University of Vermont

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVM doesn't attract hard-core football types. Much more laid back--think coffee shops, skiing, & pot. Beautiful small city.

It’s still in a beautiful setting, of course. But Burlington doesn’t “feel” beautiful these days. It’s the “big city” for a huge region and has the problems that American cities have these days.

Probably won’t matter much to college kids, but if you haven’t been in a while, be prepared.

Are you from Burlington? I have visited UVM with two different kids in the last 4 years. I can guarantee you that nobody in the DVM will think it has "big city problems".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Students have to live in the dorms the first two years, then they have to move out. My kid had one year in a new, well maintained and centrally located dorm and one year in a shabby overcrowded dorm with seven people sharing a bathroom. He preferred the latter because the vibe and social life and roommates were more to his liking. Starting around the second week of sophomore year, students and parents start panicking about where to live junior year. It is a stressful time because apartments go fast so you have to make snap decisions and also because you have to decide so early who you will be living with a year from now, when you haven’t even settled in as a sophomore and met the people in your current dorm yet. Many do at this time rent apartments for the following year, but there are other options: a couple of what are essentially privately run dorms that you apply for in sept/Oct and commit to in late fall, and a smaller stream of apartments and sublets that turn up as students decide to take a semester abroad, take a semester off, etc. it seems like people do find housing, but it feels hard and perhaps more so if you are shy, financially strapped, planning to maybe go abroad and thus unsure about signing a lease, etc. Off campus housing tends to cost a bit more than the dorms. If your kid does go to UVM you can join the parent Facebook group and hear all about everyone’s experiences 😁

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This is so helpful - thanks for taking the time!

[Anonymous]

My DC graduated a few years ago - UVM was a wonderful experience and housing is found for all eventually - start early Jr. year and it is not a problem to find a cute place with space and charm.

[Anonymous]

Our daughter is a current sophomore.

Housing for junior and senior year is off campus and the competition to find a place can be intense. You basically have to start looking as soon as you start your sophomore year. Everyone eventually gets housing, but some places are obviously better than others.

Although it's not a "rah-rah" kind of place, several of the teams regularly make their respective NCAA tournaments - Men's Soccer, Men's Basketball, Men's Lacrosse. Hockey and basketball draw the biggest crowds. Football isn't even missed.

Drugs are there if you want them, as is the case at most colleges, but there's no pressure to partake.

Overall, the vibe is pretty chill. Burlington is great college town, although not without its challenges. Nothing to really worry about, though. If your kid is outdoorsy at all, Vermont is a slice of heaven.