Marist College Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Rebecca

I love Marist I really do. It is not a super small school or a large school so that you can still meet new people but you'll usually never have a walk to class or to dinner with out knowing anyone. I think the best thing about the school is the campus/location. Marist is located right on the Hudson River and you can easily go down and spend an afternoon by the water. Also, the sunsets are amazing and the campus is beautifully landscaped with green grass and flowers everywhere. One thing that I would change about the school is the food in the cafeteria. Although there is a fairly large selection I would definitively not mind if they had more variety of food and maybe had some healthier choices. The school is run very well and the professors are great and really put in the extra effort if you need help. I have very little that I dislike about the school and if you give it a chance you will probably fall in love with it too!

jamie

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Gene

I included Marist in my search because it had a journalism program, and that's about it ... When I first visited here, it felt very cold and aloof. There wasn't the prototypical "college-town," only strip malls that set the backdrop for elaborate shells of chrome and glass. http://quidprojoes.blogspot.com/2009/12/happenstances.html

jamie

Marist College is amazing. It is just the right size, not too big and not too small. The classes are rarely more than 30 students so your professors really know you. We have a great night life whether you want to bar hop or go to a frat party. Even if you don't drink, Marist offers a ton of stuff to do when you're not in class. The housing is also great. After freshman year, you're almost guaranteed an apartment style house with your friends. In the warm weather everyone lays outside and has a great time. We like to call it camp Marist.

Danielle

Marist has a beautiful campus. The teachers and students are great. There is always something to do. I love being a student at Marist and I feel it provides the perfect college experience, exactly what I was looking for.

Alyssa

Marist truly is the best of both worlds regarding the size of the school. It is small enough to know a lot of people, have small class sizes, and receive enough attention from the faculty and staff. However, it is big enough to meet new people frequently, and there are Division I sports along with many extracirricular activities. The city of Poughkeepsie may not be the safest, but Marist is on the outskirts and security is more than reliable. The majority of the housing (especially the upperclassmen townhouses) is spacious, clean and aesthetically pleasing. The campus is gorgeous, and the scenic views of the Hudson make the campus picturesque.

Kelly

The best thing about Marist is its size. To me, it is perfect. Walking around the campus every day, I see many familiar faces, but at the same time, I have the opportunity to meet new people at every function I attend or club I join. It is not a stuffy community where everyone knows everyone, but it is comforting to see familiar faces on a daily basis.

Amanda

On the weekends, Marist students usually go to nearby bars or to on-campus parties. During the basketball and football seasons, a lot of students go to games at night with the rest of the student body. Marist brings a lot of on campus events to keep students busy. Every year there is a spring concert on the campus green, this year is Jack’s Mannequin and Matt Nathanson. Marist also brings comedians, shows movies, plays, for students who are looking for something to do. Student Activities runs trips to the mall down route 9 and to Stop and Shop, so if you don’t have a car this comes in handy. They also run Broadway trips to NYC for $25, ski trips to Hunter Mountain, and tickets to the Yankee games. Most students stay on campus during the weekends because there is always something to do and fun to have with your friends.

Taylor

The best thing about Marist is the people. Everyone here is nice to one another and is friendly to each other. We all have a good time together and it is really easy to meet new people. The school is pretty small compared to other campuses, but I think that it is perfect. There are definitely enough people that you can meet someone new everyday and still not know everyone, but few enough people that you see a couple people you know every time you walk to class or go somewhere. At any time of the year, you will see people outside playing Frisbee or just hanging out (obviously more people are outside when it's warm out). The campus green in front of the library is gorgeous and looks over the Hudson River, so I like going there when it's warmer out. A lot of people spend time in each other’s dorms and go to the cafeteria or Cabaret. On the weekends people go out to the bars (there are 18 and over bars) or just hang out with each other in the dorms. The town of Poughkeepsie is not really the best place to walk around, so the only time people really go off campus is to get food, go to the grocery store, go to the mall, or go to bars. A common complaint about Marist is the cafeteria food, but I really don't mind it, I think that it is good. There is not a huge variety, but enough that you don't have to have the same thing every day. I don't think that I could have chosen a better school to go to than Marist, I love it here.

Becca

When I began my college search, I had some ridiculously specific criteria and at first I doubted that a school could even fill all of my needs. Just to give you an idea, this is what they were: 1) Liberal Arts college 2) Close to a big city 3) Fashion Program 4) A classic college campus: Brick buildings, grass, and a football team 5) Small classes I can assure you that Marist is the only college that I found that filled all of those needs and more. I guess the easiest way to say it is if you asked me to design a college, I would design Marist. That is how comfortable I feel here.

Chris

Marist is just the right size. You always see a friendly face wherever you go but it is also not small enough where you feel like you are still in high school. Someone always knows a marist student when you tell them where you go, and they always know what a great school it is. There is no college town which is the only downfall to the school.

Katie

Marist College has an amazing campus. It's right on the Hudson River, and is just beautiful. The size is just right- not too big and not too small. I love that I can recognize most people on campus, and yet there are plenty of new people to meet all the time. Marist is not a commuter school and so there is a great campus life. There is always something to do and someone to hang out with.

Chrissy

Marist is an average size college that lies right along the Hudson River. The campus and view at any season is gorgeous! Marist is about an hour and a half from New York City making it easy to make weekend trips into the city to see a show or just go shopping. Around Marist, there are many different restaurants that line Route 9 and there are plenty of shopping opportunities at the various malls. As you walk around Marist, it is likely you will see dozens of students with Marist "gear" on. There is Marist pride all around the campus and you can see this pride simply by walking around or by attending one of the many sporting events throughout the year. As a freshman, entering a new place is always scary. I must say, the second I walked on to campus on my first day, my fears were gone. I felt comfortable and everyone I have met has made me feel comfortable and at home.

