Application Process, Tuition and Financial Aid: Master of Science in Human Genetics

Applicants must have received a Bachelor of Arts or equivalent degree from an accredited college or university. Previous college work is expected, but not required, to be at 3.0 or higher and should reflect advanced course study. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are not required for admission to the program.

Previous college work is expected, but not required, to be at 3.0 or higher and should reflect advanced course study.

The following are prerequisites for admission:

• Genetics (Mendelian, molecular, or cell biology)
• Psychology
• General Biology
• Biochemistry
• Probability and Statistics
• Human Embryology (Developmental Biology or Equivalent)
• Exposure to and/or shadowing of genetic counseling
• Experience in health care and/or advocacy organization

Prerequisite courses must be completed prior to student enrollment. At the time of application review, only one prerequisite may be outstanding and it cannot be Genetics.

If you have questions about any of the courses you have taken or plan to take, we recommend you consult with the professor or your faculty advisor to assess whether the course will prepare you for graduate level work.

All applicants must register with National Matching Services Inc. prior to completing the Sarah Lawrence Graduate Application. Once you register for the Genetic Counseling Admission Match, you will receive a unique Applicant Code Number. You must enter your Applicant Code Number in the Sarah Lawrence Graduate Application. Your application will not be complete without this information.

The Sarah Lawrence tracks for the Match are as follows:

11710: 2-Yr-MS $4-8K Scholarship ($2-4K/yr)

This track is for the two-year Master of Science in Human Genetics genetic counseling program and includes a scholarship between $4,000 - $6,500, distributed across the two years of study. This scholarship is typically offered to two applicants. If you would like to be considered for this track, please use the code 11710 in your ranking of our program. Recipients will also be considered for institutional, need-based funding.

11711: 2-Yr-MS $20,000 total scholarship ($10k/yr)

This track is for the two-year Master of Science in Human Genetics genetic counseling program and includes a scholarship of approximately $20,000 - $30,000 distributed across the two years of study. This scholarship is typically offered to eight applicants. If you would like to be considered for this track, please use the code 11711 in your ranking of our program. Recipients will also be considered for institutional, need-based funding.

11712: 2-Yr-MS Accepted with no scholarship

This track is for the two-year Master of Science in Human Genetics genetic counseling program at full tuition. Applicants who apply for financial aid will be considered for institutional, need-based funding. Be sure to include the code 11712 in your ranking of our program, unless you are unwilling to attend our program without one of the scholarships listed.

11713: 2-Yr-MS Joan H. Marks Scholarship ($25-30k/yr)

This track is for the two-year Master of Science in Human Genetics genetic counseling program and includes a scholarship of approximately $25,000 - $30,000. This scholarship is offered to one applicant. If you would like to be considered for this track, please use the code 11714 in your ranking of our program and submit the required essay. Recipients will also be considered for institutional, need-based funding.

11714:  2-Yr-MS Warren Alpert Foundation Scholarship

This track is for the two-year Master of Science in Human Genetics genetic counseling program and includes full tuition and living expenses. This scholarship is offered to two applicants. If you would like to be considered for this track, please use the code 11714 in your ranking of our program and submit the required essay. Recipients will also be considered for institutional, need-based funding.

We recommend that all applicants to the two-year Master of Science in Human Genetics apply for financial aid and use all  of our match codes in their ranking of our program. Be sure to include 11712, unless you are unwilling to attend our program without a scholarship. Limiting your rankings to just the scholarship tracks decreases the chance you will match with our program. 

GCEA has established a waiver for the $100 fee associated with the NMS Match. Prospective students who demonstrate financial need AND have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater can apply for a match fee waiver. Prospective students should apply for a fee waiver BEFORE registering for an NMS number. Match fee waivers cannot be awarded to applicants who have already registered for the Match and paid the registration fee.

Applications for the match fee waiver are due by October 4, 2024. Applicants will be notified by October 30, 2024 as to whether they have received a waiver. There are a limited number of waivers, so not all applicants will receive a waiver. Instructions for how to register for the NMS match will be provided to those who receive a waiver.

