Enrollment and Admission

Vice Provost for Enrollment

The Vice Provost is responsible for the offices and procedures that serve students in the recruitment, admissions, and enrollment processes of the College. Working collaboratively with colleagues in academic and student affairs, the Vice Provost spearheads and coordinates institution-wide retention efforts. To better understand the needs of students, and to assist the College in its assessment and planning efforts, Enrollment Services gathers and reports on institutional data. The offices and functions included within Enrollment Services are Admission, Financial Aid, and the Registrar.

Registrar

The Registrar is responsible for creating and managing registration functions that serve members of the academic community in the enrollment process. In this role, the Registrar is responsible for the following functions: academic records (issuance of transcripts and grades, grading policies); enrollment (preregistration and registration procedures, leave of absence, withdrawal from school, verification of enrollment, progress toward the degree, academic probation, petitions for special action, declarations of majors and minors); determination of degree requirements (graduation candidacy, granting of degrees, academic evaluations); and the academic calendar (class schedule, room assignments, final examination schedule).

Articulation and Transfer

Reporting to the Dean of Admissions, the Associate Dean of Transfer Admissions serves as the institutional advocate for the articulation and transfer of courses at Saint Mary’s College. In this role the director is responsible for developing, updating, and maintaining articulation agreements between the College and community colleges and appropriate independent two-year colleges, and serves as an important liaison with those institutions. The Associate Dean provides advanced standing evaluations for new enrolling transfer students as well as preliminary advanced standing evaluations for transfer students applying to or accepted for admission to the College. Additionally, the Associate Dean ensures that the needs and concerns of transfer students are adequately addressed in orientation programs, residence life policies and procedures, academic requirements, registration procedures, and financial aid.

From Secondary School

Saint Mary’s College welcomes applications from students qualified by scholastic achievement and personal character to pursue successfully the program of studies leading to the bachelor’s degree. When evaluating candidates for admission, the Dean of Admissions with the Committee on Admissions reviews the following credentials: completed applications; secondary school records; recommendations; and a required essay. Saint Mary’s does not require students to submit Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Testing (ACT) scores as part of the admission process. Students may choose to submit their SAT or ACT if they feel it reflects their academic ability. Each candidate for admission receives individual consideration. The chief qualities sought in a candidate are academic preparation, seriousness of purpose, and moral integrity. The secondary school record is considered the primary measure of potential college ability. Extra-curricular accomplishments may enhance an application through reflecting special talents, perseverance, and maturity.

High School Preparation

Each candidate is expected to complete at least 16 units of secondary school coursework, to include four years of English, three years of mathematics (algebra, advanced algebra or the equivalent, and geometry), two years of the same foreign language, two years of science (at least one laboratory), one year of U.S. history, and two additional years of social studies or history. Students who plan to major in a science or mathematics are expected to show particular strength in scientific and mathematics preparation.

Applications for admission are reviewed individually, and minor academic deficiencies in preparation may be overlooked when the overall application is supported by strong academic achievement, writing samples, and recommendations.

Application Deadlines

Applicants should submit their application materials as early as possible but postmarked no later than:

1. November 15: Fall First Year Early Action (non-binding)

2. January 15: Fall First Year Regular Decision

3. July 1: Fall Priority Transfer Admission

4. December 1: Spring First Year and Transfer Admission

SAT I and ACT

Saint Mary’s College does not require students to submit Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Testing (ACT) scores as part of the admission process. Students may choose to submit their SAT or ACT if they feel it reflects their academic ability. We do not give preference to admission applications that include test scores, however, our admission process remains holistic and selective. It is the combination of these factors that determines admission to the College. The number 4675 should be used in requesting SAT scores be sent to Saint Mary’s College. The number 0386 should be used in requesting ACT scores to be sent to Saint Mary’s College. SAT II results are not required, but if submitted may enhance candidates’ applications.

Application Procedures

Saint Mary’s College undergraduate applicants apply using the Common Application or Saint Mary’s College Application. Both applications are available at commonapp.org/school/saint-marys-college-california or via the Saint Mary’s Admission website at stmarys-ca.edu/admissions. Application procedures are also available via these sites.

Applicants are required to complete Saint Mary’s College supplemental questions when completing the Common Application. Additionally, a recommendation is required from the secondary school principal, counselor, or teacher in a college preparatory subject.

Recommendation forms are to be completed by the appropriate official and transmitted directly to the College with the official transcript of record. A non-refundable application processing fee of $60 must accompany the application form.

