Course Selection and Summer Advising Meetings

This page is meant to help you with the academic portion of the New Student Form and prepare for your Summer Advising Meeting with an Entrance Advisor. Summer Advising Meetings will take place sometime between June and early July. An entrance advisor will contact you to schedule this meeting. Summer Advising Meetings are an opportunity to talk in detail about your interests, preview course options, and brainstorm ideas for your fall course schedule.

The following pair of hyperlinks will direct you to documents that may be helpful to consider as you complete your form and prepare for your advising meeting:

First-Year Seminar Course Descriptions
First Steps in Your Major

How do I begin?

To start, simply open the New Student Academics and Advising Form. We’re going to ask you lots of questions to get to know you and hear about your interests, experience, and values. Once submitted, the information you provide on the New Student Academics and Advising Form is shared with your Entrance Advisor to help them prepare for your Summer Advising Meeting. If you’re not sure what to answer, don’t worry. Your advisor is going to walk you through the process.

How do I prepare for the advising meeting?

While there isn’t a formal checklist, it can be helpful to write down your thoughts and questions in preparation for the advising meeting. Here are some sample questions to assist in your self-reflection: What inspired you to attend Saint Michael’s College? What are you hoping to do and see at Saint Michael’s during your first semester?  What brings you joy, feeds your curiosity?  What kinds of courses have you enjoyed in the past?  Are there subjects or courses you’re curious about and never had a chance to try?   What do you want to know more about? You are not expected to answer all of these questions, but hopefully a few of them prove helpful when brainstorming. If you’re not sure about these questions, that’s completely fine. Your entrance advisor is here to help you navigate summer decision-making. College is about discovering who and where you are, and that’s a process. We’ll help you find a comfortable starting point for a productive semester.

I haven’t heard from an entrance advisor. Should I be worried?

There is no reason to worry. You should plan to be contacted by your Entrance Advisor sometime in June. If you haven’t heard from your Entrance Advisor by Wednesday, July 5th (07/05/2023), please contact the Office of the Associate Dean at associatedean@smcvt.edu or by calling 802-654-2452 and they will help you schedule a time for your Summer Advising Meeting.

How many courses should I take?

It depends. Incoming students usually take four 4-credit courses each semester, plus a 1-credit Introduction to Purposeful Learning class. Purposeful Learning will teach you about the many opportunities at Saint Michael’s, and help support you during the transition to college. Some students choose to take a reduced course load during their first semester for a more gradual transition to college. This can be beneficial and should be discussed with your entrance advisor. Students must be enrolled in at least 12 credits (usually three 4-credit courses) to be considered full-time.

What courses will I take?

Much of that is up to you. If you’ve chosen a major, we’ll make sure you’re registered for the appropriate introductory courses for that major (you can review majors and their requirements on this page). You don’t have to choose a major, however. In fact, about one-quarter of first-year students enter Saint Michael’s as Exploratory students, and your Entrance Advisor can guide you through the exploratory process and choose areas and courses. Most new students will also have a First-Year Seminar and elective courses in areas of interests and/or Saint Michael’s Core Curriculum.

I think I already have some College credits?  Do those count toward my Saint Michael’s degree?

In most cases, yes.  If you have taken Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or Dual Enrollment courses, you should review our policy for rewarding credit for those courses, as detailed on this Registrar’s Office page. Make sure to send any transcripts to the registrar’s office as soon as possible.  In almost all instances, students who receive AP credit for a course should not request to take that course at Saint Michael’s.

What else do I need to do?

Depending on your academic interest and past educational experiences, you should take a placement test before finalizing your fall semester schedule. Saint Michael’s offers both a Second Language Placement Test and a Calculus Placement Test.  Placement exams help determine the best starting line for certain subjects and degree requirements. Please note, there are no negative results of taking the tests.  They are for placements only, and they should be taken before you speak to your Entrance Advisor. Additional information about these placement tests can be found below.

The Calculus Placement Test

Who needs take the test? 

  • Anyone majoring in Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Data Science, Economics, Engineering, Environmental Science, Mathematics, Physics, Pre-Pharmacy, or Statistics.
  • Business majors with any calculus or pre-calculus experience.
  • Exploratory majors with an interest in the natural and mathematical sciences.
  • Anyone preparing for medical, veterinary, dental, or pharmaceutical school should take the test.

How do I take the test?

  • Go to this pageand follow the detailed instructions. There is room for practice tests as well as the actual placement test.

Second Language Requirement and Placement Tests

Saint Michael’s requires students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts to complete or place out of the equivalent of two semesters of college-level language learning. Students can meet the requirement in five ways:

  1. Pass the first-semester and second-semester level courses in any language offered at Saint Michael’s (101 and 102 in French or Spanish; 101 and 211 in Latin; 101 and 201 in Greek).
  2. Score a 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement language exam (4 or higher in Latin).
  3. Achieve the following scores on an SAT Subject Test: Modern Hebrew – 510; Chinese – 590; Italian, Japanese, Latin, or Spanish – 600; French – 610.
  4. Complete two semesters of transferable college coursework in a language other than English.
  5. Test out of either one or both semesters of the requirement via the Saint Michael’s Placement Process (information below).

Who needs to take the test?

Anyone majoring in Anthropology, Art & Design, Art Education, Criminology, Digital Media & Communications, Economics, Education, Education Studies, English, Environmental Studies, Equity Studies, Exploratory, French, Gender Studies, History, International Relations, Music, Philosophy & Ethics, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology, Spanish, and Theatre

How do I take the test?

You can find the instructions here.