# Application packet

## Actual documents to prepare

- Online application and fee/waiver request
- Statement of purpose tailored to one program and 2–3 faculty
- Personal/diversity/background statement only where requested
- Academic CV (PDF) and, if permitted, one-page résumé
- Unofficial transcripts from every postsecondary institution; official copies
  only when the school requests them
- Three recommendation letters, normally submitted directly by recommenders
- Program-specific prerequisite worksheet or course list
- Writing sample or research statement when requested
- English-language test only if the program determines it applies; GRE only when
  required or strategically useful
- Portfolio/repository link and a one-page project index
- FAFSA for eligible US aid, plus fellowship applications

## Evidence folder

Create private subfolders (not committed here): `transcripts/`, `letters/`,
`identity/`, `financial-aid/`, and `applications/<school>/`. Keep a spreadsheet
with program, degree, faculty, deadline/time zone, fee, waiver deadline,
documents, recommender status, submission ID, decision, and offer terms.

## 2027-entry production schedule

| Window | Deliverable |
|---|---|
| Aug–Sep 2026 | transcript audit; engineering prerequisites; 12–15 faculty briefs; research one-pager |
| Sep–Oct | respectful faculty outreach where encouraged; confirm 8–10 programs; request letters with evidence packets |
| Oct | master SOP, academic CV, personal statement, writing sample; request fee waivers early |
| Nov | school-specific drafts and recommender reminders; verify every portal |
| Dec | submit before deadlines, not on deadline day |
| Jan–Apr 2027 | interviews, funding clarification, visits, and written offer comparison |

Stanford CEE currently lists **December 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific** for
Autumn 2027 applications and recommends fee-waiver requests at least ten
business days earlier. Every other deadline must be copied from its own official
2027-entry page before submission.

## Quality control

Each application must answer: Why this question? Why this department? Why these
faculty? Why is Manny prepared now? What is the public value? What evidence
shows research persistence? Never claim a faculty collaboration, letter, paper,
license, performance number, or funding promise that cannot be documented.