Saint Mary's School has a top-notch academic program that delivers on its mission to prepare young women for college: 100 percent of our students are accepted into a wide range of colleges and universities. One huge benefit of coming to Saint Mary's School as a ninth- or tenth-grade student is that the teachers are experts at meeting girls at whatever level of coursework they may have completed at their middle or high school and guiding them in pursuing their particular passions. The question most parents have on their minds is how can our teachers accommodate girls arriving with so many different interests and from so many different backgrounds, some from rigorous magnet programs and independent day schools, some from parochial schools, and still others from public schools throughout the nation?

To meet this challenge, Saint Mary's teachers have developed the Saint Mary's Plan, under which each student will develop a MAP, or “My Achievement Plan.” As a new student, each girl will be assigned an academic/college counselor and an advisor, and she will remain with these two mentors throughout her years at Saint Mary's School. While these two support professionals are available daily to help each student on issues ranging from roommate difficulties to homework pressures to boyfriend issues, they are also charged with helping each girl develop her MAP. Before school begins, the family will sit down with their daughter's academic/college counselor and map out both the high school courses she must take to set her on the path to the college of her choice and the course she wants to take to pursue her passions. Should the student have a passion for the arts, for history, for politics, or for athletics, the advisors will integrate into her program academic courses and co-curricular opportunities to develop those passions— perhaps through exploring summer programs or special in-school opportunities, community service offerings, or senior internships. Teachers are aware that girls will change their minds over their four years, but this MAP will follow each girl and be assessed throughout her experience both by her advisor and her academic/college counselor and by the student and her parents so that the goals which are set are met.

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