Saint Mary’s College of California

My experience at SMC is as a fan. A fan of small private schools, and a beautiful, gorgeous campus, and a great fun place to watch a Basketball game. Go Gaels!!!
I went to a small private college in So. Cal, Azusa Pacific University. A great liberal art, Christian college. These two schools are similiar. I do know quite a few folks that went to SMC, I hope to be able to go to the SMC Gonzaga Basketball game, that’s a great game to go to. Not sure how much to cost to go here, but if I was to guess? Probably about $ 20,000 a year… this is just a GUESS…

Nice afternoon for some good high school basketball games, teams from all over California, Nevada and Washington.

I am delighted to be a recent Graduate from the Masters program in Leadership Studies at Saint Mary’s College, and I applaud the program for an excellent learning experience!
The last two years has been transformative, both on a personal level and professionally, the gift of learning bestowed by this program and the faculty has been a crossing towards the attainment of a rare but essential Truth, the Art of personal knowledge. And for this experience I am humbled and in-​debt to the program and the faculty who not only ameliorate the mind of their students but awakens the depth of the students souls.
The faculty are amazing, Dean, Ken, Doug, Marguerite and others are inspiring and source of wisdom, they helped me advance not only as a student in the program, but go beyond the boundaries of teacher-​student and broaden the frontier of personal growth as an individual.
They have rewritten the overall tradition of advanced education, as the program initiates a pioneering and enlightening culture of learning, where knowledge and insight comes from within the learners: a pathway towards personal wisdom.
I walk away from this program not only with a Masters in Arts but with a deep admiration and gratitude for Saint Mary’s Leadership program and its faculty members.
Anosha

I have not actually been a student here, but I have used campus facilities many times to study, met with faculty, and watched my dad as he got his MBA here. Very nice, small, safe campus. I could leave my stuff in an unlocked study room for an hour to take a lunch break and could return to find it untouched.
When I decided to return to school after a long time off, I had a lot of options and talked to counselors/​professors at several East Bay college campuses. I have to say that the professor in the physics department that I talked to was the most personable of all the faculty/​staff that I talked to at the different colleges. I felt that he actually took the time to help me assess whether or not SMC would be a good fit for me considering my education/​career plans (we concluded that it isn’t; and I appreciate his honesty and not trying to push the college on me). Even after we made that assessment, it wasn’t an awkward «have a nice life» goodbye. Instead, we talked about life experiences and transitioning back to school for a bit before I left. In my mind, this reflects the high level of personal level of attention students can expect from faculty: if I was never a student there, imagine what they do with their own!

I transferred to SMC from a community college in 2008 and graduated in 2010. Unlike another reviewer, I felt that the admissions staff WAS knowledgeable and gave me excellent advice about the transfer process.
I’ll start out by saying this school isn’t for everyone. If you want the big university experience, stay well away, you won’t find that here. This is a tiny liberal arts college (emphasis on liberal), with no frats or sororities. Campus life is pretty quiet and at times can be kinda dead. However, if you want your professors to know you by name, care about you like family, and act as amazing mentors, then SMC is your school! Not every professor I had was a winner, but the clunkers were definitely in the small minority, and the good ones MORE than made up for them. The college is very expensive, but many great need-​based and academic scholarships are available. It is with the help of these scholarships that I was able to attend. Lastly, as a Catholic institution, SMC is not heavily religious, but I always felt that a strong sense of spirituality pervaded the school. I still have many fond memories of my education here.

The transfer admissions counselor was not knowledgable and made false statements regarding my graduation timeline. Notified the university of my experience but was ignored.
The campus is gorgeous but that doesn’t make up for the degree outlines lacking coursework that is relevant to the field. The price of the school is not equivalent to the experience offered.

As you drive through the entrance gate, you are in awe of the superior beauty that this campus has to offer.
Think of the movie The Sound of Music and you will automatically feel as though you have entered a place where Heaven is literally on Earth.
Lush green hills surround the campus, endless evergreen trees throughout and as far as the eye can see. Such a peaceful and mind calming atmosphere. Take a deep breath in and enjoy Mother Nature at its finest.
The beautiful architecture of the buildings on campus is non like you have ever seen. They are a good decent size and simple but extraordinary all rolled into one.
The campus church is in the center of the campus and brings everything together that this school has to offer.
There is a gorgeous hiking trail up the hills and at the top you see the white cross, recently re-​built although it stands slightly shorter than the first original cross. After your hike up the cross, take a moment and enjoy the moment. Great view from the top; you can see the endless green hills and the so peaceful.
It truly was a wonderful day having gone back to the SMC campus. I will surely try and visit more. Happy adventure and until next time!
Toodles~Mae Mae

I’m not a Gael, but I’m married to Gayle! :)
The drive out here from either the Lafayette or Moraga sides is pretty and reaching Campus is a gorgeous payoff. St. Mary’s is literally a little heaven here on Earth.
I have traveled out here out during a 2 week period over 3 Summers as part of car pool duty for the Joey Travolta Film Camp. On a few occasions, I’ve had a little extra time and love wandering around outside and inside the St. Mary’s Chapel.
Tip: Mind your speed on St. Mary’s Road either coming or going. Moraga PD is watching.

