About the Admissions Process

We invite leading applicants to come for campus visits and interviews during our annual recruitment weekend in February at our expense.  We also welcome any applicant who wishes to visit on his or her own initiative.  We ask that you contact the course of study chairs or faculty members directly to arrange conversations, and we will be happy to facilitate this when necessary.  If you do not have a specific faculty member in mind, then contacting the chair of the relevant course of study should be your starting point.

2. What is the application deadline?

The GDR application deadline is January 3.  This is also the deadline for us to receive all supporting documents, including

• 3 letters of recommendation;
  
• GRE scores (Institution Code: 5187/Department Code: 4901);
  
• TOEFL scores for international students (Institution Code: 5187/Department Code: 21);
  
• 1 official transcript from each institution attended;
  
• a statement of purpose; and
  
• a writing sample.
  

Preference is given to applicants whose files are complete on January 3. To ensure your application's full consideration, please make sure that all supporting documents arrive in our office by the application deadline, January 3.

Since we request that all applications be completed using our online system, we will only accept letters of recommendation and transcripts in the mail.  Our mailing address for these documents is:

3. What are the institution codes for GRE and TOEFL scores?

Emory's Institution Code for the GRE: 5187

Department/Major Field Code: 4901

Emory's Institution code for the TOEFL: 5187

Department Code: 21

Please do not use the institution code for the Candler School of Theology (5198) as the report will be sent to the wrong place.  Do not use the department code for Theology (4902) or Ordained Ministry/Rabbinate (4903), as the report will be sent to Candler as well.

4. What is the minimum GRE score?

There is no minimum score.  You should note that while very high GRE scores do not guarantee admission, very low scores almost always eliminate a candidate from consideration.

Other criteria we take into consideration when reviewing your application are:

• the strength of an applicant's academic preparation;
• the strength of an applicant's recommendations;
• the quality of the writing sample;
• undergraduate and graduate grade point averages;
• clarity of intellectual focus as articulated in the personal statement; and
• "fit" between the candidate's interests and the resources available at Emory University.

5. When will I be notified if I am accepted?

Official notification for admission to the GDR is April 15.  However, every effort is made to notify applicants of their acceptance as soon as possible. The chairs of the courses of study to which applicants apply will contact them during late January or early February inviting them to our annual recruitment weekend.  It should be noted, however, that an invitation to recruitment weekend does not guarantee admission, nor does the absence of an invitation mean an applicant has been denied admission.

Applicants who have not been invited to our annual recruitment weekend will be notified as early in the process as possible that their applications are still under consideration.  Applicants who cannot be accepted are normally notified in late February or early March.

6. Is there a separate financial aid application?

No.  All applicants who are accepted into the GDR receive full tuition waivers plus an annual stipend, renewable for five years.  Additional awards such as the Arts and Sciences Fellowship, the Emory Graduate Diversity Fellowship, and the Woodruff Fellowship are made on a university-wide competitive basis and are renewable for five years as well.

7. The registrar at my school will not release official transcripts to me.  Can these be sent directly to Emory University?

Yes.  Transcripts may be sent separately, if need be. Please be sure that your official transcript(s) are sent to the Graduate Division of Religion.

8. May I include more than three recommendations?

Yes.

9. Is a writing sample necessary?

Yes.  The GDR requests an academic writing sample of approximately 20 pages.

10. What length should my statement of purpose be?

We recommend approximately 4 pages.

11. I applied last year and was not accepted, but wish to apply again this year.  What do I need to do?

We will reactivate the application we have on file for you.  You will not need to send another application fee, or re-send documents (unless you desire to do so).  However, if your application was incomplete the prior time you applied, you will need to guarantee that missing documents are sent as part of your reapplication.  Additionally, if you have completed any academic work since you first applied or you did not submit your final transcript when you last applied, you will need to send transcripts of that work.  It is also important that you ensure that we have your current contact information.

We suggest that you update your GRE and/or TOEFL scores, statement of purpose, and possibly letters of recommendation when making your second application.

If you are interested in applying again for admission, please notify us so that we can reactivate your application.  See our contacts page for additional information.

12. Is housing available?

Yes.  You can find housing options available to students at Emory's Graduate Housing office.

13. I have additional questions.  Whom should I contact?

If your questions concern the application process or administrative matters, please contact the GDR administrative office.  If your questions concern a course of study, please contact the chair of the course of study to which you plan to apply.