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Summer Pre-College: Student Testimonials

Read what students and parents have to say about the summer pre-college experience.

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Summer Pre-College Testimonials

From Students:

An image of Edward Whitman. "Going to Pre-College showed me how many connections the Marist Sports Communications Department had in the sports world. It was terrific middle ground for me—a nice step between high school and college. We had supervision at Pre-College but definitely more freedom and responsibility than in high school. At the end of the two weeks, I didn’t want to leave.” -  Eddie Whitman '20 (To learn more about Eddie's Summer Pre-College experience click here.)

"Don’t be nervous about being away from home, Pre-College was my first time away from home and I knew absolutely no one. Within a day or two everyone made friends and no one felt out of place or alone." - Thomas from Greenlawn, NY

"Summer Pre-College was one of the first times I spent two weeks away from home. I learned what it was like to live with someone else in a new environment, which set me up really well for when I came to Marist freshman year. I felt prepared to start college because of my experience with Pre-College." - Kaitlyn from Manalapan, NJ

"If you are interested in attending Summer Pre-College, apply! I promise you it will be an experience you will never forget." - Samantha from Freehold, NJ

"This program is a great taste of college life with great classes and the beauty of the campus on the Hudson River. The unique trip to the city was a great bonus. Thank you, Marist!" - Glynnis from Hong Kong

"Overall, the program at Marist was more than what I thought it would be. I learned so much about a topic I am very interested in and might want to pursue as a career. I got a good sense of what college life is like. I met great people, and I can’t think of a better way I could have spent two weeks.” – Jack from Trumbull, CT

"I had an amazing experience. The staff was very welcoming and I had no trouble adapting to Marist. My roommates and the other students were so much fun to be around. Honestly, this was an experience of a lifetime and I would repeat this course multiple times over" - Andrea from Easton, CT.

 "I took the creative writing course and can't tell you how much it has improved my performance in English this year. I challenged myself by taking AP Composition and Literature. I loved meeting famous writers and having them critique my work. My English teacher was amazed at how much I did and learned in two weeks and continue to use what I learned." - Danielle from Brewster, NY

From Parents:

"My daughter attended the Pre-College program last year. Upon arrival as we were greeted by smiling students and staff who were extremely prepared to assist us in any way possible. I was impressed with the whole process, from the information packet sent to parents prior to the program to the detailed Pre-College program and activities that my daughter attended. I must admit that I thought I would cry when I had to leave her but surprisingly I did not. I was filled with excitement for her and had such a strong sense of safety and security that I found myself smiling as I drove away. Michelle and I can not say enough positive things about the program. She made friends, felt what it would be like to actually be in college, earned 3 college credits and enjoyed herself immensely. When I asked if she would recommend the program she answered with a resounding, 'Absolutely!' When I asked if attending the Pre-College program helped her make her college decision, the answer was, 'Marist feels like home.'  If you want to give your child an experience he/she will never forget, apply to the program and see what a difference two weeks at Marist makes." - Mrs. Iodice, Pre-College parent, and High School Principal.

"As a parent, I was thrilled with the experience my daughter had. She worked hard, learned a lot, as well as a wonderful exposure to the field she was interested in. A lot was packed into this two-week experience."

"Couldn't ask for a better opportunity for my son to experience a college course, environment, and living arrangements."

"Our son participated in your Summer Pre-College Game course. It is a fabulous program. He was able to take a class in his area of interest, it gave him an opportunity to make a game with the skills he learned and made him more decisive about pursuing his degree in Computer Science. Dr. Coleman not only provided a wealth of knowledge in this area to the students but made the class fun and really engaged the students. He is an asset to this program. Not only did our son gain some knowledge of his anticipated degree of study, he accomplished a bigger feat - orientation to college life. He was a little apprehensive that the two weeks may turn out to seem long, but after his stay, he wished it was longer. He met so many wonderful friends, learned how to manage things away from home, and become accustomed to college life. He is now really looking forward to college and is not at all apprehensive about it, which will make senior year in High School and all the decisions about college easier to make. As parents, it was also extremely helpful in preparing us for his next step - college. Thank you for offering this wonderful program."

"My son did the sports communication program at Marist last summer. It was an amazing experience for him. They hopped the train to New York City with the department chairman and he took them to CBS Sports for a tour with alumni at 30 Rock and then they went to a Yankees game. That was all included in the tuition. The train station is close by. The coursework was rigorous and they had a lot of fun. It was a nice test for me to see how he would do living away, he was just fine. It was very safe. They all stay in touch and there were people there from the east coast, west coast, and in between."

An image of SPC Students.