Saint Michael’s College

I do not go here but my sister did. She loved every minute of it. Great people with great housing. The best is the beautiful campus. It blowed my mind away, my college is in Boston, and we lived in bricks and stones.

Forty five years ago my parents and I made a college «shopping» trip through several schools in Connecticut, three in Boston and one in Vermont. Out of all eight schools we visited, both my parents and I, while not communicating it with each other until the end of our visitation trip, fell in love with Vermont and particularly St. Michael’s College.
Forty years ago I graduated from that wonderful school. I had been in the US for only eight years. I look back and my accession to being a US Air Force officer, my success as a senior officer in both a military and a civilian government career, my view of the world, my sense of global community, and much of my ethical and personal value set were formed at St. Michael’s College. They have carried me through the rest of my life.
St. Mike’s has an amazing personality for an institution that is based on a feeling of community that few other colleges have achieved. The community is, although based on Catholic principles, amazingly open minded and liberal. As a matter of fact, one of the same sex couples from Vermont who brought the lawsuit leading to Vermont becoming the first state to recognize same sex unions, were faculty at the college. Talk about making forward history.
These same Catholic principles are an asset and not a pejorative. The values of fairness, concern for our neighbor, the underprivileged, the poor and the spiritually needing, are founding pillars of the college. The Edmundites, the venerated order that founded St. Michael’s, were immigrants who were fleeing persecution and they started the institutional life with the principles of respect for every human being as well as an emphasis on social and political activism.
The Edmundites established a mission, a school and a hospital in Selma AL at the times of the worst environment in racial strife in the United States, marched along and also treated the victims of the brutality at the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Monday in 1965. As well, they founded another mission in a working class neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela. Today, Operation Move involves the student body in social activism and public service in the tradition of its founders. Over 28,000 yearly hours of student charitable work are accomplished by this initiative.
Not all is work and school. There are countless benefits in sports, activities and fun, including a cheap — very cheap, season pass at one of New England’s top ski resorts. Its location in Burlington’s metropolitan area. Skiing, kayaking, climbing, boating, and the serene appreciation of the spectacular beauty of Vermont.
This is not a place where students are told to accept dogma. It is a place where they challenge, where they make mistakes and learn leadership skills necessary to become world citizens.
Likewise, St. Michael’s is one of the few colleges that has its own Fire and Rescue Squad with fully accredited firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians, many of them in Pre-​Med studies and some others honing their leadership skill or committed to community service.
Academically, the institution has been growing increasingly rigorous and competitive and holds an enviable place in national ratings.
The roster of its notable alumni places into evidence the results of an education at this learning temple: Octavian Larrazolo, the first Hispanic to serve in the United States Senate and former Governor of New Mexico. «Jim» Fallon, the prominent neuroscientist, Ambassador Robert White, who faced the Reagan administration over its policy in El Salvador, Tom Freston, co-​founder of MTV; Loung Ung, noted human rights activist of the Campaign for a Landmine-​Free World, Colonel Donald Cook, Medal of Honor recipient; Patrick Leahy, US Senator from Vermont, and General Joseph Dunford, former Commandant of the US Marine Corps and current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
I recently returned, as I have done several times, to recharge my spiritual batteries and to attend my 40^th College reunion, and got to speak to and to get to know both new faculty, administration and students. The College is better, way better, both in the physical plant and also in the spiritual and academic, than at any time since I went there. I found the feeling of community to be as good or better than when I went. Total strangers treat each other like friends. The spirit of the Edmundites is alive and well.
St Michael’s is a life changing experience.

Prestigious private college, gorgeous campus, beautiful architecture, great learning, and conveniently located.

First off: Don’t forget to check out some of the filtered reviews too. Most of them are by current SMC students who have great knowledge.
My experience at SMC has been nothing less than amazing. St. Mike’s wasn’t my first choice school, but after being here since 2007 I can’t imagine having gone anywhere else. The campus is gorgeous, the community is welcoming, and there is absolutely no shortage of things to do on campus, in downtown burlington, and at other off campus locations.
My favorite thing about SMC definitely has to be the student body and the sense of community you get from being here. I know «community» is such a cliché word to use to describe a college, but there really is no better way to explain it. With a student body of 2000, students can make the school as big or small as they want by getting involved in extracurriculars, playing sports at different levels, doing research with professors, working internships, and so much more.
It’s impossible to share everything I know and love about Saint Michael’s right here and now, so if you have any questions you can ask me at:

NONE of you St Mike’s alum have reviewed this place yet?
Holy moly.
I didn’t go here. I PARTIED HERE.
I know many people who went here, and they LOVED IT.
This is as of a few years ago — since then the college has expanded, and it’s quickly losing the appeal you’ll learn about in a sec:
St Mike’s — great college. The ratio of student to teacher was phenomenal. You received personal attention from your teachers in class sizes that were completely manageable. The staff were truly wonderful, as was the accommodations on-​site. Nice rooms, nice parking, nice food. It was all there.
In March, the students have an enormous St Patty’s day party OUTSIDE. Everyone DRINKS OUTSIDE. Cops are around to make sure no one goes nuts but they DON’T CARE! It’s awesome!!! And lest we not forget the annual alum together! I forget what they’re called -«P-​day» or something. But the people who go here are very devoted to it.
Expensive school — but well worth it. If you go these days, it’s a bit bigger than it should be.
Also — don’t forget the end-​of-​school-​year couch-​burning that goes on in the quad… (tip: bring your camera!)