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Notes: Potential students should be aware that SFTS is almost out of business. They have been laying off staff for a few years and services have been cut back. Most of the buildings are in disrepair because they have so little money. Faculty turnover is almost as high as staff turnover. The rumor last time I talked to somebody still at Seminary was that large faculty cuts are coming soon (if not happening already by the time you read this). President Butin has done very little since coming to SFTS except oversee its rapid decline. It is a shame.
As a former student, it really bothers me that this institution should be allowed to fall apart. But you really notice it when you live on campus. Both residence and classroom buildings are in bad shape. The staff are all overworked so getting repairs or student help is harder than it should be. And every time you turn around they are changing staff, removing a position, asking for more money, or changing rules to reduce costs. I thought I was coming to a healthy, thriving community and instead I found a cut-rate operation.
What is more the pity is that most of the faculty are great. I learned so much from everyone, I wish they had better conditions to work in. There is an excellent library, but the computer lab is atrocious. Completely unusable.
Unfortunately, there is also a split in the student body. A large number of students are Korean and while I spent many happy, productive and prayerful hours with the Korean students and their families, it is only natural that the Korean students have their own community. While it isn't terrible, it is there and should be noted. Some of the residence halls have a definite Little Seoul feeling to them. Which is wonderful for the Korean students, but can make US students feel a little put-off.
As for San Anselmo, it is wonderful. But if you are coming from another part of the country, be prepared. It is very liberal and very expensive. I couldn't believe grocery store prices and gas prices were double what I was used to paying. It is a very wealthy town in a very wealthy county (George Lucas lives there) and that can also be a little off-putting. The Seminary is right next to the town of Ross, which is comparable to Beverly Hills is terms of celebrities and housing prices. Just so you know when you look at the pictures of a castle tucked into a wooded hillside, it is surrounded by some of the most expensive real estate in California.
As other reviewers have noted, the exteriors are all marvelous. It does look like Hogwarts, and the view from Geneva Terrace is breathtaking. I would recommend it as a wedding location without hesitation. But as a Seminary? I wish I had chosen Columbia or Princeton.
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