We were designated a public honors college by the Maryland legislature in 1992 because of our advanced honors level curriculum, the exceptional faculty and student body, small class size, research and independent study opportunities, and a number of other factors. St. Mary's is not just an honors program within a larger university, we are an entire honors college where ALL of our students are honors students.

No. The College's name came from our location at Historic St. Mary's City, which is the 4th oldest permanent English settlement in North America. We are a co-educational, public institution and have never had a religious affiliation.

Situated on 361 acres, we have about 2000 undergraduates. Students are not taught by teaching assistants and the faculty is able to focus 100% on the undergrads.

We award AP credit if a student earns a 4 or a 5 on the Advanced Placement Exam. If a student scores a 5, 6, or 7 on a higher level IB exam, that student will also receive credit.

"Public" means we're devoted to accessibility, diversity and affordability--including a reasonable price and a full range of financial aid programs.The honors college is the best of both public and private education.

Briefly, there are three main types of aid available:
Merit aid is available based on the curriculum chosen, the academic performance of the student and the scores attained on the SAT. This is available regardless of need. Need-merit aid is for St. Mary's students with financial need. To qualify, the student and parents must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) between January 1 and March 1. All students who are accepted to the College and who submit the FAFSA are automatically considered for federal, state, and college financial assistance programs. St. Mary's helps students apply for federal and private loans to cover some of the students' educational costs.

Our four most popular majors in terms of student numbers are biology, psychology, English, and economics. That is not to say that our other majors and departments are weaker, but the most student interest falls within these four majors.

The most important thing the Office of Admissions considers when looking at an application is the curriculum that the student studied in high school. We place more emphasis on what the student chose to study out of the courses that the school had to offer, than on the GPA or the SAT. We like to see that the student is taking a challenging course load including AP, IB, GT and/or honors coursework when available. The average unweighted GPA (academic courses only) of this year's entering class was about a 3.4. Regarding SATs, last years entering class averaged a 1220 and the middle 50% ranged between 1120-1310 (Critical Reading & Math only). When reviewing a student's SAT scores, we will only look at the math and critical reading section. We do not have any minimum requirements for admission to St. Mary's College.

We do not require interviews, but we strongly encourage prospective students to take advantage of them. Interviews are individual sessions where prospective students, and parents, have the opportunity to talk to an admissions counselor and have any questions or concerns about the college addressed. They are helpful to the student because our admissions staff is trained to provide the information and counseling necessary to assist prospective students with deciding whether or not St. Mary's College fits well with what the student is looking for in a college.

We provide interviews and tours Monday through Friday. To schedule a visit, please contact our office. We also host open house programs on several Saturdays throughout the year. Prospective students should call the Office of Admissions for additional information and allow at least 10 days notice before the date of the intended visit.

The average class size is about 16 students. 75% of the classes have fewer than 20 students and it is rare that there will be classes with over 35 students, even in the introductory courses. The student to faculty ratio is 12:1.

98% of our faculty hold the Ph.D. or terminal degree in their field, and in the past two decades the faculty has produced about one Fulbright per year.

Housing is guaranteed for four years and we have the most residential campus out of all the Maryland state colleges. Almost 85% of our students reside on campus. There are many housing options including residence halls, suite-style housing, townhouses and apartments. Housing is determined by the number of academic credits attained by the student.

Students are allowed to bring personal computers, but it is not necessary. In campus housing units, there are high speed cable hookups for each student but there are also 24 hour computer labs in a few residence halls and computer labs in each academic building. Therefore, it is not mandatory that students bring personal computers or laptops.

We have an NCAA Division III athletic program and we are part of the Capital Athletic Conference. Others colleges in the conference are: Frostburg, Marymount, Mary Washington, Salisbury, Wesley and York. NCAA regulations prohibit Division III programs from offering athletic scholarships.

The closest town is Lexington Park and it is about a ten minute drive from the campus. It is the location of the Patuxent Naval Air Station which is one of the largest naval bases on the east coast. Lexington Park is a rapidly growing town where many students go to get something to eat at one of the numerous restaurants, see a movie, bowl, and shop for items to spruce up the dorm room.

Internships are strongly encouraged because they provide students with real experience in their areas of study. St. Mary's provides both paid and unpaid internships and students have an endless amount of opportunities. Students intern as locally as historic St. Mary's City and as far as Annapolis, Washington D.C., Baltimore and in countries throughout the world. The career center connects students with internship opportunities through resources like the internship database and the alumni Mentornet.

Students are able to study abroad at almost any country throughout the world. St. Mary's College has semester and year-long programs in England, France, Germany, China, Thailand, Italy and The Gambia to name a few, but students have often taken advantage of countless other programs outside of these. St. Mary's College also offers study tours which provide students the opportunity to spend a few weeks visiting and studying in another country during the winter and summer breaks. Places where study tours have occurred in past recent years include England, Belize, Germany, Greece, The Gambia, and Italy.

Each new student will be assigned an academic adviser with whom they will meet during orientation. The adviser will assist the student by discussing how to register for classes and will counsel the advisee on what classes might be best to achieve the student's academic goals. The faculty advisers are available throughout the year and have regular hours established when students can "pop in" to talk or to seek advice.

Activities on campus include Division III athletics, the waterfront recreation where students can check out kayaks and sailboats with their Student ID, intramural sports and the campus recreation program. The new Athletic and Recreation Center (ARC) boasts an Olympic and a 25-yard pool, an indoor rock climbing wall, two basketball and volleyball gymnasiums and new state-of-the-art fitness equipment. Free movies are shown in the campus center cinema Friday and Saturday evenings with a matinee on Sundays. Lecturers, comedians, artists and musicians frequent the campus each semester. The Student Government Association sponsors over 100 student-led clubs and organizations. These are just a few of the numerous extracurricular activities.

St. Mary's College of Maryland does not have fraternities or sororities.

Yes. Even first-year students are allowed to have a car on campus.

The career paths of St. Mary's graduates are as diverse as the institution itself. Of the St. Mary's students that seek employment upon graduation, two-thirds enter fields directly related to their studies. Motivated to excel, trained to think creatively and analytically, and disciplined in research, 50% of our students continue on to graduate or professional school within five years of graduation. Of the students who opt to go to graduate school, 90% are accepted, often to their first choice. In the last three years, 91% (41 of 45) of students applying to medical school with the help of the Health Sciences Advisory Committee were accepted. Whatever career path students choose, they are successful in all areas of the working world.

St. Mary's is Maryland's liberal arts college. We, at St. Mary's, believe that the liberal arts experience is more valuable-and more practical in the long run-than education geared toward a specific career. The liberal arts prepares students for a variety of careers because students are educated to think critically and communicate clearly. They develop an intellectual curiosity and the versatility necessary for solving problems with insight and creativity. Liberal arts graduates possess a broad knowledge base and the ability to grasp a variety of perspectives. All of these qualities prepare our students for the uncertainties of the 21st century.