To request an application form or for more information, please email the dean of admissions, Rabbi Amber Powers, or call 215.576.0800, ext 123.

In general, applications for admission to the College may be obtained by e-mailing the dean of admissions. If you are considering applying, please contact the dean to make arrangements for visiting the College.

Application Requirements
Hebrew Requirement
The Interview
Deadlines
Decisions on Acceptance

Application Requirements

Each applicant must complete a formal application and submit the following:

• Official transcripts of academic records
• Transcripts of G.R.E. scores
• Three letters of recommendation, including one from an academic instructor and one from a rabbi
• A statement on the applicant's interest in the rabbinate, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and goals as a rabbi  
• A $50 application fee

Hebrew Requirement

Students admitted to the college must demonstrate a proficiency equivalent to two years of college-level Hebrew study, as determined by a Hebrew placement exam administered in conjunction with the admissions interview. Read more about meeting the Hebrew requirement.

The Interview

If your written materials indicate you are a strong prospect, the dean of admissions will contact you to schedule an interview with the Admissions Committee. Upon advance request, home hospitality with an RRC student will be provided for out-of-town applicants. Admissions interviews generally are scheduled from November through April at the College. Placement examinations in Hebrew language and Jewish traditions are administered in conjunction with the interview. Interviews are also conducted via videoconference in Jerusalem for those candidates applying from Israel.

At the interview, the applicant should be prepared to respond to questions about such matters as:

• your personal Jewish journey;
• motivations for wanting to pursue a rabbinic career;
• Jewish beliefs and practices, acquaintance with North American Jewish life and with the Reconstructionist movement and its philosophy, experience in Jewish leadership and vision of the kind of rabbinate you want to pursue.

Deadlines

Applications are considered on a rolling basis throughout the academic year as long as there is space remaining in the incoming class. For more information, contact the dean of admissions, Rabbi Amber Powers, at 215.576.0800, ext 123. 

Decisions on Acceptance

Decisions on acceptance will normally be made in writing within a month following the interview. You will be notified about your acceptance into either the preparatory Mekhinah year or the regular five-year program.

You must signify your intention to enroll by replying in writing within three weeks to the dean of admissions and enclosing a deposit of $500. This will hold the applicant's place in the entering class. (Applicants who pay the deposit may receive a full refund up to May 15, a 50 percent refund up to May 31, and no refund thereafter.)

When the deposit is received, the student will receive an acceptance packet that includes a financial aid application form. This form must be completed and submitted to the Financial Aid Office by April 15. Financial aid decisions will be announced by May 15.