Marist College

🏫 Disability Services Overview

Marist University's Office of Accommodations and Accessibility (OAA) provides comprehensive disability support services at a well-regarded liberal arts university with a striking Hudson River campus. Marist is notable for offering meaningful support without an additional fee — all registered students with documented disabilities receive individualized accommodation planning as part of their tuition.

Marist's support operates at a higher level than typical "basic accommodation" offices, offering proactive advising, coaching referrals, and a collaborative approach that connects multiple support resources:

OAA Core Services (All Included)

• Individualized accommodation planning with a dedicated OSA counselor
• Extended test time in distraction-reduced environments through OSA's Testing Center
• Note-taking support: Glean (AI note-taking tool), peer note-takers, recording accommodations
• Alternative format materials: e-text, audio, large print
• Assistive technology: Read&Write, Kurzweil 3000, Dragon, mind-mapping software
• Priority course registration
• Faculty accommodation letters — delivered electronically each semester
• Academic coaching referrals through the Academic Achievement Office
• Peer mentoring connections
• Case management for students with complex, multi-dimensional needs

🧠 ADHD-Specific Support

ADHD Coaching

Available through OSA consultation and referral to Academic Achievement coaching. OSA counselors work with students on ADHD-specific strategies in consultations, and the Academic Achievement Office provides academic coaching that ADHD students can access separately. The combination provides effective individualized support — though it requires students to coordinate two offices rather than a single one-stop program.

Executive Function Support

• OSA counselors help students develop individualized accommodation plans that address executive function deficits
• Academic Achievement coaching covers time management, planning, and study strategies
• Workshops on ADHD-friendly organization, semester planning, and time estimation skills
• Digital tool training: students learn to use Glean, calendar apps, and task management tools effectively

Glean Note-Taking Technology

Marist has adopted Glean — an AI-powered audio note-taking and review tool — as a supported accommodation. This is particularly valuable for students with ADHD and working memory challenges. Students can record lectures, tag key moments, and review AI-summarized content after class. This is a meaningful technology upgrade over traditional note-taker accommodations.

Testing Accommodations

• OSA Testing Center provides extended time and distraction-reduced rooms
• Online accommodation management system makes requesting testing accommodations each semester straightforward
• Faculty are generally cooperative — Marist's culture supports the accommodation process

Medication Management

• Marist's Student Health Center provides medical services with psychiatric referrals
• Poughkeepsie is a mid-sized city with healthcare resources, though psychiatric waitlists can be long
• Many Marist students maintain care with home providers via telehealth

📋 Documentation & Neuropsychological Evaluation Requirements

Required Documentation

• Psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluation by a licensed psychologist or educational specialist
• Documentation should be within 3–5 years for ADHD (recent college-level functioning preferred)
• DSM-5 diagnosis clearly stated with diagnostic criteria
• Functional impact statement: specific effects on academic performance
• Recommended accommodations tied to identified deficits

Required Evaluation Components

• Cognitive assessment: WAIS-IV or equivalent adult cognitive battery
• Academic achievement: WIAT-III or WJ-IV Achievement
• Attention/executive function: Validated rating scales (Conners-3, BASC-3, Brown ADD Scales) and/or performance-based measures
• Processing speed and working memory: WAIS-IV PSI and WMI
• Diagnostic conclusion: DSM-5 diagnosis with supporting rationale
• Evaluator credentials: Licensed psychologist — stated in report

Doctor's Letter or IEP Alone?

Generally not sufficient on their own. Marist OSA needs the evaluation to understand your specific profile and design appropriate accommodations. A physician letter may supplement documentation for straightforward cases — contact OSA directly to discuss your situation. The IEP is useful background context; if it includes a recent psychoeducational evaluation as an exhibit, that evaluation component may be sufficient.

Cost & New York Resources

• Private evaluation: $2,500–$4,500
• New York school districts provide evaluations under IDEA — request in junior year
• NY ACCES-VR (Vocational Rehabilitation) may fund evaluations for eligible students
• Vassar College's psychology training clinic (nearby in Poughkeepsie) sometimes offers supervised evaluations at reduced cost

🎓 High School → College Transition Preparation

Timeline

• Junior Year: Research Marist, contact OSA with documentation questions. Confirm evaluation currency. Visit campus — Marist is spectacularly beautiful on the Hudson and worth seeing in person.
• Senior Year: Apply to Marist. Gather complete documentation package. Consider reaching out to OSA before applying to discuss your situation.
• After Acceptance: Register with OSA promptly — submit documentation and schedule an intake appointment. Don't wait until orientation week.
• Summer Before College: Confirm accommodations, learn to use Glean and other assistive tools. Set up healthcare in Poughkeepsie or via telehealth.

The Hudson Valley Environment

Poughkeepsie sits midway between New York City and Albany on the Hudson River. The campus is genuinely stunning — one of the most beautiful in the Northeast. This matters for ADHD: an aesthetically pleasing, human-scaled campus can reduce the environmental stressors that exacerbate ADHD symptoms. Train access to NYC is direct via Metro-North (90 minutes to Grand Central), making the internship market accessible.

Marist's Technology-Forward Culture

Marist has strong programs in communications, information technology, business, and data science — and a campus culture that embraces technology. The adoption of Glean for note-taking assistance is one example. Students with ADHD who use technology effectively can leverage Marist's infrastructure well.

Key Skills to Build Before College

• Using a digital calendar consistently — Marist's course management system requires active engagement
• Email etiquette and professional communication — professors respond well to students who communicate early and clearly
• Self-monitoring: identify your personal signs that you're falling behind before it becomes a crisis
• Using audio recording as a study tool — practice reviewing recorded lectures before you arrive

🎯 Practical Fit Notes

Who Thrives at Marist?

• Students who want strong disability support without an extra fee at a reputable private college
• Students interested in Marist's nationally recognized programs: fashion design and merchandising, communications, information technology, business, psychology
• Students who will use OSA services proactively and also engage with Academic Achievement coaching
• New York students who want Metro-North access to NYC for internships while living in a calmer environment
• Students who respond well to beautiful, human-scaled environments

Campus Environment

Marist's Hudson River campus is genuinely beautiful — red brick, gothic arches, river views. The campus is mid-sized and walkable. Poughkeepsie itself is a post-industrial city undergoing revitalization; campus life is largely self-contained. Metro-North to Grand Central makes the city accessible on weekends. The Hudson Valley culture: arts, outdoors, farm-to-table — calmer than the city but not isolated.

Cost Snapshot

• Tuition: approximately $42,000–$46,000/year
• Room and board: approximately $17,000/year
• No additional fee for OSA services
• Total COA: approximately $59,000–$63,000/year before aid
• Marist offers merit aid; competitive students often receive $15,000–$25,000/year

❓ Questions to Ask Marist OSA

1. How does OSA coordinate with the Academic Achievement Office for students who need both accommodations management and academic coaching — is this a seamless process or something the student has to orchestrate themselves?
2. How is Glean provided to eligible students — is it automatically assigned as an accommodation, and what training is available to use it effectively?
3. How often can students meet with their assigned OSA counselor during the semester, especially during high-stress periods like midterms and finals?
4. What is OSA's experience with students who have ADHD co-occurring with anxiety or depression — how do you coordinate between academic support and mental health services?
5. Are there ADHD-specific workshops or support groups available through OSA or any other department?
6. What is the timeline from documentation submission to receiving accommodation letters — and can this be expedited for students who register late?

🔗 Official Resources