Saint Mary’s College of Maryland Admission
Saint Mary’s College of Maryland Undergraduate Program
Saint Mary’s College of Maryland Application

The Facts

Saint Mary’s College is a public state-funded institution located in St. Mary’s City, Maryland.  It was originally founded as a private women’s college with a religious bent in 1839 by the state legislature.  It has changed quite a bit since its inception, and is now a fabulous liberal arts college that offers world-class academics at an affordable state price tag.  The college is home to about 1,793 undergraduate students, and despite its diminutive size, it offers a whopping 21 undergraduate majors.  Some of the most popular majors with students include majors in psychology, English, biology, economics, and political science.  The college also offers several interdisciplinary programs in African studies, gender studies, and environmental studies among others.

Admission to St. Mary’s isn’t terribly competitive; last year, about 2,262 students applied and approximately 1,243 students were admitted.  Eventually, however, only 421 of those admitted actually enrolled for the coming fall semester.  The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1160 to 1360, and over 76% of the admitted students were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of 3.5.  Although not many students apply in general, those who do apply are from a group of highly qualified students.

The college has a manageable student to faculty ratio of 13:1, and students say that they have plenty of chances for individualized attention from their professors.  In fact, many students get to do one on one research projects with their teachers, many of who are the top researchers in their field.  The college has lead a national movement of helping out financially needy students by giving them full ride scholarships.  Saint Mary’s, although it is a public institution, believes in offering world-class education to students from all income- brackets.

The Social Scene

Students at Saint Mary’s have a lot of fun.  The town of Saint Mary’s is one of the most historical towns in the United States, and it was one of the original remaining English settlements on the East Coast.  The town caters to students quite well, and offers plenty of cute bars, cafes and shops where students frequently hang out.  While there are no official fraternities or sororities, there are many student run clubs and organizations for every interest; students love getting involved and are constantly starting their own organizations.

The college also has a great sports scene; their teams are part of the NCAA Division III.  The school is known for their somewhat off-kilter sports, such as both men and women’s sailing teams as well as the totally non-sensical Frisbee golf.

The dating scene is apparently quite vibrant; expect many varieties of students in all shapes and sizes.

What’s Good

“The school is real community.  People really care about each other here.  It’s a nice change of pace.”

“There is just enough of a party scene here to be fun, but not too much to be a distraction.”

“The classes here are really intimate and you are always able to voice your opinions.”

What’s Bad

“The campus can feel a bit too small sometimes.  People seem to know everyone’s business here.”

“There isn’t a very good party scene here.  It can get pretty boring sometimes.”

“There isn’t a whole lot of ethnic diversity here.  Pretty much everyone is white.”

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