Q. Where is Saint Mary's College?
A. Saint Mary's College is located in the State of Indiana, U.S.A. Referred to as "The Crossroads of America", Indiana is located in the midwestern postion of the country, and is bordered by the states of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Kentucky. Saint Mary's College is located in the North Central part of the state in the city of South Bend. Located in St. Joseph County, (population 265,500) the South Bend/Mishawaka community is conveniently located approximately an hour and a half drive from Chicago, Illinois, and approximately 3 hours north of Indianapolis, Indiana - our state capital.
Q. Can I receive credit for my IB diploma/certificates, A-levels, Advanced Placement courses, Abitur, French Baccalaureat, etc.?
A. Yes, the opportunity exists for credit and/or placement for results obtained in these intensive examinations and programs. Each case is judged on its own merits depending on the level of achievement on the exams and the subjects being tested.
Q. Can international students apply to Saint Mary’s through the Early Decision program?
A. Absolutely. International applicants are welcome to apply Early Decision (deadline for applications November 15th). Keep in mind that we recommend this approach only if a student knows that Saint Mary’s is the college where, if accepted, she will attend. If accepted, an applicant will find out before the end of December, and must pay the $200 non-refundable deposit by January 15th to secure her place for the following term beginning in late August.
Q. Are there special tests or requirements for international students?
A. The tests required of interested international applicants to Saint Mary's College are for admission purposes, the TOEFL exam, SAT I or ACT exam, and, for placement purposes only, the SAT II subject tests in Writing, Math IIc, and a foreign language.
Q. Can I send copies instead of official documents?
A. We recognize that in many countries students are only ever issued one original copy of their academic records and examination results (particularly from government bodies). In those cases what we ask is that certified or notarized copies of the originals be provided. That means, a student would need to have a public officer/notary public/higher magistrate/or certifying authority validate that the copy provided to Saint Mary's College for purposes of admission is a certified copy of the original document.
Q. What kind of deadlines do I have in applying to Saint Mary's College?
A. In applying to Saint Mary's the key deadline is January 15th if applying as a first-year student (without any prior university or post-secondary school coursework) who wishes to be considered for the International Scholarship. Otherwise, we recommend applying by March 1st to allow adequate time to complete the admission process, hopefully be accepted, deposit, and obtain the necessary documents in order to apply for a student visa to come to the US and Saint Mary's College.
Q. What is the total cost (tuition, room & board, other fees and expenses) to attend Saint Mary's College?
The following amounts are valid for the 2003-04 academic year. The figures shown are amounts used for I-20 issuance (needed to obtain an F-1 student visa).
Tuition and fees: $23,299
Room and board, health insurance, travel, books and supplies: $8,864.
Click Here to convert this amount to your own currency.
Q. Is financial aid available for international students?
A. There are two types of aid available for students who are not US citizens, permanent residents, green card holders, refugees, or asylees: merit awards based on the application for admission (ranging from $3000-$10000/year renewable for up to four years); and ONE intensely competitive International Scholarship that is part need-based, part merit-based. This one International Scholarship covers tuition, room & board, books & supplies, health insurance, and an on-campus job. It does not include funds for travel expenses to/from Saint Mary's College nor does it cover personal expenses during the school year. International applicants who wish to be considered for the International Scholarship must apply for admission by January 15, and also submit the International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA), available to print off on-line, or request by mail, phone, fax or e-mail.
Q. What is a liberal arts college?
A. Unlike many countries around the world, American colleges and universities often require a core of classes, in addition to the student’s intended area of study, in subjects of English, literature, history, social sciences, natural sciences, foreign languages, and philosophy/theology to give their students a broader preparation for not only the job market of the future, but also a better preparation for life. The liberal arts courses taken at Saint Mary's College focus on developing important life skills--communication, writing, research, analytical, critical thinking, interpersonal relations--that make students much more adaptable and able to pursue a variety of careers after graduation. Should the job market change and leave a liberal arts graduate without employment, typically, that individual can move careers with relative ease.
Q. What is the difference between a college and a university?
A. In the United States a "college" and a "university" are equivalent in that each is a post-secondary institution of higher education. When Americans talk about applying to "university" or "college" they are talking about the same thing.