High Potential Program

Saint Mary’s College has a fundamental mission to provide access to education for dedicated students from economically and educationally underrepresented groups in higher education. The High Potential (HP) Program and TRIO Student Support Services are designed to draw on the strengths and resiliency of first generation and/or students demonstrating financial need as they transition from high school to college. HP staff, faculty, and peer mentors work together with students to develop their academic and leadership skills, and connect them to the college community. The initiative furnishes a continuum of support for approximately 160 students from just prior to the first year of college through baccalaureate degree completion.

Once accepted into Saint Mary’s, interested students may submit an application to the High Potential Program and are selected for participation based on the information provided, and a personal statement. High Potential Program students may participate in the Summer Academic Institute for Leaders and Scholars (SAILS), an intensive summer residential program that includes earning units toward graduation. In the fall and spring semesters, HP students enroll in First Year Advising Cohort courses taught by faculty to introduce students to a broad range of academic and personal support programs designed to form a solid foundation for high academic and psychosocial achievement. Over their time at the College and through collaborative interventions with faculty, staff, peer mentors, tutorial services, and other resources of the College, students gain structured academic guidance, personalized support, and leadership development opportunities intended to prepare them for the global workplace and society.

Interested students should contact the High Potential office at (925) 631-4835 or hp@stmarys-ca.edu. For more information, please visit the High Potential Program website: www.stmarys-ca.edu/hp.

International Students

Saint Mary’s welcomes qualified international students to campus. Since national educational systems differ, all applicants are evaluated individually. We review the specific academic assessments of each student’s educational system to determine an American equivalency. Secondary school records or mark sheets, results on national external examinations, letters of recommendation, and potential for success in American higher education are factors considered for admission.

International students must submit the following: a completed Common Application with International Student supplements and the application fee; original secondary school records and a certified translation (if the original is issued in a language other than English); demonstration of academic success through secondary education graduation; certified copies of national or other examination results; a letter of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, principal, or school director; and official TOEFL, IELTS, or Pearson Test of English, or Duolingo English results. The SAT I exam is not required for admission of international applicants but will enhance an application. It can be submitted in lieu of other English language proficiency test results. The College requires a Certificate of Finances (COF), which indicates that admitted students have sufficient funds available to pay all tuition, housing, and other fees. The COF is to be supplied once students are admitted. The College must receive the COF before immigration documents can be issued. Also required are a bank statement or other form of financial verification and copy of a passport photo. A test of English proficiency is required of all students whose first language is not English. Saint Mary’s College of California code for ETS is 4675. Students may submit IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or Pearson Test of English results in place of the TOEFL. The minimum TOEFL result must be 79-iBT or 550 paper based; the minimum IELTS result must be a 6.5 band overall; the minimum 53 must be earned on the Pearson Test of English; minimum Duolingo English Test (DET) score of 105.

The English Proficiency requirement may be waived if the student completes any of the following: four consecutive years of non-English as a Second Language study at a high school in the United States (in which case ACT or SAT scores would be required); completion of high school or equivalent in a country where the official language is English; SAT 1 Critical Reading exam result of 450; OR an ACT English exam result of 21. English language proficiency can also be demonstrated through successful performance on University of Cambridge GCSE O or A level examinations in English.

Students who meet admission requirements may be accepted as full-time undergraduate students. Transfer students whose first language is not English must meet the English composition requirement (see English Composition Placement ). Saint Mary’s does not offer English as a Second Language courses.

International students are expected to finance their educational expenses. While part-time employment may be available on campus, any such earnings would not be sufficient for payment of educational costs. Qualified students who adhere to application deadlines are eligible to be considered for partial Saint Mary’s College first-time first-year or transfer academic scholarships, which are determined at the time of acceptance.

Saint Mary’s College of California is authorized under U.S. federal law to enroll non-immigrant students.

Honors Program

The Honors Program is a selective program that provides a dynamic, rigorous learning experience within and beyond the classroom for students of noteworthy achievement and motivation. The Honors Program provides challenging academic coursework and engaging extracurricular learning opportunities that encourage students to pursue education for social justice and the common good. Students in the Honors Program view their goals and achievements through the broad lens of personal and social responsibility. The hallmark of Honors Program students is their commitment to serve and contribute to the larger community. They recognize and act on their personal responsibility and obligation to the educational community, the local community, and to our shared national and global community. The Honors Program is primarily dedicated to encouraging its student members to enrich their academic endeavors to ensure that students are challenged all the way up to their potential, not “just” up to the point of high grades. We also encourage social bonds among our students in the way a student organization might. Our primary functions are dedicated to these goals.

