Admission Requirements

Successful applicants for admission to Saint Michael’s College are typically very strong students who are active learners prepared for a rigorous intellectual experience. We’re especially interested in students who have a commitment to service, social justice and community.

Saint Michael’s admission process is highly personalized and takes into account the entire student, from high school coursework and academic transcripts to extracurricular experiences, a personal essay, recommendations, and the campus visit. Because our admission procedure is so comprehensive, students are not required to submit standardized test scores.

• Overall high school record and strength of college preparatory curriculum (including the senior year of high school). Students should challenge themselves with the highest level of the coursework suitable to their abilities. The number of honors level, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate courses in a student’s background and relative to high school offerings are considered in the decision-making process. Applicants should have at least sixteen Carnegie Units of college preparatory course work in high school including some combination of the following (in order of importance):

• Saint Michael’s has been test-optional since 2009. Submission of standardized test scores is not required. Applicants who choose to may submit scores from the SAT 1 (code 3757) or ACT with Writing (code 4312).

• Application essay (required) and any submitted writing samples (optional).

• Letters of recommendation from teachers and counselors.

• The applicant’s record of extra-curricular interests, activities, and talents.

Saint Michael’s students tend to be active, engaged members of our residential college community bringing to the campus a commitment to work hard academically and to contribute to the life of the College, enhancing the educational experience of peers in and out of the classroom. When the admission committee reviews an application, several factors are taken into consideration. As noted above, the student’s high school record is treated as the most important factor in the decision process. Each applicant’s achievement in a well-rounded, rigorous program taken throughout high school is considered. Students who have challenged themselves by selecting honors or AP level courses or taking extra years of a foreign language, for instance, will be strong applicants, provided they are making successful progress.

For students who elect to submit test scores, both the test scores (either SAT or ACT) and how the scores relate to the student progress in class work are considered.  Saint Michael’s considers the highest section scores across all SAT test dates.  For more information on the SAT, consult the College Board. For more information on the ACT, consult the ACT website. The Saint Michael’s codes are 3757 for the SAT and 4312 for the ACT.

Teacher and counselor recommendations are often helpful in understanding how well a student has handled the various aspects of high school work, from class participation to reading and writing assignments. Applicants should provide 1-2 recommendations from current or recent teachers or their guidance counselors. Additional recommendations from coaches, employers and other people who know applicants well are also considered, but should not replace those from high school teachers. In addition, each applicant’s essay will be carefully considered as a required part of the application. Additional graded work will be added to applicant’s files.

A student’s extracurricular resume is another factor in the admission process. Saint Michael’s seeks to enroll students who will be active contributors to the campus community and therefore seeks to admit applicants who show strong qualities in leadership, character, and involvement in activities such as volunteer programs. Extracurricular contributions are broadly defined to include dedication in athletic and artistic arenas as well as dedication to club, student government, employment, family caregiving, and religious pursuits.

The Office of Admission will confirm all students’ transcripts that arrive from a high school with a CEEB code as well as the high school seal and/or signature and/or is submitted online through an official, secure website. If a transcript is from a high school that lacks a CEEB code or seal/signature, the Office of Admission will investigate to confirm the appropriate state department of education or home school association recognizes the school. The Office of Admission may request a copy of the student’s diploma at any point in the admission process to verification process. If a diploma is determined invalid a GED or ETS HiSET may be required for admission consideration.

Note: Saint Michael’s College supports the efforts of secondary school officials and governing bodies to have their schools achieve regional accredited status to provide reliable assurance of the quality of the educational preparation of its applicants for admission.

Home-Schooled Applicants

Home-School Requirements

Students who have been home-schooled must submit the following:

• Transcript of high school course work;

• Annual testing information as required by the state in which the applicant resides;

• SAT or ACT  - while we have adopted a test optional admission policy, we strongly urge home-schooled applicants to submit standardized test scores for consideration;

• Transcript of any college-level course work;

• It is recommended that home-schooled students submit syllabi and reading lists for each year of high school.

Saint Michael’s College is a test-optional institution. Because of the nature of homeschooling it is in the applicant’s best interest to submit as many objective assessments, including SAT or ACT scores, as are available in order to help the College best assess the student’s academic preparedness for college-level work.

Saint Michael's also recommends that home-schooled applicants submit syllabi and reading lists for each year of high school, as we want to see that you have studied the necessary high school graduation requirements. We often rely more heavily on standardized test scores when reviewing applications from home schooled students.

Saint Michael's will take into consideration any academic work or curriculum information home-schooled applicants choose to submit. Many applicants submit a detailed resume that further adds dimensions to their personality and character. Although you home-schooled applicants may not be closely associated with a local high school, the College still values those who have taken the initiative to be active in their local community in varying capacities.