<p>my daughter is trying to decide between marist and american - she really likes marist but is afraid she will run out of things to do because it is not near a city - she is leaning toward american because of the city but she really likes the marist campus and the students she has met - do students get bored at marist or are there things on campus to keep them busy?</p>
<p>My daughter went to American and my son is at Marist now. They are such different colleges that your daughter may want to consider which college has the best major and courses for her. ie American is great for International Relations and Marist has an outstanding Fashion program. American is an urban school with a very serious DC feel and political junkies love it. Most of the AU students are pretty driven and ambitious regarding their internships and careers. It is a very international University whilst Marist draws heavily from the Tri -State area. Marist is a more conventional college with more school spirit. They both have plenty of clubs and inter-mural sports. Marist students can do trips to NY most weekends and you can commute to internships in your senior year. The campus is lovely but Poughkeepsie is only an OK college town. It is considerably cheaper to live in than DC. Marist is a good pre-professional college, but possibly a little more light hearted than AU. I would recommend the Freshman year in Florence offered by Marist. It is a wonderful and life-changing experience and the Marist staff in Florence are outstanding.</p>
<p>I am currently a senior at Marist and my brother is a current junior at American, so I have experience with both schools. It is honestly just a personal choice. I have never found myself to become bored here at Marist because I got involved with a variety of different clubs and organizations. There is always something going on at Marist and I have never really talked to anyone here who felt they were bored with the school. Freshmen are not allowed to have cars on campus until they reach 30 credits, so sometimes I felt a little trapped during that first semester of my freshmen year. Ever since then I have been exploring the Hudson River Valley area and have completely fallen in love with it. As someone who wanted a college experience before I immersed myself in the real world, I can happily say that Marist has far exceeded my expectations.</p>
<p>Here at Marist there is so much to do! If you want to be here, you won’t get bored. Here at Marist you make friends very easy and so a student can always hang out with other students. There is a shuttle to the mall and taxis that offer flat rates for Marist students. A lot of students also go out and explore the Hudson Valley. Marist is located on one of the prettiest, more history rich location in the world. There are so many secrets to uncover! </p>
<p>I never get bored here! Before coming to Marist I was torn between wanting a city school or a college campus. I ultimately chose Marist because it has that campus community environment while also being close to the city. The Poughkeepsie train station is 5 minutes from campus which helps you easily get into the city. Many students will do day trips there so that is an option. If you want to stay on campus though theres always stuff to do! Most students are very involved in clubs and activities so that definitely keeps everyone busy. The Poughkeepsie galleria mall is also just down route 9 with a lot of other shopping, food options, and stores along the way. I’m a junior and I still feel that theres more to explore in the Hudson Valley. You won’t get bored in this area. </p>
<p>Marist is a good option if you are looking for a nice balance between city and suburbs. Poughkeepsie is town with plenty to do and it’s just a train ride away from the city. The Poughkeepsie Galleria and movie theater are less than 10 miles away, the historical FDR Home is less than 5 miles away, and there are hiking trails less than 10 miles away. Marist has numerous clubs and activities for students to get involved with such as Dance Ensemble, Campus Ministry, Greek Life, Habitat for Humanity, and Intramural sports. Marist also offers many opportunities to take trips into the city to see Broadway shows or do other activities like shopping. Taking weekend or day trips into the city by yourself or with friends is always an option too. There are constantly guest speakers on campus, workshops, forums, and various D1 sports games every week. There is little opportunity to get bored at bustling place like Marist. </p>
I’m a sophomore at Marist now, and I’m definitely not bored of it yet! We have sporting events every week just like any other campus, but we also have some things that set us apart. Marist provides us with discounted tickets to broadway in the city, as well as transportation there and back. I saw Aladdin last year with my friends and it was AMAZING. They also offer tickets to events depending on the season. For example, they have tickets to go to Fright Fest at Six Flags or haunted houses in Poughkeepsie around Halloween time. And we’re only 2 hours from the city as it is, so you always have the opportunity to take a train ride over there. Every weekend they play a recent movie in one of our theatre’s, or outside on a projector when its nice out, and its always a very recent movie that everyone gets excited about seeing. There are also TONS of clubs on campus, so a few always have something going on every weekend. I’ve never been bored, and I don’t think your daughter would run into that issue either.
There is always something going on around campus! Whether it be sporting events or trips to go to broadway shows or apple picking, students are never bored on campus! I think Marist has a great location that is both close to New York City and in the beautiful Hudson Valley. Students can take advantage of the many opportunities to get involved both on and off campus through the activities provided by Marist!