St. Marys College of Maryland Visit Report by DougBetsy

Visit Activities:

Information Session: Yes - This was the first nice spring day of the year. So the info session was outside, on the Admissions lawn. Led by 2 students with occassional add-ins from the Dean. It was great.

Campus Tour: Yes - Saw a lot. It took 2 hours, which was too long. But, got a good sense of the campus and facilities.

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Campus:

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There's a "chat culture" at St. Mary's which was for real. I think that's why the tour was so long. Students kept stopping to chat with us.

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The Dean of Admissions was great.

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The grounds and building exteriors were very pretty in a minimalist/Williamsburg/17th century way. The interiors showed public school wear and tear.

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As mentioned above, some evidence of "public school" wear and tear. The Campus Center (student union) could use some updating or modernizing. But, it was functional. Library great.

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The upper classmen apts and townhomes looked great on the outside. The Freshmen dorm hallways were dark and claustrophic. Husband called them "depressing." Rooms may be better.

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I loved it. Son liked it. Husband was "eh."

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Off-Campus:

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BEAUTIFUL setting on the St. Mary's river.

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The actual campus "neighborhood" is very rural. However, it's only 7 miles to Lexington Park and all the modern amenities you could want.

Campus Visit Notes for St. Marys College of Maryland

Visit Description:

We visited on Good Friday. This day Admissions was conducting regular HS junior info sessions and Accepted Student Day. We were there for the juniors.

I've heard the St. Mary's campus described as feeling like camp. I agree. Waterfront, woods, open space. Even the dining hall felt rugged with its high ceiling and exposed beams.

Overall, I think the school is great, educationally. I was even relieved to see how close it is to the retail and other services in Lexington Park. The course rigor seemed inspriing, too. Husband, OTOH, somehow got the feeling that it's a "slacker" school and dreary in appearance. Sure, compared to other LACs we've toured (F&M, Gettysburg & Loyola) it does seem like the facilities are "Hondas," not "BMWs." But, I attribute that to public v. private.

So, H and I came away with a split decision. Son WILL apply, mainly because it's our in-state option for LAC. But, he also seemed to like it well enough, too.

Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:

n/a, we drove 115 miles from home.

Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments:

n/a

Other Comments (Transportation, local attractions, parking, etc.):

St. Mary's City is within walking distance of the college. It's the first European settlement in Md and maintained as "living museum."