St. Mary's College of Maryland
A Public Honors College
St. Mary's City, Maryland 20686
(301) 862-0292 or
(800) 492-7181
FAX: (301) 862-0906
http://www.smcm.edu
e-mail: admissions@honors.smcm.edu
ENROLLMENT
Full-time:
men 646/women 846
Part-time:
men 61/women 116
Total:
1,669
FRESHMAN ADMISSION
PROFILE
Number who applied:
1,640
Number accepted:
1,099
Number enrolled:
409
Average SAT scores:
1250 (combined)
Average ACT score:
27
Average GPA:
3.4
Freshman retention rate:
90%
2006-2007 COSTS:
Tuition:
$8,800 (In-state)
$13,550 (Out-of-state)
Room and Board:
$7,644
Fees, books, misc.:
$1,074
FINANCIAL AID:
Freshmen receiving aid:
71.7%
Average financial aid package:
$9,764
FACULTY:
Full-time:
112
Part-time:
63
Ph.D.:
107 (95%)
Student-faculty ratio:
13:1
St. Mary's College of Maryland
A Public Honors College
St. Mary's City, Maryland 20686
The spectacular tidewater campus lies on 275 acres along the St. Mary's River, site of Maryland's first state capital.
College Description
St. Mary's is a public, state-supported, coeducational college dedicated to providing an excellent liberal arts education. There are 588 men and 765 women enrolled full-time, and 1,030 of these students live on campus. Part-time enrollment is 212 students. St. Mary's combines the educational and personal advantages of a small private college with the affordability of a public institution. Active learning and the development of critical thinking are encouraged in the discussion-oriented format made possible by modest class size. The community atmosphere aids student leadership in academic, cultural, and social spheres; opportunities are greater than at larger schools, and involvement is easier.
St. Mary's waterfront campus of 275 acres is situated in one of the most beautiful settings in the United States. It is tidewater country, still inhabited by people who make their living from the land and water, yet convenient to the nation's capital, just 68 miles away.
The College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the National Association of Schools of Music.
Academic Life
St. Mary's College offers the bachelor of arts degree in 21 different major concentrations. Also available are elementary and secondary teacher education programs leading to Maryland certification, although there is no major in education as such. Sequences in predentistry, prelaw, premedicine, and pre-veterinary medicine are available.
The course of study at the College provides both diversity and depth, leading to a broad understanding of the liberal arts and a specific competence in at least one major field. All students must complete requirements for one of the majors cited above and the for general education requirements. The general education requirements are designed to develop skills in communication and analysis, acquaint students with the heritage of Western civilization, confront students with the forces and insights that are shaping the modern world, and promote the capacity for integration and synthesis of knowledge.
An internship program for academic credit is available for junior- and senior-level students. Students may also study abroad in such places as Oxford, Heidelberg University, Fudan University, Guatemala, and The Gambia. St. Mary's students may receive academic credit for programs in other countries. In addition, St. Mary's also participates in the National Student Exchange Program with other colleges throughout the United States.
Campus Life
St. Mary's is a casual but busy campus, where both spontaneous fun and organized activities abound. There are films three nights a week. Popular bands from Washington and Baltimore perform in concerts and play at dances. Professional singers, comedians, and instrumental groups also appear on campus throughout the year.
Many of the most memorable campus events spring from student imagination and talent. Cardboard boat races, a student vs. faculty basketball game, and air-band contests are types of activities organized by students, generating great enthusiasm.
St. Mary's has a club or organization for almost every interest, from politics to photography, and from music to martial arts. The clubs, student-run, continually sponsor social events, speakers, and excursions. You can get involved in student government, write for the campus newspaper, yearbook, or literary magazine, or become a disc jockey at WSMC, our radio station. Growing numbers of students also do volunteer work in the surrounding community or tutor in the local schools. Because the College is small, every student has a chance to get involved. It is not uncommon for freshmen to play leading roles in many student groups.
Facilities and Resources
Campus life revolves around the residence halls. There are five traditional dorms: three co-ed, and two single gender. In addition, juniors and seniors can live in new townhouses, which are very much like apartments, allowing for more independence and responsibility.
The College laboratories are equipped for course work in biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology. Seven computer laboratories contain approxmately 250 computers for students' general use. All computer labs have Internet access. In addition, physics labs are equipped with Macintosh computers, and advanced physiology labs contain computers for research and other applications. All labs can access the MicroVAX 3100.
The College library, which has a special research collection of early Maryland history, houses communication facilities with audiovisual aids and audio/video recording capability. Interlibrary loan and online database search services provide access to excellent resources at no cost to students. An expansion of the library, doubling its size, was completed in 1989.
Athletics/Sports
Whether you are a highly competitive athlete seeking excellence, an average performer who simply enjoys the game, an intramural player, or a recreational runner or sailor - you will find a place in the College's lively athletic scene. St. Mary's sponsors 15 varsity sports teams that compete in Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Varsity sports for men are baseball, basketball, lacrosse, sailing, soccer, swimming, and tennis; for women, basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, sailing, soccer, swimming, tennis, and volleyball. In addition, sailing teams compete in the Intercollegiate Yacht Racing Association. Each team plays a varied and challenging schedule as it competes in the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC). Plans are underway for a new athletic and recreation center that will include a field house, a competition arena, and an Olympic-sized pool. A wellness center with fitness and weight training equipment, a movement room, and racquetball and squash courts will also be added.
Financial Aid
A full range of state and federal need-based programs is available, including grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study. The College offers a wide variety of merit-based fellowships and scholarships to students with superior academic and extracurricular qualifications. Financial aid applicants must submit all required information for admission, and must complete the Free Application for Federal Student-Aid (FAFSA) before March 1.
Admission Requirements
Applicants for freshman admission are urged to apply before January 15. Strong high school preparation usually includes 4 units of English, 3 units of social science (including U.S. history), 3 units of laboratory science (exclusive of ninth-grade general courses in science), 3 units of mathematics, and 2 units of foreign language. Upon entrance, the student should have obtained a high school diploma with a minimum of 20 units or should present evidence of equivalent achievement. The applicant must present scores on the SATI and/or ACT examination, which should be taken by the fall of the senior year. It may also be in the interest of individuals who know English as a second language to take the TOEFL. St. Mary's College is interested in evidence of talent and mature ability as demonstrated in a variety of ways by each student. Although admission is based primarily on the high school record and standardized test scores, recommendations and the essay on the application are also very important. Interviews are recommended but not required. Early decision deadlines are December 1 and January 15.