Stanford Biology Preview Program (BPP): Navigating the Stanford Biology PhD application process

 

 

Applications for BPP 2026 are OPEN. 

The program will be held online on September 10 and 11, 2026. 

Deadline: July 19, 2026  

Program Overview

The Stanford Biology Preview Program (BPP) focuses on supporting scholars from diverse and non-traditional backgrounds in navigating the application process to PhD programs. The Stanford BPP offers virtual workshops to raise awareness about Stanford’s Biology PhD Program application process, to build on the strengths of prospective PhD applicants, as well as provide individual mentorship and feedback on participants’ application materials. During the Stanford BPP, participants will also have the opportunity to engage with current Stanford Biology graduate students, postdocs, staff, and faculty to learn more about program requirements, expectations, and students’ experiences. Please note that the Stanford BPP is not the Stanford Biology PhD program, and participation in the BPP is not a requirement for prospective Stanford Biology PhD applicants, nor is it a guarantee of acceptance into the PhD program. You can check the schedule of a previous BPP and recorded workshops below in the “2025 BPP schedule and recorded workshops” section. 

Please direct any questions about the program or application to the BPP organizing committee: stanfordbiologypreviewprogram [at] gmail.com (stanfordbiologypreviewprogram[at]gmail[dot]com) 

BPP goals

The future challenges of biology will require new generations of creative thinkers dedicated to tackling the unknown. Research has shown that teams with diverse perspectives are best suited for making progress on such challenges. This will require recruiting the next generation of excellent scientists with diverse backgrounds, interests, and strengths. However, the process of applying to graduate programs is unfamiliar to many prospective applicants. The Stanford BPP aims to facilitate participants’ understanding of the Stanford Biology PhD application process by helping them identify the differences in the admission processes in the Cellular, Molecular and Organismal Biology (CMOB) and Ecology and Evolution (Eco/Evo) tracks, and encourage them to apply to the Stanford Biology PhD program. We especially encourage applicants who have the potential to enhance the diversity - broadly defined - in STEM fields to apply. More details on the eligibility criteria can be found in the “Program details & Eligibility” section below.

 

 

 

Program Details & Eligibility

Program Details

  • The Stanford BPP is entirely remote and open to participants from anywhere in the world.
  • BPP participants will be paired with a current Stanford Biosciences graduate student or postdoctoral scholar for one-on-one mentorship throughout the application process.
  • The primary two-day program will take place on September 10 and 11, 2026. These will include sessions focused on navigating the application process for the two Stanford Biology tracks, one-on-one mentoring, group meetings with faculty, and social meetings with graduate students in the department. Some of the material covered during the program will be recorded and available for future reference. Please see the 2025 BPP Schedule and recorded workshops for an idea of the sessions available.
  • In addition to the program in September, the BPP organizing team will host additional optional sessions, as well as office hours to address questions about the application process.

Eligibility 

The Stanford Biology Preview Program is open to people from all backgrounds. You are eligible to apply to the Stanford Biology Preview Program if:

  • you are a college graduate or will graduate by the summer of 2026
  • you are considering applying to the Biology PhD program at Stanford in the Fall of 2026
  • you have not participated in the BPP before

International students are eligible to apply.

Application closes on Sunday, July 19, 2026.

 


 

 

 

 

How to apply

Applications for the 2026 BPP will open on May 11, 2026.

Biology Preview Program (BPP) application instructions:

To apply for the BPP 2026, please fill out the application form here (this link will be updated once the application is open). Please direct any questions about the application to the BPP committee: stanfordbiologypreviewprogram [at] gmail.com (stanfordbiologypreviewprogram[at]gmail[dot]com) 

The use of generative AI to substantially complete this application (e.g. submission of any output of an entered prompt as one’s own work) is not permitted. Applications will be screened by a generative AI detection tool, and we request that you disclose and document other uses of AI in the generation of your application during submission.

Please note that the Stanford BPP is not the Stanford Biology PhD program, and participation in the BPP is not a requirement for prospective Stanford Biology PhD applicants, nor is it a guarantee of acceptance into the PhD program.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) & Preview Contact Information

Question: Can I apply to BPP if I haven’t graduated from college or if I am not yet a senior/rising senior?

Answer: Due to programming limitations, we will only accept applications from students who will graduate no later than Summer 2027 and plan to apply to graduate school in Fall 2026 (to start a program in Fall 2027).

