Marist College: A Gem in the Hudson Valley

Marist College was founded in 1929 for the training of Marist Brothers and has evolved into a liberal arts and science college that is revered for its picturesque campus as well as its strong academic reputation. The campus is comprised of over 180 beautiful acres that sit on the banks of the Hudson River between New York City and Albany in a town called Poughkeepsie.

The history of the college is extensive and its historical development compliments the growth evident in the Hudson Valley since the 1930's.. Currently the college has approximately 6300 undergraduate and graduate students. Over 25,000 are proud to be called Marist graduates. One of the strongest aspects of Marist College is the devotion the alumni have to the institution. In addition to their financial generosity in supporting the campus and students, Marist alumni form networks nationwide to aid in recruitment of new students, and the mentoring and job placement of recent graduates. This network is genuine, as the care and concern that these alumni show is a continued devotion for the institution they love.

Marist College attracts students from all over the country due to the diversity of their academic programs, and the support of collegiate athletics. However, a vast majority come from the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut metropolitan area. Due to the proximity of the college to New York City, many of the programs such as finance, fashion design and communications benefit from the vast resources available in NYC in terms of internships, guest speakers and trips to noted attractions in Manhattan.

The lure and excitement of Marist is that it provides university type opportunities in a small college atmosphere where the student faculty ration is 15 to 1. There are 32 programs leading to a Bachelor's degree, 11 towards Master's degrees and 20 programs that lead to certificate programs. The MAP (Marist Abroad Program) offers students the opportunity to experience the culture of other countries by providing educational programs in over 14 countries. The strong academic reputation of Marist is supported by its commitment to technology. 75% of classrooms on campus are considered "smart classrooms", where technology, including the internet, can be used as an educational tool. There are 25 computer labs and over 7600 network ports. In fact it was noted as one of "the most connected" campuses in the country by the Princeton Review in 2006.

Of course there are other aspects of collegiate life at Marist that are also well respected and encouraged. Athletics is a vital component of the Marist culture, where the mascot and teams are known as the Red Foxes. They have over 23 intercollegiate varsity sports teams (12 women's and 11 men's). In fact, the Women's basketball team (theRed Foxes) made it to the Sweet 16 in the 2006-2007 season. They were recently also honored for finishing 14th in Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll where the Red Fox women finished with an average GPA of 3.389.

All in all, this is an institution of higher education that has so much to offer to many different kinds of students. It has been a phenomenal asset to the residents of the Hudson Valley for its academic and cultural contributions to the area. Marist's philosophy is to prepare its students to be academically and professionally strong as well as contributing members of the community where they live and society at large. It is no wonder that this school has become a shining gem in the this northeast and will continue to attract students who want it all and can get it at Marist.