Andrew

The first thing that I loved about Marist was the view of the Hudson when you first drive down the main road; truly breath-taking. I remember my first basketball game at Marist and I was blown away with how much school spirit we have. My highschool was so quiet at games, but Marist has a constant deafening roar at the games.

Parker

Marist is just the right size. There are small classes, but a huge sense of community via sporting events and other on campus activities that bring everyone together. I never really feel like I'm at a small college even though I technically am. The campus is stunning in all 4 seasons and there are tons of activities going on both on campus and in the surrounding Hudson Valley. School pride is especially present at the basketball games.

Cassandra

I can honestly say that my college experience can't have been any better than it has been at Marist. It was soooo easy to make friends, which is always a concern your first year. And the classes are great. Most of my classes have on average 20 students in them, so my professors know who I am and how I'm doing, which was important to me. I'm also doing my second Independent Study class where it's just the professor and me. At most other schools, there are never opportunities like that! The housing is also incredible. I live in an apartment-style dorm this year with our own kitchen and everything. No complaints, whatsoever. Marist is definitely a college that you should at least come and check out. There's always, always things to do, and you'll never know if it's right for you unless you stop by!

Kelly

The best thing about Marist is definitely the small size and gorgeous campus. All the buildings are in close proximity to each other. I can leave my dorm 2 minutes before class and make it on time. Walking on campus, you see familiar faces but there are always new people to meet. One experience I will always remember is last spring when the weather finally got nice, it was hard to find an open spot of grass to play soccer on. Students were everywhere laying out on the campus green and by the student center; it was like a beach party every day. Walking down to the river, I remember finding a large group of students BBQing on the docks. It was unbelievable!

Jen

I came to Marist for the scenery during all four seasons (you'll hear this a lot because it's true); it's the perfect distance from home (Bronx, NY) by train or car; they offered me the best financial aid package out of all the schools that accepted me; I liked the options of so many majors; and I liked the amount of students-it's not huge like a university.

Ryan

By far the best thing about Marist, in my opinion, is the student body and the personalities of the professors. Without these two aspects, a college cannot be successful. Marist College harbors intellectual and personal development, as well as fun and excitement to come to school. The school size is not too big, but certainly not too small. I love the school I'm at, and wouldnt change anything about it (except for the squirrels, there are too many, just kidding.)

Blake

I find Marist to be the perfect school. The size is perfect. You get the city life, but small town feel on the campus. The campus is absolutely gorgeous! Marist is also a very highly regarded school, when I tell people that I go to Marist, they are very proud of where my life is headed. The college administration is extremely helpful and down to earth, and they love to share with everyone what Marist has to offer-as do I!!

Brandon

Marist is just the right size. You can walk from one side of campus to another within 10-15 minutes, so it's nestled together nicely. There is a decent amount of school pride with our basketball teams, but the football team here has been terrible and students always let them know it. The campus is beautiful year round, and it is kept up with very nicely- something you can't say about a SUNY school. Our library is one of the nicest in the nation, our dorms have been featured on Good Morning America, and the campus is literally right on the Hudson River (you can throw a rock in it). The short distance to NYC is also very convenient.

Blake

As a campus tour guide, many prospective students have asked me why I chose Marist and what I like best about it. My answer is simple. When I first visited Marist as a junior in February of 2004, I was immediately aware of a sense of community. Everyone seemed to know one another. People were smiling. The cafeteria was buzzing with energy. I could picture myself not only going to school here, but LIVING here. There was a level of comfort I felt immediately at Marist, and something I never felt at the other schools I visited. Were my instincts correct? You bet. I will be graduating in May having had the best 4 years of my life.

Susie

Marist College is probably one of the most beautiful college campuses in New York. The campus sits right on the scenic Hudson River, and all of the academic buildings, dormitories, and the library overlook the river. The Hudson River Valley is a beautiful area and I feel so lucky to have been able to live here for the past four years. The town surrounding Marist, Poughkeepsie, is decent. It is very much so centered around the college community, especially with Vassar College and the Culinary Institute of America other Poughkeepsie neighbors. With about 4,000 undergraduate students, the campus size is perfect. By your senior year you recognize people you who had classes with in passing, and you never feel overwhelmed by the number of students. The average class size is about 24 students, and your professors almost always know your name and your typical performance. I feel comfortable in class knowing I am not just a number in a lecture class of 100 students. This allows for better academic performance and more confidence in the classroom. Lastly, I think it's most important to stress the housing available to Marist students. Marist College has some of the best housing available to college students. Upper class students live in recently built townhouses that are large and about half of them offer single bedrooms. They have full kitchens, living rooms, and multiple bathrooms and overall are substantially better than any of the housing available to students at other colleges that I have seen.

Raymond

Overall I think Marist is a good value for your money. It's the perfect size, has strong academic programs, brand new facilities, brand new dorms and a lot of friendly kids. Although there isn't much to do in the Poughkeepsie area as compared to New York City, there is always a lot to do on campus and some areas around it be it comedians, on campus concerts (Lifehouse, Third Eye Blind, and Dashboard Confessional have come here over the years), ski trips, and hiking trips. It has a lot of good school spirit especially when it comes to the basketball games and their high turnout.