Hi everyone. As of right now, it seems like I will most likely be going to either Marist College or Fairfield University. I did a formal tour at Marist and have visited Fairfield numerous time since it is my older sisters alma mater. I received a similar scholarship from both schools also. I plan on studying Journalism/Communications. A few things I disliked about Marist was that I got the sense that a lot of resources are spent on the Fashion majors and that the school is mainly known for their work in Fashion. Additionally, the area does not seem that nice/safe and most people outside of the tri-state area would have no idea what Marist is. However, the campus is breathtaking, the size is perfect, and the people all seemed extremely welcoming. I also like the distance (1 hour and 20 mins). A huge plus is that it has Greek life where Fairfield does not. What I dislike about Fairfield is the distance it is only 30 mins from my home and it is a bit smaller then Marist. While I feel like the attention more evenly distributed among all majors I don’t know how competitive the Journalism program is in comparison with some other majors. I do like that it is a Jesuit school and the town and beach is a HUGE plus. My sister also speaks very highly of Fairfield. I think I am leaning more towards Fairfield, but if anyone can perhaps address some of my concerns regarding Marist that would be extremely helpful. Thanks.
Congratulations on two great acceptances!
I toured Marist last year with my son and was very impressed. I didn’t get the impression that the focus was the fashion program. The business program seemed very strong as well as communications. (honestly I thought every program was solid) we saw the tv/media area. Wow! I believe they said ESPN broadcasts from there every Sunday (or something like that). Of all our college tours I thought they had the nicest library and dining hall. The other thing that struck me last year was that their president of 40 years was retiring. Compared to other schools, I felt as though I could see strong leadership had served Marist well. It was clear to me they not only survived the long recession but thrived, whereas I could see how other schools had suffered a bit. I also got the impression that the close proximity to NYC helped students with job and internships. It seemed the school had a lot of connections to help students get into the real world. This is just a personal impression but in my area the students who go to Marist are a big stronger academically than those who go to Fairfield. Those who go to Fairfield have a bit more $$ whereas those who go to Marist have better stats (again, just a personal observation and I could be making assumptions)
I know Fairfield is great too and probably has all the great things I mentioned above as well. Maybe go to each campus this spring on two equal days (class in session, good weather) and see if one speaks to you more than the other. Enjoy and good luck!
My son is a freshman at Fairfield and he also considered Marist. Based on stats alone Fairfield has attracted a bit more qualified applicants. The average gpa is 3.65 and ACT 26-30. Marist is 3.3 and 24-29. Over the past 5 or so years it has continued to climb higher and higher in local rankings. My son did not like the area around Marist at all. Fairfield has a town you can go to movies, shopping and restaurants. Train is 5 minutes away and you’re in NYC in just over an hour. Also Fairfield has a strong alumni network and career center. 99% of graduates are employed or in graduate school. Now if your major were nursing or business I would definitely say Fairfield. I would dig deeper into your major at both schools. I also would put a lot of stock in the place you feel most comfortable a place where you see yourself being challenged an growing academically and socially. Good luck!
Forgot to mention that you will find a wealthy crowd at Fairfield. My son and four of his friends are there and they are all from two income middle/upper middle working class families. He has found his circle of like friends and it does not bother him that he sees kids driving BMW’s or wearing designer clothes. There are plenty other students like him. I think it is a good life lesson to learn. There will always be people who seem to have more than you. Those materialistic things are not the be all and end all. You can’t buy happiness and integrity.
Congratulations, you have 2 great choices. Cousin’s son graduated from Marist last year. He is a sports writer and had wonderful internship experiences. Fairfield is a solid choice with Jesuit tradition, a little more of a commuter feel, great internship opportunities as well. Speak with both school’s career center to get a handle on internship availability, the process to secure an internship and job placement. I think the edge goes to Marist for communications. See where you feel the most comfortable.
@ECmotherx2 not sure how long ago you visited Fairfield but it no longer has a commuter feel. 72% of students are from out of state and Housing is guaranteed and required all four years with some seniors released to live at beach housing.
@jcd716, things have changed, nice to see housing is guaranteed.
Two of my sons have friends who attended Marist; one is there now. Both love the school and the one who graduated is working for a company you would have heard of if I was to state its name. The other is the youngest in his family and all of his siblings also attended Marist and are employed and doing well. We looked at Marist for my youngest son but it didn’t have the program he wanted.
As for Fairfield, my best friend at work went there, but we are all 50+ so I am sure things change. However, my friend’s nephew attended recently and really liked the school.
Fairfield University has been ranked 9th in the nation out of 637 institutions offering communications and journalism degrees by PayScale’s 2018-19 College Salary Report.
PayScale’s annual report, based on the salaries of 3.2 million college graduates, provides estimates of early and mid-career pay for 2,646 associate and bachelor’s degree-granting institutions throughout the U.S. For communications and journalism majors, PayScale looked at 637 institutions offering four-year degrees.
Also included with Fairfield on this year’s top 10 list of Best Schools for Communications Majors by Salary Potential are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford, Vanderbilt, University of California – Berkeley and University of Virginia. Marist was #30.
My son applied to both. Marist has a beautiful campus for sure and a great view of the Hudson. Fairfield seemed to have higher stats and it’s campus is definitely beautiful as well. It has great opportunities for internships as well. We lived the town around Fairfield better as well.
If anyone is wondering I choose Fairfield! Go Stags!
Great choice! Good luck.