an official OR unofficial transcript from each college or university attended; recent GRE scores, for the verbal, mathematical, and written portions of the exam; three letters of recommendation from people who are familiar with the applicant's academic record; a statement of purpose indicating the student's interests and career goals; a writing sample of 15-25 double-spaced pages (preferably a paper from a course that illustrates the candidate's ability to write and to conduct research); students from non-English-speaking countries should also submit a recent TOEFL score. Students who have received degrees from English-speaking institutions are exempt from this requirement. Candidates should have an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 3.3, and a GPA of 3.5 in their major field. The minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL iBT (internet- based test) is 88. Some departments list minimum recommendations or requirements on their departmental websites and may require a higher level of proficiency. Please contact your program of interest to confirm. For IELTS, the minimum acceptable score will vary by program. In many cases, a score of at least 7.0 is desirable.