has anyone had experience with SUNY New Paltz? I keep hearing it is a hippie town and school. What does it mean that the school is “hippie”? And any other input about the college would be appreciated
Hippie, here, refers to a very ‘chill’ student body. Artsy and quirky and creative and friendly. The town is filled with quaint little arts or antique stores, homemade goodies, cafes, boutiques. People seem to really like it there.
We were traveling, took a wrong turn and drove through New Paltz. We are from Pacific Northwest so we didn’t know anything about the area, but as soon as we came into town, I felt the cool college vibe. Cool hip young people, nice artsy little shops… I knew I was in some sort of quaint college town. Yes, it was “chill”. I just drove through it but I really liked the feeling.
I think people call SUNY New Paltz a “hippie” school because of its proximity to Bethel and Woodstock. We attended an accepted students day there yesterday. Everyone seemed very friendly and accessible, so I might call it hippie like in the sense of how it feels (accepting), but not how the students look or act (there were no long-haired hippie types and the air didn’t smell of weed).
The college president stayed on site all day and chatted with the students. The professors who spoke during the welcome session and the individual breakout sessions all mentioned collaboration as part of the mood of New Paltz. The dining areas have compost bins next to the recycling containers, so they’re likely a green community. New Paltz itself is an artsy little town full of antique shops, small businesses, unique restaurants, and what looks like a fairly active music scene. The kids at the college looked like typical high school students. My son loved it.
I know some art majors there and they love the artsy vibe.
Extreme liberal would be more accurate of New Paltz. Cool town though.
2 daughters went to undergrad there, one in grad school there now. The village does look a bit like Woodstock revisited. The student population is not especially “hippie” at all (and I was a little bit of a hippie myself back in the 70’s, though a lite version). It’s a pretty good state school. They both like it and had some great teachers (and some not so great ones, as is true almost anywhere). Faculty is very accessible to students who make the slightest effort to communicate with them.