The university processes admission applications throughout the year for fall and winter semester enrollment. When all of the required materials have been received, they are reviewed by the vice president for admission. The applicant is then notified of the decision. Students who have been admitted are asked to confirm their attendance by sending a $300.00 deposit to the university. This non-refundable deposit is credited to the student's account. Saint Mary's University subscribes to the Uniform Candidates Reply date; therefore, accepted fall applicants have until May 1 to confirm admission.

The pattern of high school college preparatory courses and performance, while not the sole criterion for acceptance, is of primary importance. Rank in class, test scores, activities, and school recommendations all provide additional data used in the evaluation of a student's academic potential for university success. In particular cases, the applicant may be required to have an interview with faculty who are members of the admission committee and to compose an essay.

The middle 50% of our first-year students generally have high school GPAs ranging from 2.67 to 3.67. With one-quarter of our students above this level and one-quarter below, this will show you where you’d fit into the SMU academic community. The ACT scores of the middle 50% of our students generally range from 19 to 25. ACT and/or SAT results should be sent to Saint Mary's directly from the testing agency using the following codes:

Some students are unduly concerned about test scores. Our studies show that your high school record is a far better predictor of success at SMU.

Generally, Saint Mary's accepts students on the basis of six semesters of high school work expecting that the quality of achievement will be consistent throughout the senior year. Some students, however, are asked to submit seventh- and/or eighth-semester transcripts before a final decision is reached. All incoming freshmen must send to the vice president for admission a final high school transcript certifying their graduation.

A student applying for freshman admission is expected to have completed the following units of high school coursework. A unit represents a year's study of a subject. A well-rounded high school academic program might include the following: