St. Mary's Episcopal School

my granddaughter has been a student at St. Mary's since pre-kindergarden and she is now in the 9th grade. I can't image that she could find a school where she would be happier or more challenged. The level of education astounds me, the teacher awareness and understanding of their students as individuals is incredible. Memphis is so lucky to have St. Marys.

St. Mary's is the best school a girl (or young woman) can attend in Memphis. Academically rigorous with amazing extra-curriculars, St. Mary's provides a nurturing environment for its ~50 girls per grade. The facilities are amazing, and the grads go on to the Ivies, Stanford, as well as the best schools across the South. As an alumna from the 90s who went on to the Ivies, I can tell you that I am still grateful for the wonderful education I received there.

As an alumna from the early 90s who went on to the Ivy League for both undergrad and grad school, I can tell you that I still value the education I received at St. Mary's. It was a wonderfully nurturing environment from which I feel privileged to have benefitted.

Without a doubt, St. Mary's Episcopal School is the best all-girls school in Tennessee. It has been my home for the past fourteen years of my life and has taught me so much. Not only does the school exhibit outstanding academics - it offers much more than that; it is a community. The people I have met at St. Mary's, both my fellow students and teachers, are some of the most genuine, caring people I know; the students are amazing and the teachers truly want us to succeed and teach us not only about academics, but about life. It is true that St. Mary's is a very challenging school, and that a student at St. Mary's may encounter sleepless nights of finishing a term paper or studying for a test, but I know that when I go to college next year I will be more than prepared.
—Submitted by a student

I have a daughter who graduated last year from St.Marys she loved going there . She was an average student there. I was so surprised at the tremendous scholarship opportunities she was offered at every school to which she applied. The tuition is not cheap and the school is hard but it was all worth the effort. It is an excellent school.
—Submitted by a parent

This is my first year at st mary's as a 7th grader. The girls are really mice and welcoming to the new students. Im still getting used to everything, but im happy and excited. I do miss my old friends, but i know that these girls will become some of my closest friends. I love sms and cant wait to make some new best friends.
—Submitted by a student

I am a St. Mary's graduate of 2007, and I began my years as a St. Mary's girl in 1992. I would not trade it for anything! Now that I am in college, I tell my friends I went to an all girls school, and they do not understand how I did it. However, I feel that it helped me even more find who I am and what I want out of life. Students that have visited me in college ask if I am prepared, and my answer is of course yes! I am more prepared with my time management than actual information I learned. I have an amazing background in English and flew through my English classes. The only thing I wish St. Mary's offered more is science classes, but of course I am a Biology major. I had a great experience here and would recommend it to anyone!
—Submitted by a student

It was the experience of my daughter's life! She loves it!
—Submitted by a parent

I graduated from St. Mary's last year. I truly did not appreciate all the skills and lessons St. Mary's taught me until I came to college. When I see so many students unprepared for research papers and tests, I realize that the school I went to was better than average- it was amazing. I would highly recommend any quirky smart girl to go here. There are some downs socially- depending upon the personality of your grade. Some girls can be rude. However, despite the all-girl stigma of gossiping, I found an amazing group of friends that I still talk to today. Between amazing teachers, an amazing reputation, precious traditions, and thrilling academics, this is by far the best school in Memphis, if not in Tennessee.
—Submitted by a student

St. Mary's is entrenched in tradition, academic excellence, and a commitment to spiritual growth. It is one of the best all-girls prep schools in the nation and definitely in the city of Memphis and the state of Tennessee. Hands down...no comparison. If you talk to anyone in Memphis and ask them what is the best academic all-girls school in Memphis, the overwhelming response without hesitation is St. Mary's. For those who put academics first, St. Mary's is the obvious answer.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a current St. Mary's senior, and although my high school experience has probably been more stressful and filled with all-nighters than a typical high school student, St. Mary's has pushed me beyond any academic or non-academic reservations I might have had if I had not attended. The majority of students are some of the most genuinely kind people I have ever met, and the teachers, though there are a few who are slightly lackluster, are overall astoundingly passionate about their subjects and urge their students to have the same level of passion.
—Submitted by a student

On a basis of curriculum comparison, scholarship records, and rank, I'd say St. Mary's is possibly the most academically rigorous school in TN, and definitely ranks nationally. Depending on your classes of choice and your personal ambition, St. Mary's can be an extraordinarily challenging school, fraught with all-nighters, cram sessions, and dangerous stress levels, Despite the demanding workload, I feel it's most definitely worth the toils, I feel confident that college assignments at even the most prestigeous of universities won't faze me after SMS. I feel equipped to be accepted into fantastic colleges and if you work and succeed at SMS , you are definitely recognized and rewarded. On that note, the deducted a star only because while students that succeeed and try are noticed, it is extremely easy to fly under the radar in such a competitive school, and I've seen some fantastic people asked not to return for inadequate
—Submitted by a student

I am a former student. I went to St. Mary's and while it had so many great things about it, it also had lots of bad things about it. It is an amazing school acedimicly, but otherwise it isn't a very good school. I made all a's, but still, when I needed help, the teachers seemed to have a whatever attitude. They didn't seem like they cared about us, the subject they taught, or teaching in general. I feel like it is a great school if you want to be super smart, but if you don't want to go to the best colleges there are, then it's not the best school.

This all girls school is not one that I would recommend. I went their for about 5 years and then switched to Hutchison School. Hutchison has much of a better enviroment.

I love St.Mary's! `This is my second year at St.Mary's and I am going to 7th grade. St.Mary's has the best art program, some of the most dedicated teachers, and lots of cool traditions. One of the cool traditions is the Halloween Bazzar. Last but not least, the classes make you thirst for more information on the topic (like Ancient History) and makes you ask why.
—Submitted by a student

St. Mary's is a hard school but it gives girls a great education!! The sports there are pretty good with their tennis coach Coach Taylor Taylor they are good! What a great school.
—Submitted by a student

St. Mary's Episcopal School is truly an extraordinary school! It is the flagship school for academic excellence in Memphis and the Mid-South and has been for over 160 years. It is the oldest and largest all-girls private school in Memphis and continues to stand strong on its time honored traditions while embracing the future. The academic program is phenomenal and is supplemented by a strong arts and athletics program. My daughter has thrived at St. Mary's and is challenged every day to aim high, work hard, study, give back, and to seek knowledge and wisdom in order to make an impact on the world around her. Without a doubt, we are very fortunate to have such an extraordinary school in Memphis offering the finest educational opportunities for girls in the Mid-South. I highly recommend St. Mary's to any parent seeking a superior educational opportunity for their daughter(s). R. Jackson
—Submitted by R. Jackson, a parent

This is the best school to send your daughter to in the south. I attended St. Mary's for 4th-8th grade, and left because my family moved out of state. It was a very enriching environment for my growth, and I know I am a better person because of St. Mary's. Even in middle school, the academics were challenging, but no student was left behind in her studies. I am Jewish, but was definitley not the only Jewish girl there. In daily chapel, the Jewish high school girls set a good example for us younger girls by being coureous during the service while keeping with Jewish faith (ie, not kneeling or taking communion). I never felt out of place there, and it is a great atmosphere for growing. Every aspect of this school is great, and it was a great place to learn.
—Submitted by a former student

St Marys provides an enriching environment for girls without any distractions. From day one in kindergarten, your daugher will experience subjects such as art, computer, physical education, music, computer art, foreign language (spanish, french, latin), math and reading. Character building is equally as important as her typical subjects. She will learn to be responsible for herself and give back to her community. St Marys encourages these young girls and they develop in to independent young women. Just take a peek at where these young ladies matriculate each year. It is that matriculation which speaks volumes!
—Submitted by a parent

I am an alumna of St. Mary's and cannot say enough good things about it. The lessons I learned there about honesty, integrity, and leadership have proved invaluable far beyond my graduation day. The teachers truly love to teach (they'd have to, since they get paid less than the Memphis City Schools) and the rest of the administration is fantastic as well. St. Mary's made all the difference in my life.
—Submitted by a former student