<p>Anyone know anything about this college, im thinking of applying there</p>
<p>btw, im interested in pre-med or a chem/bio major.</p>
<p>small, public, liberal arts college on the Chesapeake Bay. Good reputation. I dont know about their science departments, so you will have to check their program online and their faculty credentials.</p>
<p>Im very new to the college search, so when i look at credentials, what should i be looking for?</p>
<p>On their website i think it says that 98% of professors hold a masters or something like that. Should i look for things like that</p>
<p>Sorry if i sound dumb.</p>
<p>This is a great little college, actually on the Potomac River (but not far from the Bay). My sense is that their sciences would be strong, but you could also inquire about their success rates for medical school and grad school placements. The place also has a reputation for a very friendly student body. However, be warned- the place is absolutely off on its own, no town, village, or hamlet in sight. You will need to appreciate the quiet atmosphere and be willing to make do with what the campus itself has to offer.</p>
<p>Anyone have any insight on their science/pre-med program , especially in a chem major.</p>
<p>Small but excellent chemistry department. All teaching faculty (except the lab assistants) hold the PhD. American Chemistry Society-certified program. St. Mary’s of Maryland has an excellent record placing their graduates in medical school and top graduate programs. This is one of the top public colleges in the nation – up there with SUNY Geneseo and The College of New Jersey. The biggest drawback for SOME students is its rural location, nearly 2 hours from Washington, DC.</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply,</p>
<p>It seems like location has been really the only major drawback. Ill have to visit to decide for myself though</p>
<p>Also, how does this college rank when compared to private LACs like F & M, university of rochester, colby, colgate and holy cross.</p>
<p>“Rank” is a somewhat vague term. If you mean something like “US News” ratings, I think you’ll find (I haven’t checked, I’ll leave it to you) that St. Mary’s will be placed quite a bit below the likes of Colby, Colgate and Holy Cross (I don’t consider Rochester to be an LAC, but that’s a little off-point). On the other hand if you look at things like Med. School and Grad. School admissions success, I bet you won’t find a lot of difference. The fact that St. Mary’s has an active health professions committee to support those looking at Med. School and other health-related programs is a very good sign, and their claims of student success rate are very impressive. But the exceptional educational value of a place like St. Mary’s does come at a cost, if it means anything to you- relatively low name recognition. St. Mary’s for example is mistaken by many to be a Roman Catholic-affiliated college; it doesn’t help that Mt. St. Mary’s University is in the same state! St. Mary’s, The College of New Jersey, SUNY Geneseo, Truman State University, U of Minnesota-Morris and possibly others share a somewhat common condition: public schools with highly selective admissions standards and well-respected academics that “nobody” has ever heard of. They are great choices for good students who can’t or won’t pay the high price tag of a private. And yes, definitely visit. As I mentioned above, the campus location is-shall we say- very conducive to quiet study habits.</p>
<p>Yes, this is a great little college, actually on the eastern shore of the St. Mary’s River (but not far from the Potomac River where it flows into the Chesapeake Bay.) Does the fact that we’re having so much trouble pinning down the location tell you something?</p>
<p>This location may be a drawback or an advantage, depending on what you like. The nightlife in “Historic St. Mary’s City” has been pretty dead for about 300 years, but you never know, maybe it will come back with the economy. It’s the right place if you have any inclination to learn how to sail (a fine family hobby if you are a medical doctor who can actually afford it). The surroundings are beautiful; so is the campus itself.</p>
<p>weldon, i was reffering mroe to a “subjective” rank, as in not like a top 100 list. </p>
<p>Also, does anyone know the selection criteria for their pre-med program. Their website boasts a pretty big claim about their Health Services Action Commitee (pretty much their pre-med program) - “91% of students applying to medical school with the help of the HSAC have been accepted.”</p>
<p>It would seem like it would be tough to get into that. I tried e-mailing them to see what the requirements are but i have yet to receive a response.</p>
<p>tk2: I stand corrected, you’re of course right about the St. Mary’s River. enigma: unfortunately I can only encourage you to pursue and pin down what these claims for med. school admissions really mean. My wife teaches at a college with a similar set-up for med. school hopefuls, i.e., a health professions committee to work with and support them. I really doubt that it would be difficult to “get into” that, in fact I’m sure that working with such a committe at St. Mary’s would be open to anyone interested, there won’t be “admissions requirements” per se. The only “catches” will probably be: 1) actually taking the initiative to contact and work with the committee, making sure all their paperwork requirements are met; and 2) make sure your academic performance, test scores, extra-curriculars, faculty relationships, and any essays or statements of purpose they may require are strong SO THAT THE COMMITTEE CAN GIVE YOU THEIR STRONG RECOMMENDATION when you apply to Med Schools. That is usually the catch- if you’re a strong candidate, then you get their “help” (recommendation) which only adds to your good chances. If you are a poor candidate, they will decline to support your applications with a committee recommendation letter. At that point you are of course still free to apply to med. school on your own, and you may also seek recommendations from individual faculty or anyone else (if you can get any) , but you are now not getting the committee’s “help”. I’d ask somebody at the school if that’s essentially the way it works. Also make sure that their admissions statistics apply to med. school only, or to all health professions (such as nursing, DO, PA, dentistry etc. programs).</p>
<p>It’s a very good school, and if you are a Maryland resident, the price tag is low. A number of my coworkers’ children have gone there and liked it.</p>
<p>weldon, thanks for your help. This will have to be something discussed at a college visit seeing as emails are getting me no where 
Didnt really expect much though</p>
<p>Onemom, yes the price is very reasonable, and i already have 2 full years payed for by a maryland public college scholarship my parents bought like 15 years ago.</p>
<p>yes enigma, I was going to say that looking into things like the health professions committee and how that all works is perfect for an on-campus visit. When you go, you will find that the main activities will be highly planned and structured. However, if you make your wishes known, particularly early in the day, most campus programs will be happy to help you meet with the appropriate people.</p>