Q. Are faculty members accessible?
A. One of the hallmarks of a Saint Mary’s education remains the close relationships that develop both inside and outside the classroom among faculty and students. Only qualified faculty members (typically with the highest degree possible in their fields of study) will teach classes. There are no graduate teaching assistants who teach our classes. Each professor holds regular office hours each week, and more often than not, our faculty members go above and beyond those requirements. Many times professors encourage students to call them at home with questions. Moreover, students have opportunities to assist faculty in their research projects--an invaluable experience for an undergraduate.
Q. Is housing guaranteed on-campus?
A. Housing is guaranteed on-campus for all four years of a student’s undergraduate experience. Approximately 85% of our students stay on campus all four years. Additionally, within the next two years on-campus student apartments will be completed for third and fourth year students.
Q. Where do I go during extended break/vacation periods?
A. Our international students have the opportunity to travel home during our extended break periods, but many choose to stay in the US for a variety of reasons. Oftentimes, American friends of our international students invite them to visit their hometown to stay in an American home. Others decide to travel around the US during these breaks to sightsee or to visit relatives or friends who may live in other parts of the United States. As our residence halls are closed during these break periods, international students do need to make alternative living arrangements during these break periods. For those international students that wish to stay with an American family during these break periods the possibility exists to stay with host families arranged through our Office of International and Intercultural Learning.
Q. Can I work on campus?
A. International students in valid F-1 or J-1 student visa status have the ability with approval from campus officials to work on-campus up to 20 hours per week while school is in session (up to 40 hours/week during vacation/break periods). Please note that on-campus jobs are available to our international students after a two-week period at the beginning of each school year. In order to work on campus, in addition to obtaining campus approval, an international student also needs to receive a social security number from the local Social Security Administration office. Saint Mary's College staff will assist international students in obtaining this important number.
Q. What kind of employment opportunities do I have off-campus?
A. This information is designed for students who are in valid F-1 or J-1 student visa status. International students are not automatically allowed to work off-campus because of federal regulations. Exceptions are allowed for specific circumstances, but only with consent of Saint Mary’s College and federal government approval which can take several months.
Q. Do I have to purchase health insurance?
A. Unlike most countries, health insurance in the United States is not provided by the national government. In order to receive non-emergency treatment in most hospitals and clinics, a student needs to have private health insurance. Saint Mary's College offers, through a third party company, adequate coverage for those whose do not have a policy that covers potential health care needs while you in the United States. The typical annual cost of this private health insurance policy is approximately $425.
Q. What kind of support is available for international students once on campus?
A. In addition to our International Orientation Program that begins a full day before the All-College orientation, we pick up our new international students at the airport and bring them to campus. We offer an Intercultural Living Program that allows internationally-minded students to live on the same floor in one of our residence halls. Saint Mary's College provides international student advising and programming through our Office of International and Intercultural Learning. Throughout the year there are numerous events tailored to students who want to explore not only all-things international and intercultural, but also the best of what the United States has to offer. A student run international club, All Around the World, also provides more social and cultural opportunities to display various nationalities and customs to the larger Saint Mary's College student body.
Q. How long will it take for me to adapt to life at Saint Mary's College?
A. The answer is "it depends." Different students take different lengths of time to adjust to life at Saint Mary's, let alone life in the United States. What generally helps new students in becoming comfortable with their surroundings is to take advantage of the orientation program, to ask questions whenever there is a doubt, and to become involved in activities on campus.
Q. What do students do at Saint Mary's besides study?
A. Our students lead an active life outside of the classroom. Aside from their studies, Saint Mary’s women choose from over 60 different clubs, organizations, and intramural sports on our campus as well as having the opportunity to join extracurricular activities and clubs on the University of Notre Dame campus across the street. With many area restaurants, shopping malls, entertainment venues, and parks nearby campus, Saint Mary’s students are rarely lacking in options for filling their time. In fact, those are the challenges most new students face--managing their time effectively and choosing a manageable number of outside activities.
Q. What is it like living at Saint Mary's? What should I bring to campus?
A. The Department of Residence Life website offers helpful information including information on the the residence hall staff, tips about living at Saint Mary's, and a list of what to bring to help make Saint Mary's "your home away from home."
Q. What kind of attitude should I bring to campus?
A. If a new international student comes to Saint Mary's College with a positive attitude about the experience and without too many preconceived notions about life in America the better she will adapt to the College and to living in the US.
