Admissions

Application Information

Complete an Inquiry Form

To be considered for admission in the Spring 2012 semester at Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University, please make sure that all application materials arrive at the Seminary's admissions office by January 15, 2012. The application deadline for the Fall 2012 semester is August 1, 2012.

If you have not already done so, please read Palmer Theological Seminary’s admissions standards.

In addition to the application itself, application materials include a personal statement, transcripts from previous schools attended, two references and, for some, the results of standardized test scores. The "Application Checklist" contains full instructions for completing the application process. When you submit the on-line application, you will go automatically to the application checklist. You can also access it by clicking here.

You will be notified of the admissions committee’s decision soon after your file has been evaluated.

For those who choose to apply by mail, please consult the “Checklist for Applying by Mail” below. (Please note that for online applicants, the $30 application fee is waived.) 

Apply Online

Forms

Application Form (pdf)
Personal Statement Instructions (pdf)
Reference Form (pdf)
Non-Matriculant Application (pdf)

For International Student Forms, click here.

Checklist for Applying by Mail
  1. If you have not already done so, please read Palmer’s admissions standards.
  2. Download, complete, and return the application form (above) along with a $30 check made out to Palmer Seminary.
  3. Download the Personal Statement Form (above) for instructions on completing and submitting your personal statement.
  4. Download two reference forms and give them to people who will evaluate your potential for ministry and your potential as a graduate level student. These cannot be given to a relative and upon completion, need to be returned to the Admissions Office.
  5. Arrange to have sent to Palmer official academic transcripts from each college, university, and seminary you have attended. These must come from the respective institution(s).  If in the last five years you have attended another seminary but not completed an academic program, please request that a reference letter from that seminary’s Registrar or Academic Dean be sent to Palmer indicating that you are (or were) a student in good standing.
  6. If your undergraduate GPA is under 2.8, you are required to submit scores from either the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).  This requirement is waived if you have successfully completed at least 10 credit hours from an accredited graduate program.
  7. Applicants whose primary language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and submit the score to the admissions office. This is required even if the applicant has a resident visa or has become a U.S. citizen. Minimum scores of 550 (paper-based) or 79 (Internet-based) are required. (Those with non-resident visas should refer to the policy statement for international students.)