Applying to Holy Cross
Click here to begin the online application or click here to download an application .
Early Action Admission
Prospective Students are encouraged to apply Early Action. Early Action allows students to have the earliest consideration for on-campus housing, scholarships, work-study, and financial aid. Early Actions also facilitates a greater peace of mind and a smoother transition for students and/or their families.
Regular Decision Admissions
Applications submitted under the Regular Decision will be reviewed on a rolling admission basis. The School will notify you of its decision within several weeks after complete application materials are received. To ensure full consideration, candidates are urged to apply no later than May 1.
APPLICATION PLAN |
DUE DATE |
|
Early Action |
December 1 |
|
Regular Decision |
Rolling Admission — Priority date May 1 |
|
January Entrance |
December 1 |
How To Apply
Holy Cross accepts students of all races and creeds. Holy Cross admits qualified first-year and transfer students to all programs in September and January, although Master of Divinity Students are strongly encouraged to begin their studies in the Fall. In evaluating applicants for admission, the Admissions Committee looks at the whole person. Admissions is based on each candidate's academic record, application, personal essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, admissions interview, and test scores.
Seminarians
Seminarian status is only awarded after the completion of the first year of studies, once a prospective seminarian has demonstrated evidence of a life in Christ with high moral judgment, sound character and growth in spiritual maturity appropriate to the priestly conscious and pastoral spirit.
More specific criteria for seminarian status are described in the Student Handbook and other directives of the School.
The completion of a Holy Cross degree does not in itself constitute a guarantee for ordination.
Special Ministerial Candidates
- Men who hold the Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent from a non-Orthodox Theological School and have received ministerial ordination prior to their reception into the Orthodox Church who wish to be candidates for the holy priesthood in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese must have at least two years of living experience in a Greek Orthodox parish prior to their acceptance as seminarians of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. They must also complete three years of study at Holy Cross. The Holy Cross degree program will be tailored to meet individual needs. The modified course of study will include language courses and will be planned in consultation with the dean and the candidate's academic advisor.
- Candidates who hold an advanced degree (beyond the M. Div.) will complete a two year degree program structured to meet their particular needs for service in the Church.
- Candidates who hold advanced degrees (M.A., Ph.D.) without any theological training will be enrolled in the three or four year M. Div. degree program.
- The completion of the four, three or two year degree programs does not in itself constitute a guarantee for ordination.
- Upon the completion of the degree program, Candidate may be required to do additional work abroad in order to strengthen their linguistic abilities and refine their liturgical training.
General Requirements
All of the following are taken into consideration in judging qualifications for admission.
- Completed Application Form*
- $50.00 Application Fee (waived for Early Action Applicants)
- Mandatory Interview with the Admissions Director (in person or on the phone)
- Official Copy of all Transcripts (documenting your undergraduate and graduate work)
- Evaluations from two instructors (or employers if you have been out of school for over one year)*
- GRE test scores (waived for students who have already earned a graduate degree). Code # 3449
- Health Report and Immunization Verification*
- Priest's Recommendation*
In addition the above requirements, the following types of applicants must meet the requirements described below:
Seminarian Applicants
- Must also complete Hierarch's Evaluation.*
- Must also submit Baptismal/Chrismation Certificate
International Applicants
Must also complete:
- Immigration Status Declaration
- Affidavit of Support*
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Test Scores (Hellenic College/Holy Cross Code#9794). Holy Cross requires a minimum score of 550, 213 for the Computer Based Testing, or 79-80 for the new Internet-based TOEFL.
*Forms included in application packet
Once application materials are submitted to Holy Cross, they become the permanent record of Holy Cross and may not be returned to the applicant.
Special Students
One may apply for admission as a Special Student. Normally these are students who for one reason or another do not technically fulfill all the requirements for admission as a full-time or part-time candidate for a degree. Special Student status may be held for only one academic year. Following this, a student must request full-time or part-time status or withdraw.
Student with Special Student status are ineligible for Federal Financial Aid as required by the Department of Education. In order to receive Federal Financial Aid, the student must be enrolled at least as a part-time student, registered for a minimum of six credits.
Transfer Students
Students wishing to transfer to the School of Theology from regionally accredited theological schools and graduate seminaries must normally have a minimum 2.00 grade point average in their previous academic work. Students transferring credit for a course must have earned at least a "C" in the course from an accredited institution whose catalogue is reviewed for the course description. Those courses that are accepted correspond to courses offered by the School, or are related to them. However, in order to earn a Holy Cross School of Theology degree, there is a two-year residency requirement for the Master of Divinity degree, and a one-and-one-half year residency requirement for the Master of Theological Studies degrees.
Exchange Students
Exchange students are those who are officially registered with other accredited graduate theological schools and seminaries and take one or more courses at Holy Cross, whether for credit or audit. Grades for the courses taken are transmitted to the school in which the student is officially registered. Financial obligations are determined by the protocol between these schools and Holy Cross.
Part-Time Students
The School of Theology accepts a limited number of qualified students as degree candidates on a part-time basis. Tuition is determined on a credit hour rate. Such part-time students must fulfill all admission requirements. In order to receive Federal financial aid, part-time students must be registered for a minimum of six (6) credits.
International Students
Students who are applying from foreign countries must obtain an F-1 student visa in compliance with sections 101(a) F(11) of United States law. They must also obtain an I-94 form which shows immigration classification and endorsements made by immigration officers to indicate the place and date of admission into the United States.
Holy Cross international students are responsible for keeping their own passports valid beyond the expiration date by six months. International students are required to report their addresses to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) on form I-53, available at the U.S. Post Office, on or before January 31 of each year.
Proficiency in English to pursue a course of study equivalent to that normally required of an American applicant must be demonstrated through the TOEFL scores. When registering for the TOEFL exam, please note the Hellenic College and Holy Cross TOEFL code number is 9794.
To be in compliance with Federal law, international students must maintain full-time status (12 minimum credit hours).
In addition to the admissions requirements for all students, international students must submit an immigration status declaration form and an affidavit of support. Support from churches, organizations, individuals, other outside parties, etc., must be documented in writing and indicate monetary amounts thereof.
Learning about Holy Cross
To learn more about Holy Cross and its programs, contact the Office of Admissions toll-free at 866-HCHC-EDU (866-424-2338), 617-850-1260 or by fax at 617-850-1460. You may also write: Office of Admissions, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, 50 Goddard Ave., Brookline MA 02445; or e-mail: admissions@hchc.edu .
An important part of choosing a school is the campus visit. While visiting campus, prospective students can tour the campus with a current student, as well as meet with a Director of Admissions and Records, Holy Cross faculty members, and (if requested) with a deacon or priest. During the academic year, prospective students are welcome to attend one or two classes. Meetings are offered on weekdays throughout the year between 9 AM and 4 PM. Campus visits and meetings must be arranged in advance by contacting the Office of Admissions.
FERPA Rights
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) was designed to protect the privacy of educational records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their educational records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Students have the right to file complaints with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act office concerning alleged failure by the institution to comply with the Act.
