Saint Mary's Hall offers a more than satisfactory academic program for its students. The school is well-balanced in the sense that not one particular department or subject matter is held higher than the rest. Humanities, arts, sciences and mathematics are all well covered. The student body, aside from a handful of stragglers, is composed of well-rounded individuals that have learned to develop their own intellectual curiosity given the environment supplied by the generally enthusiastic teaching staff. While there can be an air of academic competitiveness amongst the students, it is not overwhelming for most. The best thing the school did for me was stimulate my own drive for intellectual growth. A Saint Mary's Hall teacher will drive his or her students to push their mental comfort zones, opening them up to new horizons, spurring their curiosity to deeper levels on a daily basis. My only regret coming from Saint Mary's Hall regards a very specific facet of an education that I feel the school is lacking. Saint Mary's hall high school lacks a good coverage of ancient philosophy, Greek literature, and other similar topics. I find that many of my peers at my current University have at least been exposed and are generally aware of some form of such said topics. This is a minor and very specific complaint, yet it is something I have indeed noticed upon my matriculation to the University level. As for teaching style and philosophy at Saint Mary's Hall, there is a wide mix that varies on a teacher by teacher basis. Some classes tend to be more lecture driven and others more discussion driven. This has actually served me well in the sense that I am able to learn and process information in many different environments, making me flexible in my academic pursuits. Day to day classes at Saint Mary's Hall are a very pleasant experience for the student. All classes are small in size, given the overall small size of the school. That as well makes the faculty very accessible to the student. All teachers are available for out of class mentoring before, after, and even during school hours, depending on each teacher's schedule. The school's workload is definitely manageable for most. Of course there are a few classes that will require more work than others, just like any other school. But above all, Saint Mary's Hall is best in it's high number of advanced courses. Many students take multiple Advanced Placement level courses and do very well on the Advanced Placement exams.