Marist Hosts Its First Admitted Students Day

Students at the Marist Poll table during Admitted Students Day. Credit: Ava Battinelli ‘26

On April 6, Marist College hosted its first of three Admitted Students Days, where accepted students and their families were invited to visit the campus and learn about being a Red Fox.

The Admitted Students Day event lasted eight hours and consisted of a variety of panels, guest speakers and an inside look at some of the dorms that will house the incoming freshmen. 

“This is especially important for the accepted students, but also for parents and other family members to understand and make an informed decision about such a significant investment of time and resources,” said Executive Vice President Geoffrey Brackett. 

Students and families started their day by arriving at McCann Arena between 9 and 10 a.m., where they began the check-in process and witnessed a student resources fair – a poster session held by students and faculty, who were available to answer any questions needed. Breakfast and refreshments were additionally provided for all in attendance. 

“We start with the academic vibrancy at the heart of our mission, and the many talented faculty and support staff present numerous options for study and engagement across all of our academic schools and programs,” said Brackett.

Later, President Kevin C. Weinman, SGA Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Krystyna Lubrano ‘24 and alum Andrew Kayiira, Jr. ‘04 delivered speeches to the attendees.  

“We also illustrate how important student centrality is to our institutional culture by highlighting all of the elements of student life and support, as well as the expansive community on and off campus that make up the Marist experience,” added Brackett. “This requires a lot of coordination, led, of course, by our terrific enrollment team, who shapes the overall event.”

Following the conclusion of the speakers, another two hours of academic presentations and faculty breakouts were available for those interested. 

After these events wrapped up at McCann Arena, families had the opportunity to transition over to the center of campus, where the Student Center is located from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

There, attendees got to witness a variety of clubs and activity stands hosted by students. Marist has over 90 different clubs for students to choose from, with categories varying from social clubs, sports clubs, Greek life and more. 

“I definitely try to come across as genuine and authentic so that I can present our club mission of social justice,” said Kelly Unanue ‘24, president of the Social Works Association. “I take pride in showing my excitement about the subject as well as showing what the students want to see too.”

A student running the Student Programming Council (SPC) table during Admitted Students Day. Credit: Ava Battinelli '26

Breakout sessions consisting of study abroad opportunities were also available, as this program is known as a popular bucket list experience for students during their four-year stay at Marist. While there are more than 75 programs in six different continents to choose from, the most signature locations that Marist offers are Florence, Dublin and Madrid. For these three locations and more, students can call these cities home for the summer or the entirety of the fall or spring semester or parts of the summer at specific locations. 

“Studying abroad in Florence gave me some of my most memorable experiences,” said Sean Fuller ‘25. “I would recommend studying abroad as it's an amazing experience you won’t get anywhere else.”

Campus tours were also offered throughout the day, where families could explore many aspects of campus. Additionally, members could eat lunch in the dining hall throughout the afternoon.

Although this is indeed a very important day for admitted students, it is just as crucial for the many current students working and volunteering.

“It's definitely a lot about honesty and talking to students in a way that you're going to tell them your real experience,” said tour guide Luke Soroweic ‘24. “Admitted Students weekend is a lot bigger than usual as I have 30 to 40 students per tour compared to 10 or so families on a regular day.”

According to the vice president of communications and marketing, Daryl Richard, via the Marist website, recent data showed that applications for early decisions were up 16% compared to last year, as well as an 11% increase in overall applications by the Feb. 15 deadline. 

Further data showed that Marist had the #1 ranked study abroad program in the United States. It was also stated that at least 83% of Marist students participate in internships counted for credit during their four years as an undergraduate.

“What I enjoy most is sharing my love for Marist with prospective students,” said Erin Trodden ‘24. “I hope that hearing all of the information along with my experience will persuade them to make what I believe to be one of the best decisions of their life because it has truly been my best decision yet.”