I visited and it's awesome...and NOT boring at all!

Colleges and Universities A-Z St. Mary's College of Maryland
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<p>I just wanted to say that I did an overnight visit last week and also stayed throughout the afternoon of the next day. St. Mary's is a wonderful school!</p>

<p>I guess just to give you the idea of the kind of student I am, I go to a public school in MD, got 2190 on SAT's, 3.98 uw GPA, am in charge of a few clubs, got all 4's and 5's on the five AP exams I've taken so far, that sort of thing. So being the arrogant spoiled kid I am ("I DESERVE the best! I worked so hard in high school" mentality), it would probably take a lot in a college to get me to fall in love with it. Along with other people who were applying for the Nitze scholars (more about that on their website) I also applied to places like Yale, Brown, Amherst, Georgetown, and the like. With this in mind, I was skeptical about St. Mary's...but St. Mary's delivered. I'm in love with it.</p>

<p>I just want to clear up a few misconceptions. First off, St. Mary's is NOT a religious school. If you're here, you probably know that already, but I thought I might as well put it out there just in case. It's named St. Mary's after the city that it is in.</p>

<p>And here is the most crucial part to realize about the isolation: yes, it is in the middle of nowhere, but that is an ADVANTAGE! It means that the SGA and administration work super hard to entertain everybody ALL THE TIME for FREE in order to make up for the lack of city. This means that fun is cheap, accessible, and the isolation actually makes it all the more fun because the fun is also located in a place of beauty. The night I was there, a play, poetry reading, tons of club meetings, and more were all going on at the same time. People were having trouble deciding which thing to go to; that's how much there is to do. I don't think people get bored there, which was my biggest concern. There are a whole lot of shopping centers about 15 minutes away in case that's your thing, but most people who initially go in feeling a bit claustrophobic end up never leaving campus except maybe to buy shampoo. The things to do on campus are more exciting than shopping. The day I went to visit a class, the students were preparing for a bouldering competition, a silent auction for charity, the play again, and more. I couldn't believe I had to leave to go back home! I wanted to stay!</p>

<p>The campus is beautiful, the professors are friendly and accessible, and the curriculum is flexible enough- plenty of room of individual research or student-created majors. Everybody there loves it and is extremely friendly. Everywhere I went, people were telling me how much they love it there...and NOT just the people who were forced to be nice to us. The buildings are made of brick and there are ducks on campus. But you can read all that in the guide-books. It's got the rich private school feel with a public school price...and I truly believe I could get an excellent education there. </p>

<p>Anyway, the best way to find out about it is to visit- especially overnight if you can manage it.</p>

2

<p>Heya, I'm a freshman right now at St. Mary's. I think I remember the day you new students came down last week; they always have really good food on those days hahah. Its really cool to hear about someone visiting here and liking it. If you got into nitze you should definetly be proud. In high school I had a 1400 on the old SAT and like a 3.9 and I wasn't accepted into it. </p>

<p>Anyways, I would say most of the impressions you got about St. Mary's are on the mark. I wouldn't necessarily say that being in the middle of nowhere is an advantage, but it isn't really that bad. And yeah, I never seem to leave campus. Best of luck choosing a college, and perhaps I'll see you next fall. Oh, and if you have any questions you haven't already had answered feel free to ask.</p>

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<p>i visited st. mary's on the 24th--not overnight though. i got a pretty good impression as well. i really felt at home there (probably because my mom, who went there, was with me and reminiscing the whole time.) the people were really nice--students as well as faculty/staff.</p>

<p>the campus is very beautiful, and i loved the psych class i sat in on. the only thing was that it all felt a bit empty--maye because it was a cold, windy day and everyone was inside.</p>

<p>i was also disappointed that we didn't get to try out the actual cafeteria. however, i loved the bookstore and i got a really good smoothie (though i supposed you could get that anywhere.) :)</p>

<p>the only huge drawback is its remote location--i have lived in the sticks for most of my life and i was hoping to go somewhere a little more alive for college. but i guess city options are an ok swap for the beauty of the area.</p>

<p>overall, i think it's a really nice place and i am definitely considering it. maybe i'll see you guys there next year, too.</p>

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<p>hey samsonite. i was reading your other posts and noticed that last year you didn't know whether to pick between college park or St. Mary's and also that you wanted to be a polisci major. I'm in pretty much the same boat, honors program at UMCP. I was wondering how you made your decision?</p>

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<p>St Mary's is a wonderful place. I've visited several times because my sister used to go there. The people are extremely friendly and random people said hi to me even though they did not know me. I also noticed at graduation everyone showed how much they cared about their professors, which is always a good sign. Plus I could tell the majority of the students were happy and enjoyed being there despite the isolated setting. I highly reccomend St Mary's for anyone who wants a personalized attention at a great price.</p>