Question: Do I need to apply or be accepted in BPP to be eligible for applying for the Stanford Biology PhD program?

Answer: No. You are not required to apply to or participate in BPP to be eligible for the Stanford Biology PhD program. These two programs are independent of each other. Participating in BPP does not guarantee acceptance into the PhD program. BPP aims to work with participants to navigate the application process and encourage prospective students to apply to the Stanford Biology PhD program, especially students from diverse backgrounds - broadly defined.

Question: Do I have to pay a fee to apply for BPP?

Answer: No, this program is free to all participants. 

Question: Do I need to participate in the entire program?

Answer: We require participants to be available for both days of the workshop. If you have any concerns about potential schedule conflicts, please contact us at  stanfordbiologypreviewprogram [at] gmail.com (stanfordbiologypreviewprogram[at]gmail[dot]com)  

Question: Can I apply to BPP if I am considering applying for other graduate degree programs (MS, MD, JD, professional degrees)?

Answer: BPP is intended for those interested in applying to the Stanford Biology PhD program. Therefore, we are not accepting applications from students who plan to enroll in other graduate degree programs. You can find more information about other Stanford graduate programs here.

Question: Can international students apply to BPP?

Answer: Yes, international students are eligible to apply to the program.

Biology Preview Program (BPP) contact information

If you have any questions about the Biology Preview Program, please email stanfordbiologypreviewprogram [at] gmail.com (stanfordbiologypreviewprogram[at]gmail[dot]com) . We will get back to you as soon as possible.

If you have general questions about applying to the Biology PhD program, please email biologyadmissions [at] stanford.edu (biologyadmissions[at]stanford[dot]edu) or visit the Stanford Biology PhD Admissions website.

Expectations from BPP participants
  • Attend all workshops in September.
  • Fill out all surveys sent by the BPP organizing team.
  • Have a draft of your application materials (i.e. CV, statement of purpose) ready before meeting with your BPP mentor (an additional workshop on how to structure these application materials will be hosted in August, before the two-day program).
  • Meet with your mentor at least three times throughout the application cycle and update your application materials after each meeting.
  • Have access to a device compatible (such as a computer, table, or smartphone) with Zoom in order to attend the workshops.
2025 BPP Schedule and Recorded Workshops

2025 BPP Example Schedule and recorded workshops

Day 1 - September 11, 2025 - Link to recorded workshops

  • 9:00 am - 9:50 am - Welcome and orientation (with BPP organizing team, Stanford Biology Chair and Director of Graduate Studies)
  • 10:00 am - 10:50 am - Track-specific discussions: exploring the differences in Stanford Biology’s CMOB and Eco/Evo tracks
  • 11:00 am - 11:50 am - Guided tour of the Stanford Biology PhD application
  • 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm - Optional social lunch/coffee break: informal chats with the BPP organizing team
  • 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm - Finances in graduate school and Q&A
  • 2:00 pm - 2:50 pm - Mentoring Up: mentorship in graduate school and strategies for mentees to improve mentoring relationships

Day 2 - September 12, 2025 - Link to recorded workshops

  • 8:00 am - 8:50 am - Structured Q&A with graduate students
  • 9:00 am - 11:00 am - CV and personal statement feedback with BPP mentors
  • 11:00 am - 1:00 pm - Optional: Informal chats with faculty
  • 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm - Chat with previous BPP participants
  • 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm - Closing remarks and survey

The 2026 BPP Organizing Team

Eduardo Tassoni Tsuchida (he/him)

Eduardo is a PhD candidate in the Cellular, Molecular, and Organismal Biology (CMOB) track in the Stanford Biology department. He is a first-generation college student, born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, where he received his bachelor and teaching degrees in Biological Sciences from the University of São Paulo. His PhD thesis focuses on understanding how protein synthesis is regulated when cells are exposed to environmental stress, such as heat shock and nutrient starvation. Eduardo has been one of the organizers of the Stanford BPP since 2020.  

Lauren Lubeck (she/her)

 Lauren is a PhD candidate in the Cellular, Molecular, and Organismal Biology (CMOB) track in the Stanford Biology department. Lauren was raised in Tampa, FL, and attended Brown University for her undergraduate degree, before spending two years as a Research Assistant at Rockefeller University in NYC. Lauren is currently based at Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station in Monterey, CA, where she studies evolution and development of marine invertebrates specifically in complex life cycles. Outside of lab, Lauren loves baking, reading, beach volleyball, and spending time at the beach.

