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The International Experience

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Saint Mary’s School is pleased to share our beautiful campus with students from around the world.  As we work towards our mission of “educating young women for college and life,” we recognize the need to provide the global perspectives that our international students provide. Just as you can learn more about the American educational system and culture, our American students will learn about you, your culture and your beliefs. What you might be most surprised by is not how many differences there are, but rather what all Saint Mary’s girls have in common - a love for learning, a commitment to their communities and a desire to succeed.

Saint Mary’s recognizes that coming to a new school in a different country can present unique challenges. We have established a support system to help you navigate your first year here and to help you feel at home quickly. Our Global Ambassador Program (GAP) Prefects, are selected student leaders who live in each dormitory and are particularly focused on the needs of our international students. They are here to answer questions, help with homesickness and offer advice and friendship. In addition, you will have a faculty advisor whom you will meet with at least three days each week. The role of the advisor is to guide you through your academic program at SMS, as well as to oversee all aspects of your life as a student here.

During your first year at Saint Mary’s, you will participate in several orientation days prior to the first day of school. During this time you will meet adults on campus who will help you in many ways. We will also help you get a U.S. cell phone, issue you your tablet computer and take you shopping for things you might need for your room.  Additionally, academic placement tests are given at this time. Once you have taken the test, we develop your schedule for the year and help you get your textbooks. New international students do not know their schedule prior to the opening of school. While we know this may be stressful for you as you try to prepare for our academic program, you can focus your time on completing your summer reading requirement and finding opportunities to use your English language skills.

Admission Requirements

International students applying to Saint Mary’s School must possess a strong command of English. We do not offer English as a Second Language (ESL), so our students must be prepared to meet the demands of a competitive curriculum in English. In addition, we are looking for applicants who have a strong desire to engage fully in the Saint Mary’s community, whether through sports, music, dance or clubs. Our goal is to provide an environment where international students truly feel that they are having an “American high school experience” and where English is the common language for all students.

To that end, only 11% of our students are international, ranging from 5-10 international students per grade. Within each grade we are deliberate in selecting a group of students who represent different geographic regions and cultures.

Saint Mary's School welcomes applications from qualified international students. A completed application for admission consists of the following items:

Application deadline is January 30, 2013

  • A completed online or paper application
  • $100 application fee
  • Official high school transcript(s)
  • Teacher recommendation forms
  • Satisfactory scores on the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT)
  • An internet-based TOEFL score of 80 or above. PLEASE NOTE: We do not accept the SLEP
  • A personal interview. Interviews can be completed on campus, via SKYPE or with a Saint Mary’s Admission representative travelling to your city.

Applicants will be notified of Admission decisions on March 10, 2013