Students are attracted to theological schools for a variety of reasons. Most theological students have an interest in some form of ministry. This might mean a professional and/or ordained calling to work in a parish setting. Other students attend these schools to prepare for work in church-related organizations that specialize in social service, missionary work or ministry to particular populations. Still other students are interested in theological scholarship-pursuing doctoral work that will prepare them for teaching and leadership roles in the academy. Students also go to theological schools to be formed in a distinctly Christian setting in order to extend their witness in their non-theological vocations. With all these differences in mind, remember that there is no "typical" theological student, no mold from which one must be cast in order find the right place in theological education.

Regardless of the specific path, most people choose to enter seminary because of a sense of calling. For some, this call emerges from a deep relationship with God, through prayer, a spiritual practice or some other spiritual discipline. Sometimes this calling is expressed in community, with a congregation, pastor, mentor or friend "calling out" a person's specific gifts for ministry. Sometimes the call is not to an end, but to the process of knowing God more deeply through the study of theology. Regardless of place and time, a vocational calling should be one that reflects one's own passion, motivated by a real desire to engage in the complexities of a theological vocation, and to extend that passion into the world in transformative ways.