Short, honest, dated. Including the one about what we are not good at.
What does a typical day look like?
Advisory first — a small group and one adult who knows you. Then classes in boys-only rooms with the same faculty and course of study the Girls Division uses. Students eat lunch with their own division. Afternoons are practice, rehearsal or a club; boarders end the day in a structured study hall with adults nearby. It is a regular day, and that is the point.
Last reviewed September 9, 2026
Advisory first — a small group and one adult who knows you. Then classes in girls-only rooms with the same faculty and course of study the Boys Division uses. Students eat lunch with their own division. Afternoons are practice, rehearsal or a club. A regular day, on purpose.
It means named adults who are responsible for knowing how a student is doing. St. Mary’s has eight academic deans serving approximately 850 students — about one dean for every 106 students — alongside teachers, advisors and counselors. The goal is to notice when a student needs help, when the current level is right, and when the student is ready for more. Support here is built around people who know the student, not simply a program name.
Students do not have to be Catholic to attend St. Mary’s. Every student studies theology and participates respectfully in the school’s Catholic life, including Mass, prayer and time in the Shrine Chapel. Non-Catholic students are not expected to profess beliefs they do not hold, but they are expected to engage seriously with the faith tradition of the school and attend school masses
Athletics are shared across the whole school — the Eaglets are one program — and they sit alongside theatre, music, the newspaper and clubs as ways a student becomes known. Practice is part of an ordinary afternoon, not the reason a student is here.
It is not a place to be anonymous. Small classes and named adults mean a student who wants to coast unnoticed will be noticed. It is not co-ed in the classroom, so a family that wants mixed classes should look elsewhere. And it is not a highlight reel: the day is structured and the standard is real. If that is what you want, come see a Tuesday.
