Prospective Graduate Students

I plan to take new graduate students entering MIT Chemistry in fall 2027. Thank you for your interest in our group! If you’re considering applying, please read the information below about contacting me, joining a research group at MIT, and choosing a graduate program.

Before you apply

You don’t need to contact me before applying. Please don’t email to ask whether I’m taking students, send a CV or other application materials for individual review, or request a meeting or informal chat before admission. I’m not able to respond individually to these requests or offer meetings to prospective applicants.

The best next step is to explore our research through this website and our publications, then apply through the MIT Chemistry graduate program if it looks like a good fit. Please submit your application materials through the department’s application system. For questions about application requirements and procedures, start with the department’s admissions FAQ.

How joining a group works at MIT

Students apply to the graduate program in Chemistry at MIT, rather than directly to an individual professor’s group. Choosing a research group is a separate process that takes place after students arrive on campus.

During the first term, new students have time to get to know the department, explore different groups, and make informed decisions about where they would feel comfortable working. Faculty cannot make advance commitments to supervise students; group assignments are finalized through the department’s research supervisor selection process. This means that admission to MIT Chemistry does not guarantee a position in my group, even in a year when I plan to take students.

The department’s first-year student guide explains the current group-selection process.

Choosing a graduate program: the rule of three

My advice to anyone considering graduate school in the US is to follow the rule of three: choose a program where there are at least three faculty members you could see yourself working with. Funding can change, several students may be interested in the same group, and a group that looks ideal from the outside may turn out to be a poor fit once you get started. Having other groups you would be excited to join gives you room to make that decision.