Waivers are non-transferable to future match cycles or other prospective students. Prospective students who are applying for a match fee waiver will be required to write a short essay and to upload at least one of the following documents demonstrating financial need:

1. A copy of a letter verifying unemployment benefits received within the past two years.
2. A copy of a letter on official letterhead from a government agency verifying that you or your family have qualified for public assistance based on low income criteria anytime within the past 5 years
3. A copy of your financial aid award letter from another / previous institution dated within 5 the past years
4. A copy of your approved GRE fee waiver (for tests taken within 5 years of the application deadline)
5. A copy of your federal Student Aid Report (SAR) that verifies you qualified for financial aid within the past 5 years based on a family contribution of:

• Not more than $1,500 if the student is a dependent student
• Not more than $1,900 if the student is an independent student

To apply, click here: https://natmatch.com/gcadmissions/applicants/register.html

Please direct any questions about the Match Fee Waiver process or requirements gcmatchwaivers@gcea.onmicrosoft.com

Official transcripts are not required in order to apply to Sarah Lawrence College. However, if you are admitted and accept your offer of admission, an official transcript from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended will be required prior to enrollment in the graduate program.

Unofficial transcripts for application purposes should be submitted to us via a scanned upload in the Academics section of the application. Official transcripts for enrollment purposes can be sent to us via your institution's electronic transcript delivery or mailed to us from each undergraduate and graduate institution. Our mailing address is as follows:

Graduate Admission
Sarah Lawrence College
1 Mead Way
Bronxville, NY, 10708

If your transcript is from a university where English is not the primary language of instruction, you must provide a translated copy of your transcript from a service such as WES or AACRAO. All grades must be converted to the US 4.0 GPA scale.

Please note: An "unofficial" transcript is a document that has been opened and examined by the student or printed from an institution's website before being submitted to Sarah Lawrence College. Any transcript that you upload to your application is considered "unofficial."

An "official" transcript is a document that has been prepared, authenticated, and sealed by the Registrar at your college or university. To be considered official, a transcript must be mailed, unopened, to our office or sent to us electronically directly from the institution.

Your resume/curriculum vitae should accurately reflect your educational background and your professional and genetic counseling-related experiences to date. In the application you will be asked to expand on your experiences and the perceived connections to genetic counseling.

You will be asked to submit the names of 2-4 recommenders with your online application.  An application with less than two recommenders will be considered incomplete. You should ask people who can give an informed opinion of your intellectual ability for sustained academic effort and/or your potential and suitability for a career in genetic counseling, such as current or former instructors or employers.

Note: Please inform your recommenders that they will be receiving an email from Sarah Lawrence College indicating that they have been asked to recommend you, and that the letter may be submitted electronically through a secure site.

Please submit a personal statement describing why you want to enter the field of genetic counseling.

Individuals whose native language is not English and who have not been educated in an English speaking environment for the past four years must submit official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Duolingo English Test with their application. Students for whom time or distance creates a hardship in supplying these results may request an extension. Please feel free to reach out to us (grad@sarahlawrence.edu) if you have questions or concerns about providing the English proficiency requirements.

A nonrefundable application fee of $60 must be submitted; upon completion of the application, online payment will become available.

Payments may also be made by check or money order to Sarah Lawrence College, and submitted via mail.

Students who have obtained a certificate of completion for the “Why Genetic Counseling Wednesdays Webinar Summer Series” are eligible for an application fee waiver. When students with a certificate of completion submit their application to the program, the fee waiver will be applied automatically within 48-72 hours of submission. For questions, please contact Graduate Studies at grad@sarahlawrence.edu.

A personal interview is required as part of the admissions process. All interviews are conducted remotely via web conferencing. Candidates are welcome to visit the College and our Program’s home offices; visits are scheduled by request.

Interviews are arranged by invitation after all materials have been reviewed. Selected candidates will be contacted in February or March with the invitation to schedule an interview. Please note: Given the large number of applicants, invitations for interviews do not all go out on the same day.