Colleges Visiting SM

By Jasmine Liu ‘25

The start of September marked the beginning of the new school year with new student orientation week, convocation, Fall sports, and the start of classes. However, for current Vth and VIth Form students, this month also signaled the beginnings of the infamously daunting task: the college application process.

Ever since its founding in 1865, St. Mark’s School has been focused on preparing students of grades 9-12 for the leap into college life. The Episcopal boarding school carries out this mission through numerous programs such as the Advanced course curriculum, college counseling (for Vth and VIth Form students), mandatory afternoon sports/extracurriculars, and most recently, college visits.

Thanks to the St. Mark’s college counseling department, admission officers from numerous colleges and universities from around the US will be visiting the school throughout this fall. College visits allow Vth and VIth formers the opportunity to discover and learn about various colleges and universities through the lens of an admissions officer. These information sessions give St. Markers the opportunity to hear about the college, ask questions, and get to know someone from the admissions office before applying.

Since September 14th, colleges have begun visiting St. Mark’s campus. These visits typically happen in the evenings before study hall, although a college would sometimes pop in during a community block. Although the counseling office did send out an organized list of the times and meeting places for the different information sessions, the office will still keep students updated each week on the upcoming college visits. Typically, these information sessions occur in the Forbes Presentation Room, Admissions Conference Room, and College Office, but always check the list to stay updated on each location.

If you are a Vth or VIth Form student and have not gone to any of the college visits yet, then do not worry. There are many more colleges to come, including institutions like Oberlin College (10/2/23), Washington University in St. Louis (10/2/23), Colby College (10/3/23), Boston College (10/5/23), University of Chicago (10/10/23), and Emory University (10/10/23). However, even if you do not recognize a college’s name, the counseling office thoughtfully included a list of similar colleges for each institution to help students gain a better preview of the visiting college. The whole point of these meetings is to encourage students to learn about different colleges and consider where their interests lie.

In general, St. Mark’s upper formers are rather satisfied with the college visits and information sessions. “I think it’s a great way for us to learn about the different colleges to gain a better sense of where to apply,” One VIth Form student remarked. Yet, another Vth Form student mentioned that she wished she “knew about this opportunity as an IVth Form student as well.” However, overall, college visits are a great opportunity for students to discover more colleges, build up their potential application list, and better prepare for the years ahead.

Survival Guide to St. Mark’s

by Jeff Wang’26 & Lucas Jiang’26

Coming into a new school can be a very stressful experience. Perhaps you are having difficulties adjusting to a boarding school environment. Perhaps you are overwhelmed with the large amounts of homework you have. Perhaps everything seems to be going well for you, and you just wanted some advice from the people who have gone through it all. In any case, you have come to the right place. We present to you: the Survival Guide to St. Mark’s. 

School Rules & Tips:

By Jeff

There are a large number of rules in the St. Mark’s student handbook, and it is easy to get lost in all the dos and don’ts. Here, we have listed out some of the most important rules that you should keep in mind as you go about your day:

1. We all know that there is a dress code here that you have to follow. But you are generally allowed to wear any shirt/hoodie with a St. Mark’s logo on it, or just a plain shirt with no text written on it.

2. Make sure to stay on top of your attendance. This may go without saying, but the attendance policy here is very strict. Failing to attend any event will result in an absence. Multiple absences can lead to detentions, and eventually meetings with the deans. The consequences stack very quickly, so in case an absence is given incorrectly, speak with your teacher and the deans as soon as you can. 

3. Make sure to talk with an adult before you leave campus. Even if you are just going out for a walk during the weekends, you should always check with a faculty member before leaving campus. In addition, an Orah pass must be submitted and approved, or you may be faced with serious disciplinary consequences. 

4. Some areas of campus are only available to seniors. The quad in front of the school’s entrance, the elevated area in the dining hall, and the innermost room in the library are all off-limits to all other forms. Nonetheless, seniors can invite you to join them in the dining hall or the library, and you may then proceed to enjoy those senior privileges as well.

Cool/Useful Places on Campus:

View from Patterson Marr common area

• The second floor of the library provides individual space for students to study by themselves, especially the smaller study rooms. However, this area is usually closed during weekends.

• The crypt is a peaceful space that many use for meditation and reflection. As you enter the chapel, walk down the aisle and take a left. Go down the set of stairs, and you will find a series of meditation rugs, and tunnels surrounding the area. 

• There are several study rooms in the new dorm. They are located mostly on the second and third floors and can be seen right when you walk out of the stairway. These study rooms are great places to do group projects or hang out with friends in general. 

• A porch outside the admissions office overlooks the football field and the new dorm. One can easily spend a sunny afternoon lounging on the chairs while enjoying the view and the weather.

• The Lion’s Den, next to the center, serves snacks when the cafeteria is closed. Make sure to say hi to Bryant! 

Small tips and details to help you throughout the day:

By Lucas

Morning

As boarders, our past experience concludes that the ideal time for waking up is anywhere from 7 to 7:40 am. If you are an early bird, the doors to the dorms are alarmed from 11 pm to 6 am each day, and the dining hall opens at 7 am. Keep this in mind if you wish to begin your day early.

If you are hungry during the day, here are some places to grab a snack. Mr. Loranger created a student resource center in his classroom, STEM 86, or the STEM building basement. There are a variety of snacks in the room as well as office supplies and hygiene products that are for students to take. Shoutout to Mr. Loranger for creating such a great resource for students. The Lion’s Den and the school store also have snacks for you to purchase. Keep a lookout for cookie Tuesdays and the occasional ice cream truck too.

As for lunch, there are not many options. Apart from the service in the dining hall, you can also visit the sandwich bar or the salad bar for a quick meal, especially on Wednesdays. The Lion’s Den is closed during FLIK dining hours. Food delivery or a trip into Southborough is not allowed during the academic day.

Afternoon

During a community block, the library, Burnett, and the Center are usually crowded with people. These places are great if you want to hang out with friends, but from time to time you might appreciate some serenity too. Outside of the CPR, a single gray couch can provide solace to those looking for a peaceful free block (if there isn’t a meeting in the CPR). On a side note, the bathrooms outside of the CPR are also arguably two of the best bathrooms on campus. A personal favorite is the second floor of the PFAC, where there is a row of couches that people rarely visit. If you are lucky, there might even be piano or violin music coming from the practice rooms

Evening (for boarders)

As your sports practice ends, a delectable dinner is definitely a welcoming sight. Since the academic day is over, you are free to order from food delivery. A trip to Southborough is another viable option, but do remember to submit a “Walk/Run Southborough” pass on Orah and receive verbal permission from a faculty member.

As study hall begins, you might become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of homework. Notion is a great tool that can help organize your to-do list, take notes, journal, and even collaborate on group projects. It can be accessed via a website on your computer or an app on your phone.

Conclusion

Adjusting to a new environment can be difficult. We hope that you learned something from this article, as this advice helped us navigate through our life at St. Mark’s. Good luck!