Fitting in at Marist

The diversity in Marist is low according to my research and a visit at Marist.
I’m Asian and an international student. The percentage of international student is like 1%. It might be quite intimidating because I’m the minority. I’m also introverted which makes it harder for me to make friends. Would it be difficult to fit in at Marist?

Hey adrenalinee,

I am an Asian-American (Filipino) student currently at Marist (jr.) from Hawaii. I completely understand your concerns about being a minority at a school that may not be as diverse as say a bigger state university. I come from an extremely diverse high school back home and it was different at first coming to Marist.

However, as I began to meet people at Marist (and I consider myself an introvert too), I realized the small minority population percentage you may see here on College Confidential or elsewhere is not really accurate. Marist is in fact diverse and is becoming more diverse as the years go by. I am friends with people from as far as Uganda, China, Rwanda, India and of course, I have friends from around the NY state area. My friends that live close by are really really helpful when students goes away for Spring Break and I can’t go back home to Hawaii. For example, I’ll be staying with a friend on Long Island during Easter Break. The point is, there is a significant international student population and it’s growing.

I understand what it’s like to be abroad. I studied in Beijing last Fall so don’t feel worried about making friends–I was in the same situation. The Marist community makes you feel at home and everyone is welcoming.