Go Gaels!

Beautiful campus! The buildings all have great architecture while surrounded by lush greenery. The whole place looks clean, serene and peaceful.
I’m not a student… YET. I came here for an Information Session for the Kalmanovitz School of Education. The whole event was very well-​planned and was set up perfectly. They gave us professional well put-​together packets, which I never got from other Information Sessions I’ve attended.
Above all, their approach seemed very personal and engaging. Dr. Kathy Perez was a delightful speaker! The rest of the professors were also present at the time, which really added that special touch. We broke out in our respective specific programs after Dr. Perez’s opening presentation. I felt very comfortable and was able to get all my questions and inquiries answered.
Oh, and they offered water, cheese and crackers and red velvet cookies with real glassware and China!
Talk about impeccability!

Went to Saint Mary’s College for a softball game. It was beautiful sunny afternoon for softball at St Mary’s, The campus is located in the hills of Moraga. The buildings are all terra cotta roofed including the dugouts. The stands are cheap aluminum bleachers but the field is well manicured. Parking is far away from the athletic fields, however with the the great weather the walk was no so bad.

I’m a Gael.
I LOVED my years here.
Thoughtful and attentive professors and a highly respected athletics department.
Campus is beautiful (and quiet when it needs to be).
I commuted in from Concord so I don’t know much about living on campus.

They have a great MBA program here. There are different versions to receive your MBA. One of them is the Hybrid. You go to school only every other Saturday. The other classes, usually two days a week are done on a conference call with a computer hook/​up. Most of the teachers are pretty good and on top of their class. A little pricey but so are other grad schools.

Gorgeous campus! I came here for a friend’s graduation in the chapel. Great for photo ops!

I just graduated from SMC and it only took my 4 years to do so. Something that is practically unheard of these days. I loved the small school atmosphere, everybody’s school spirit, and the fact that I knew my teachers by their first name.
When my orientation leader told me they actually ate dinner with some of their professors I didn’t believe them… but it’s true. By the time I graduated I was really close with nearly all of my major’s professors. I love that they really care about their students and they don’t think of you as a number (which I’ve heard is the case at other schools).
I did everything at SMC from dance to research, participated in an honors society and even some orientation stuff. It was all a really good experience and I’m really glad I did it.
As for partying, or anything else for that matter you should get yourself a car. Moraga is so small you can walk to the nearest grocery store but if you want to do anything else it’s a 15 minute drive to the nearest Bart station.
The campus itself is dry… when I was a freshman they didn’t really care much about booze but nowa days I hear it’s a different story. That said, there are plenty of parties off campus… but there are a few weekends when it gets pretty dead.
Oh, and basketball games are a blast — Go gaels!

I better be a fan — I got my undergrad here and now am 6 short weeks away from a MBA.
I loved the small school aspect and met some of my best friends there.
I will admit — there are some bad teachers, some lame students, and not much of a social scene. Don’t think you are coming to party central if you enroll here — half the students are in the library on Friday night.
Plus there are no bars in Moraga, basically.
These are important things, people! You’ll agree with me by your senior year.
That being said, good school, solid education, good people.

Great school… i am buddhist… but the whole catholic thing never crept to me… the school is small but filled with gorgeous women! obviously the school is good… great education. and reputation carries on for job future…

A good college. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and the classes were challenging enough without being overwhelming. The one problem was the bureaucracy that dorm dramas led to. Anytime you had any sort of dispute, there were bizarre and pointless «meetings» with the people in charge of the dorms which led to very little being done about the situations at hand.
There is also the issue of the integral major, which is what I would term a «bullshit» major since it is more about the ability to sound like you know what you’re talking about than actually learning anything.
The tutoring system is excellent, and there is a great variety of clubs to join as well.

How can there be Unilocal reviews for a college!
Do me a favor: do your research, visit the place, and figure out, in the time you visit and from the people you speak with, whether this will be the place for you.
I’m all about Unilocaling short-​lived meals and service at various restaurants or shops. But four years of scholarship, four years of your life? I can offer my opinion of the school and environment that completely changed mine and my perception of the world, but what would that do for you and your’s?
If you’re looking here, you’re not looking hard enough.
(And I recognize the irony in having to rate St. Mary’s in order to have these words posted, I do. Throw me to the wolves!)

The BEST years of my life were spent at SMC!!!
I only wish I were still in college :(
I go back and visit whenever I can; the campus is spectacular! See it for yourself!
SO proud to be an Alumni! GO GAELS!!!