Founded in 1861, Vassar College in Poughkeepsie continues its long-standing tradition as a highly selective private four-year college. It is one of the Seven Sisters, a consortium of prestigious private colleges that dates back to a 1915 conference at Vassar, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. At the time, all seven schools served only women. Now, Vassar College is co-educational, with a student enrollment of about 2,500 per year.
A liberal arts college, Vassar offers degrees in 51 majors, through 29 departments. Tuition, room and board, and fees run nearly $50,000 per year as of 2009. Admission requirements are highly competitive, with most accepted students earning SAT scores of nearly 1,400 on average and ranking in the top 20 percent of their high school graduating class. The college uses a blind admissions process, meaning that students' financial situations are not a factor in admissions decisions. The application deadline for early decision is in mid-November for the following fall. The second phase of early decision and regular decision applications are due by January 1 of each year.
Vassar College
124 Raymond Ave.
Poughkeepsie, NY 12604
845-437-7000
vassar.edu
Though no longer considered a Catholic school, Marist College was founded in 1929 as a seminary to train future Marist Brothers. New York state granted the college a four-year charter in 1946, and it was called Marian College. The brothers began to expand the campus, constructing new buildings by themselves. Marian College became Marist College in 1960, and at the same time admission broadened to include laymen. In 1968 the college became fully co-ed. Now, Marist serves nearly 5,000 men and women annually, in both bachelor's and master's degree programs. It offers a long list of majors through seven schools.
The costs for tuition, room and board was about $38,000 annually in 2009. Early decision applications are due in mid-November for admission the following fall, and early action applications are due in December. The regular application deadline is in February. Students who gain admission to Marist are generally in the top 50 percent of their high school graduating class, and college entrance exam scores usually range from 1730 to 1920 on the SAT, and 25 to 29 on the ACT.
Marist College
3399 North Rd.
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
845-575-3000
marist.edu
Dutchess Community College (DCC) in Poughkeepsie is a two-year institution under the State University of New York system. It boasts of charging the least for tuition of any college or university in the state and offering a strong educational foundation. Overall, 96 percent of DCC graduates who enroll in a four-year state university go on to graduate with bachelor's degrees. DCC offers associate's degrees and certificates in more than 60 programs. Students gain acceptance to DCC by following the application process, which includes an academic placement test. Full-time tuition for New York state residents in 2009 was $1,450 per year; out-of-state tuition was $2,900.
Dutchess Community College
53 Pendell Rd.
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
845-431-8000
sunydutchess.edu