<p>D2 is interested in Marist, we visited last week. She liked the academics...undecided but leaning toward business and minor in fashion merch. She kind of got the feeling that the school was big on athletics, which she is not! How diverse is the student body? Thanks for any info!</p>
<p>I don't think the school is that "big" on athletics----the basketball teams are the best thing going lately, though, so it may seem that way!. My son is a Comm major and really enjoys his classes. He was able to meet with a prof on a Saturday (good thing), but seems to have classes cancelled occasionally (bad thing, for parents who are paying!) As for diversity, I haven't seen much, most of the kids are from the tri-state area, and most of the diversity my son sees are in the personalities and dispositions of his friends! They are a diverse group! Like many colleges, there are all kinds of kids, and there is a group for every taste. There are activities on campus---my son just IM'd and said there was some kind of conference on global warming that his Environmental Science class was participating in. Now mind you, this is the kid who could have cared less a year ago, so thank-you-very-much that he is broadening his horizons! There is a theater group, TV and radio stations, newspaper, and clubs, so there is plenty to do if you just look for it and stay involved. I know my son needed a smaller campus to feel right for him, and he's really happy there!</p>
<p>us4asmc,
thanks for the info. glad to hear that your son is happy at Marist!</p>
<p>If I may ask a similar question in this thread, are religious groups and campus ministries a huge deal at Marist? When I went to visit in October, every last one of the tour guides that day said they were involved in campus ministries, and being that I'm not at all religious, it made me a little nervous.</p>
<p>I can only speak for my son's experience--he isn't involved in anything like campus ministry, but he has an acquaintance who is. We have been Christmas/Easter Catholics for a few years now, and he doesn't go to Mass at school and doesn't feel the pressure to do so. Many of the kids who do get involved with tours, orientation groups, whatever, have got to be hand picked for their enthusiasm, for sure! We had the same gal give us a tour 3 times, and she really was a poster girl for the "typical" Marist student! They wouldn't have anyone who was less than enthusiastic about campus involvement conduct a tour promoting the campus, would they? LOL And the kids who wouldn't show off the school well wouldn't really be the kind who would care to do that job in the first place, I guess. Again, I have been amazed at the different kinds of friends my son has made, and how involved he has become with things that interest him, and believe me, there are all kinds of things to do if you look for them. All schools have their "less motivated types", and this one is no exception, but as my son doesn't go in for that type of thing, I only hear about his friends who stay involved with healthy activities, so I can't even hazard a guess about how much of the student body is into the party scene, or even the Campus Ministry scene, for that matter! I'm just happy to see how much he is maturing and developing his own personality.</p>
<p>I am currently a student at Marist College. I wouldn't say that athletics are a big part of student life at school. There are a fair amount of people that play sports but it's not the whole campus. A decent amount of people go to the basketball games and some of the other sports game. The school is not very diverse, however there are very different types of personalities all around campus.</p>
<p>As far as Campus Ministry and religious groups on campus. This may seem wrong but it's the truth... If you've visited Marist campus you've heard of a lovely thing call priority points. You need to join clubs to get them. You need to get them so you can live on campus. Campus ministry is a club that meets once a month for less then an hour. By going to that short meeting you gain one point automatically. You can gain another point from campus ministry by participating in another one of their activities. Joining campus ministry is a very easy way to gain two priority points. Almost all of the freshman and sophomore classes join to gain the points. After sophomore year only the very dedicated continue to participate in this club.</p>
<p>crose454: thanks for the input. i thought the priority point thing was interesting. our guide pointed out one dorm that the kids who didn't get their points lived in...not the nicest for sure. We did get to see one of the townhouse style dorms...I think it was the nicest we have seen on any campus!</p>
<p>What is your take on the academic climate at Marist? Do you find your classes challenging? Do you know anything about the Fashion Mech program? Marist seems to be one of a very few LAC that offer that, therefore is one oa my D high interest schools, also her sister is at SUNY new Paltz so the location is great. Any info you could share would be appreciated!</p>