The Honors Contract: The Honors Contract process enables motivated students to develop, under the guidance of a professor, an enriched curriculum from an existing upper division course. Honors Contracts demand that students achieve “greater depth and rigor” than what is required of their classmates, and might well be viewed as a primer for graduate study. The student works through the semester in one-on-one consultation with their faculty mentor until the Contract terms are fulfilled. This determination is evaluated by the faculty mentor who in turn determines whether Honors credit is awarded. A student must earn a course grade of at least a B- for the course to achieve honors credit. The points system: Honors students accrue Honors Points during their college career by completing Contracts, participating in service and other activities, and by requesting credit for summer internships or research experiences in consultation with the Coordinator of the Program. A student graduates with Honors with 150 points, High Honors with 175 points, and receives the Honors Medallion at 200 points.

For information about the expectations and benefits of the Honors Program, visit stmarys-ca.edu/honors-program, or contact the Honors Program Coordinator.

Transfer Students

Students entering Saint Mary’s College from other colleges or universities with 23 or more transferable academic semester units must present records of college performance of a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in academic transferable courses. Transfer students with fewer than 23 academic semester units (or 34 academic quarter units) must meet the standards set forth for admission from secondary school, and must present records of college performance of a minimum GPA of 2.0 in academic transferable courses. Transfer students who would not qualify for admission to Saint Mary’s College directly from secondary school will normally be required to present records of at least one year’s work at other colleges with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in 23 or more academic semester units, or 34.5 academic quarter units transferable to the University of California system from California community colleges or another accredited college or university. The units should be completed with letter grades rather than Pass, Satisfactory, or Credit.

Applications for admission are reviewed individually, and minor academic deficiencies in preparation may be overlooked when the overall application is supported by strong academic achievement.

All transferable grades from other colleges are considered in determining eligibility for admission. When courses are repeated, only the highest grade will be computed into the grade point average in determining the minimum admission standard of 2.0. Saint Mary’s does not accept as transferable for credit any courses in remedial subjects, vocational fields, or non-academic areas such as typing, and secondary school mathematics.

If students transfer from schools that do not compute grades below a C into the overall grade point average, their application will be evaluated on the basis of the number of courses they complete in making normal progress toward graduation.

Upon transfer, only courses with grades of C- and above are acceptable for advanced standing toward graduation. The maximum number of lower-division course credits that are transferable from any college is 19. This is approximately equivalent to 95 quarter units or 64 semester units. (Saint Mary’s “course” equivalence: 3.5 semester units or 5 quarter units = 1.00 course credit.) Students must take the majority of their major courses at Saint Mary’s College.

Advanced Placement

The College grants up to a full year of college credit through the College Level Examination Program administered by the College Entrance Examination Board. Credit is given only for the subject examinations, which correspond to particular college courses, not for the general examinations, and the subject examinations must be passed at the median level (ACE recommended) or higher.

Additionally, college credit, advanced placement, and reduction of prerequisites may be granted to entering first-years who, in the judgment of the appropriate department, have demonstrated advanced scholastic attainment. The principal criteria used are the Advanced Placement examinations of the College Entrance Examination Board, International Baccalaureate examination results, school records and personal interviews. The advantages of advanced placement are admission to courses ordinarily not open to first-year students, and greater freedom to pursue independent study or research in the senior year. Each academic department determines minimum score requirements and the amount of college credit (see Credit by Examination under Academic Requirement  ).

The College also grants advanced credit to students with successful performance on University of Cambridge GSCE A-level examinations.

The English Proficiency requirement may be waived if the student completes any of the following: four consecutive years of non-English study at a high school in the United States (in which case ACT or SAT scores would be required); completion of high school or equivalent in a country where the official language is English; SAT 1 Critical Reading exam result of 450; or an ACT English exam result of 21. English language proficiency can also be demonstrated through successful performance on University of Cambridge GCSE O or A level examinations in English.

Students who meet admission requirements may be accepted as full-time undergraduate students. Transfer students whose first language is not English must meet the English composition requirement (see English Composition Placement ). Saint Mary’s does not offer English as a Second Language courses.

International students are expected to finance their educational expenses. While part-time employment may be available on campus, any such earnings would not be sufficient for payment of educational costs. Qualified students who adhere to application deadlines are eligible to be considered for partial Saint Mary’s College first time first-year or transfer academic scholarships, which are determined at the time of acceptance.

Saint Mary’s College of California is authorized under U.S. federal law to enroll non-immigrant students.