We all toured colleges. We've been there. However, you don't realize just what a pitch tour guides are delivering until you go to a college and see just how similar or different the pitch is from your experience. It's like comparing a drive-thru Big Mac to the one on the commercial. Yes, it's the same thing so you can't really complain, but the delivery is just a little different and slightly disappointing. Here are five things Marist College Tour Guides don't tell you that they probably should (or shouldn't).
1. You are not going to live in New Gartland as a freshman.
You won’t even live in Old Gartland (as it doesn’t exist). You might even live in Marian. With three other people. In one room. With no air conditioning. As much as that probably stinks to hear, don’t get discouraged. Some of your most memorable nights will happen in your freshman dorm (don’t live in Champ if you aren’t a fun person).
2. Rossi’s is worth every penny of the tuition.
And even a few more meal swipes on top of that. Need I say more?
3. You will most likely be from Connecticut at some point in your four years at Marist.
It doesn’t matter where you’re actually from, just memorize your Connecticut zip code and you’ll have smooth sailing. Once you turn 21, you can move back to wherever you’re originally from, but for now, if you want to have fun, you’re from Connecticut. Did I mention Marist is a
4. Marist has the best library. Ever.
Whether you agree or disagree, I don’t even care. Tour guides love the library, and we love seeing them do their signature backward walk through it while they whisper loud enough for the dad in the back of the group to hear, all while trying not to disturb our studies.
For some reason, when everyone else around you is miserably doing homework as well, it makes homework much less miserable. And to top that off, the Starbucks coffee and the priceless view of the Hudson basically anywhere you sit is enough to make studying bearable (Not fun, I said bearable. It’s a library, not Hogwarts).
5. The first warm day is the best day of the year.
Yes, tour guides love to hype up the Marist Green and any other scenic parts of campus, but they don’t express just how many people are out and about as soon as the thermometer hits 70. On the first warm day of the year, speakers will blare, skin will be showing, and everyone will drop what they are doing and go outside. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have going on, you will be outside. Hanging on the green is the most “college” you will ever feel at Marist, so much so that it might as well be an episode of "Zoey 101."
If I had to take a bet, I would bet that of people who tour on days when the green is alive, 100% of them end up at Marist. But alas, gambling is bad, and there are no casinos in Poughkeepsie. Tour guides may or may not tell you that.
Photo by 
