Since we consider each application in its entirety, grades, GRE scores, recommendations, your personal statement and work/volunteer experience all play a vital role in the applicant review process. We do not have any specific cutoffs for either GPA or GREs.
Important Note About 2022 Admissions Cycle
GRE scores will not be accepted for applications in the 2022 cycle. Please do not send your scores to Brandeis. Those that are sent will not be included in the application materials for review.
Our program is full time over two years and the intervening summer. The sequence of coursework and external experiences require a full-time commitment and take place during the “business” week. Therefore, we do not have a part-time option. Many students do maintain flexible part-time employment during the program, working 10 to 15 hours weekly.
This is a personal decision. Some applicants have steered their undergraduate coursework and other activities towards a master’s degree in genetic counseling and are ready to enter graduate school immediately after completing their undergraduate degree. Others take time off before starting graduate school to work or gain additional experience that solidifies their interest in the profession.
We welcome applications from all individuals who are interested in becoming a genetic counselor. We have had a number of students who have left a previous career to pursue genetic counseling, not all of which were science-related. You will, however, still need to have completed all the prerequisite courses to be considered for admission.
Once you have submitted your application (and paid the application fee), you can check on the status of your application materials by logging into your account. The self-service portal includes a checklist that is routinely updated whenever documents are received.
You will need to register with National Matching Services and complete a new Brandeis application for each admissions cycle. When you log back into the Brandeis application system, you will see that some of the information from your previous application will carry over to your new one. You should submit an updated resume or CV, at least one new recommendation letter from someone with whom you’ve recently worked in a job and/or volunteer position, and a new personal statement that discusses how you have improved your application since the last admissions cycle.