Nim Robles (they/them)

Nim is a PhD student in the Ecology and Evolution (Eco/Evo) track in the Stanford Biology Department. Nim grew up in El Paso, TX and is first-generation, low-income, and Latine. They received their undergraduate degree from Brown University in Geology-Biology in 2018, where they studied marine community ecology. They now study the evolution of hybrid incompatibilities and their role in the speciation process in Molly Schumer’s lab. Outside of the lab, they enjoy listening to musical theater and playing the violin badly.

Tris Dodge (he/him)

Tris is a PhD student in the Ecology and Evolution (Eco/Evo) track in Stanford Biology. He grew up in Oakland, California, and did his undergrad in Biology at Carleton College in Minnesota. He was then a technician at U.C. Berkeley, where he studied genetics of adaptation and domestication in plants. Now as a 4th year graduate student in Molly Schumer’s lab, Tris studies the genetics and evolution of pigmentation traits in swordtail fish. Outside of science, he enjoys running, eating, and catching lizards.

Nadia Haghani (she/her)

Nadia is a PhD candidate in the Cellular, Molecular, and Organismal Biology (CMOB) track in the Stanford Biology department. She grew up in sunny San Diego, California, and spent most of her summers playing soccer. Now, Nadia is broadly fascinated by the genetics underlying pigmentation traits and studies these in swordtail fish. You can commonly find her backpacking, tidepooling, or petting dogs!

Isabel Jabara (she/her)

Isabel is a PhD candidate in the Cellular, Molecular, and Organismal Biology (CMOB) track in the Stanford Biology department. She grew up in Bethesda, MD and did her undergraduate degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at UCLA. She is now in Max Diehn’s lab, where she is studying molecular predictors of radiation toxicity.

Amanda Muñoz Meneses (She/Her)

Amanda  is a PhD candidate on the Cellular, Molecular and Organismal Biology (CMOB) track in the O’Connell Lab. Amanda grew up in Colombia and is a FLI, non-traditional student who received a biology degree from the University of Cauca, and a master’s degree in Ecology and Evolution and Systematics from the University of Munich. She studies the host-pathogen interactions of chytridiomycosis using poison frogs as a model to understand how this disease affects organisms with chemical defenses in their skin. Outside of lab, Amanda loves spending time with her son, traveling, and working on her family business. Amanda was part of the first cohort of BPP in 2020, and has been part of the organizing team since 2022.

Molly Schumer (she/her)

Molly Schumer is an Associate Professor in Biology. She is interested in understanding the ways in which hybridization impacts genetic and evolutionary processes.

Diego Pomales-Matos (he/him)

Diego Pomales-Matos (he/him) is a PhD candidate in the Genetics Department at Stanford. He grew up in Puerto Rico, where he attended the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras and earned his bachelor’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology with a minor in Portuguese. While his interest in the lab consists of studying the regulatory role of repetitive regions of the genome, he’s always been fascinated by how genetic variation provides the basis for biodiversity. Outside the lab, he enjoys playing indoor and beach volleyball, as well as experimenting in the kitchen.

Additional resources for applying to the Stanford Biology PhD program

Regardless of whether you apply to the Preview program, check out these resources for applying to Stanford’s Biology PhD program.  

When applying for the Stanford Biology PhD program, you will need:

  • Online application (the application is quite long, so give yourself time to fill it out)
  • Statement of purpose
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Transcripts
  • CV/Resume
  • TOEFL (required for non-native English speakers)
  • Non-refundable application fee of $125 (for information on fee waivers, please click here)

Stanford Biology is one of the 14 Stanford Biosciences PhD programs and is a department in the School of Humanities & Sciences. Refer to this page from the Office of Graduate Education for information about applying to Stanford Biosciences PhD programs. You can find additional resources, including a guide on getting into graduate school, on this page from the Stanford School of Humanities & Sciences.

 

 Other programs:

  • Stanford Biosciences’ ADVANCE Undergraduate Institute (AUI) is a three-day intensive institute designed to introduce diverse sophomores and juniors to the Stanford University campus and provide guidance on the graduate school admissions process.
  • SSRP-AMGEN Scholars Program is intended for students who plan to pursue PhDs to gain valuable research experience. SSRP is a fully funded research-intensive program that takes place on Stanford’s campus for an eight-week period.

 

 

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