<p>I agree totally with Crose's 1st paragraph, but to be fair about the priority points, you get them not just for joining clubs, but for room check-ins/outs, cleanliness, disciplinary history and GPA. You can only get 8 of the points for activity participation, no matter how many activities you do. There are a total of 36 possible. My son is not in campus ministry, but does some other things, does fairly well with his GPA, didn't get written up, and has what I would consider a good point total. I'm not sure what dorms the guide told you were "bad"? All freshman have to live together in the same dorms anyway, and they seemed OK when we toured them. The townhouses really are nice, as well as Gartland, and even though he probably would get into one, my son and some of his friends actually are not going to choose them next year--something about wanting to stay together as a group. If I can coax more info out of him about the classes, I will, and share it with you! So far he enjoys them, and I think is challenged by the coursework. He was never a straight A student and has to work for the grades he gets. I never hear him say it's "easy", just that the personalities of the profs make it more or less enjoyable. As for Fashion Merch, younger DD is interested in that too--she was intrigued that her brother's college had that major. Good thing they wouldn't both be in school at the same time! There's got to be someone you could call for more info, or do an Ask Marist question on the website?</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the info...looks like Marist is her #1 choice right now!</p>
<p>How strict is the dorm life at Marist? Does the point system put a damper on socializing in the dorms? Is it true that you can't have friends just knock on your door to hang out unless they get signed in? Perhaps a current student can fill me in on what a typical Friday or Saturday night is like for freshmen. I'm just really wondering if the point system casts a cloud of fear over the heads of freshmen and sophomores.</p>
<p>Hi everyone, Im a senior in highschool currently and am seriously considering Marist College for next year. Ive been looking up everything possible about the college online to make sure its the right fit for me. I love the campus and it seems like a great school. Everyone that has gone there loves it. Unfortunately throughout my marist college research i have heard some negative things about the student body as being very "abercrombie and fitch" or "preppy". Im not sure if this is true but its the one thing that worries me about the college. Is there a good mixture of different social groups? Thanks</p>
<p>Some of the other college review sites have posts that say that, but I think you will find different types there. My son does wear some A&F(!), but we consider ourselves middle class, from a larger town that has diversity. My apologies in advance, but there are some kids there that fit that stereotype to a "T", as I observed on move-in day, but it's not the whole campus. My son didn't find it too hard to find a group to hang with, but he never was the kind of kid to be concerned with "status". He can get along with just about anybody, and that's a good way to be, no matter which college you choose.</p>
<p>Oh awesome, yeah i dont really have a problem with people that wear a&f but some of them tend to be lame. I think im the kind of guy that gets along with everyone so i shouldnt have a problem. </p>
<p>thanks alot for the advice!</p>
<p>Hey, my names dan and im reaching the point where i need to make a decision for college next year. Im seriously concidering going to marist they have a great program and i love the campus but the one thing im really worried about is what the student body is like. Some people say its preppy and abercrombie.. and im not really into that do you feel like theres a good mixture of different types of people? </p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>We visited Marist and speaking from just spending a day there we got a very preppy vibe. Most of the guys we saw had a sort of jock-like appearance. We did not feel my son would have fit in here - he has more the laid back, long-haired hippy look and attitude, although he is an excellent basketball player. I'm sure there are other types as well, we just didn't see any! We heard it gets really cold there too, the students said the wind rips right through the campus cause of the mountains and gorge right below. BRRRR!
Didn't look like much to do around the campus either.....we had one girl scream at us during our tour "Whatever you do, don't come here!" Yikes...kinda freaked us out. Needless to say, my son chose to go elsewhere. However, he is now considering a transfer to SUNY New Paltz.</p>
<p>Kids yell out obnoxious stuff all the time on tours.
If it is so bad why is she there!!</p>
<p>im a senior in high school and i may be attending marist this fall, i was wondering how strict they are with the dorms. how often are the dorm checks and do people party and drink in the dorms?</p>
<p>They’re strict regarding drinking/possessing alcohol in the freshmen dorms.</p>
<p>which freshman dorm is the best to live in?</p>
<p>That’s a personal choice. Champagnet (?spelling) is a lot of fun and when my son started at Marist (in 2008), it was the most requested freshman dorm. It’s a very social place and it’s connected to the dining hall. However, the older low-rise dorms have larger rooms.</p>