Declined Admissions
Admission to OSC is competitive and the Admissions Committee does not make decisions lightly. Decisions for admission and denial are based on the degree to which each applicant meets the following criteria:
- Holding an undergraduate degree from an accredited university or college.
While OSC admits students without undergraduate degrees and encourages interested individuals to apply,
holding an undergraduate or graduate degree is preferred as this provides assurance the applicant has already demonstrated the capacity to meet the academic requirements of a four-year professional institution,
as well as ensures the student has had adequate preparation for writing, research, and reading scholarly material.
- A mature religious identity. The committee looks for how well the prospective student articulates their religious goals
and the degree these goals match OSC's standard for ordination or academic scholarship.
OSC does not admit students who are looking for greater spiritual clarification and identity.
Students attending OSC have a firm sense of religious life and have carefully made the decision to enter into a seminary program for professional and academic reasons.
- A well-written personal statement. Personal statements are the primary means by which you are introduced to the Admissions Committee. It is expected that statements are well-written, free from grammatical error, and are complete (answering the key questions).
The committee looks for statements that demonstrate the applicant has taken the time to apply and thus convey attending OSC is a priority. Personal statements that are incomplete or hastily written or poorly constructed will generally lead to a denial of admission. Admission to OSC is primarily based on a well-written personal statement.
- Openmindedness, nondiscrimination, and respect for diversity and equality. As an institution that is founded upon teaching and supporting religious leaders of social responsibility and interfaith dialogue,
no student is admitted to OSC who expresses any evidence of holding discriminatory attitudes based on religion, race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, class, or degree of ableness.
- Demonstration of the capacity to handle the stress of school and personal life. Graduate-level study is very stressful and demanding. Students may be declined if the Admissions Committee feels attendence at OSC would increase the degree of personal stress in a prospective applicant's life and/or such stress would inhibit the ability of a prospective student to meet the level of academic rigor associated with full-time graduate-level study.
- A passing entrance exam total score of 80 or higher. As OSC is a rigorous academic environment and also seeks to prepare students for professional leadership roles, students may be denied admission based on their performance on the entrance exam.