Toefl ibt/ PBT: 100/600
completed application form (including indication of intended area or field of study in the department)
application fee (pay in online application)
statement of purpose (upload to online application)
two official copies of each transcript (mailed directly to the department)
three letters of recommendation (via online application)
writing sample of recent work on a religious studies topic (upload to online application)
In addition to uploading a scanned copy of the transcript, once requested applicants will arrange to have two official transcripts sent to the department from every postsecondary institution they have attended for at least one academic year as a full-time student. (Please wait until we request paper transcripts to mail them during the pandemic.)
Application files are screened by a department admissions committees consisting of the faculty in the various areas or subfields, which recommend a limited number of files for the deliberation and decision of the entire professoriate. Notification of the result of the selection process normally occurs in late February. In many cases applicants being considered for admission are invited to visit Stanford to discuss their applications with the relevant faculty before a final determination is made. Students receiving offers of admission have until April 15 to respond. Those who have not already visited the campus during the selection process may apply to the department for funds to visit Stanford before making their decision on the offer.
Two principal factors play a role in the selection process:

the qualifications of the applicant, and
the match between the applicant's interests and the department's resources.
The professoriate judges applicants on a combination of talent, preparation, and scholarly promise. Primary considerations include
significant academic background in religious studies and in the languages necessary for research,
strong letters of support from academic references,
clarity and maturity in the statement of purpose, and
evidence of intellectual gift in the writing sample.