bechtel International Center for the guidance upon which these English language proficiency requirements are based. We also drew content/material from Stanford Graduate Admissions and the Stanford GSB.