Marist and SUNY New Paltz Honors Programs

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I was recently accepted to both Marist and SUNY New Paltz and offered the honors programs. I'm debating on whether I should accept for whichever school I choose and I'm definitely needing some guidance. </p>

<p>I've been in honors for all of my life and I've done the IB Diploma Program. I'm at a point where I'm "honored out". I know college is about grades and hard work and succeeding, but it's also about fun and making lifelong connections with people and finding yourself.</p>

<p>To be completely honest, part of the reason I'm hesitant is because of the people I normally encounter in honors. Don't get me wrong, I love my nerds. I am a nerd. And you come across the best most interesting people in higher level classes. But I think it's safe to say that more people in honors classes are pretentious than those in regular classes and a lot of them don't know how to have fun. And I feel like a lot less kids follow through with honors in college than those in high school, so a lot of the people left are pretty hardcore in terms of school and focus. I guess I'm a little apprehensive about living with all honors kids.</p>

<p>Another concern is how hard the work is and if it will pay off. The main point of doing the honors program in high school is to prepare for college and get you into a good school and get you scholarships. I'm wondering if honors programs will make a huge difference after undergrad and if it's THAT much harder than regular classes would be. (I'm majoring in psych and looking to get my phd)</p>

<p>I know I haven't really stated a specific question. I'm just looking for some guidance.</p>

<p>If anyone has anything to say both positive and negative for either the Marist honors program or New Paltz honors program that would be wonderful.</p>

2

<p>I have 2 daughters in the New Paltz honors program, a freshman and a senior. The program is very low keyed and really wouldn’t dominate your experience there at all. I couldn’t say whether it has any great benefit either, but you could try it and see what you think. The “honors kids” are encouraged, but NOT obliged, to live in a particular dorm, which also has a big concentration of art majors. I saw your other thread as well, re whether to pick New Paltz or Marist. By your own account, it sounds like the NP culture would suit you better. I suspect Marist is not worth the extra cost (admittedly a superficial judgement, based partly on which local kids went there - we live in the Hudson Valley). SUNY has a slew of study abroad programs and you can participate in any of them, even if sponsored by a different SUNY. My oldest spent a semester in France through a Fredonia program.</p>