My DS got this same offer from CU Boulder (OOS). He can accept place on waitlist or do Verto in Fall with guaranteed admission in Spring 2027 (if he maintains a 2.7 GPA). I saw a Reddit thread about it and it seemed as if some countries have dorm-like setting/meal plan and others it’s like apartments and kids in charge of every meal themselves, so that’s something I’d consider when choosing country of study.

It seems, especially for the kids in dorms, they may be in with other Verto participants (so like, the Hamilton and Colgate and Syracuse and Boulder kids all jumbled together?) and the courses are pretty limited to gen ed. DS is probably going to decline because he wants to start classes in his major fall of freshman year, plus Boulder isn’t a better choice financially than other schools where he’s been accepted as a fall student. And apparently housing isn’t guaranteed at Boulder in the spring when he comes back? I don’t want him (or me) to have to navigate that. Probably at a smaller school like Colgate they can guarantee housing at least.

Also at least for CU Boulder it says the cost for 1 SEMESTER can be as high as $33,500. That includes housing but not airfare or food. So potentially more expensive than one on-campus semester.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a common pathway for admission to certain schools nowadays. I’d only consider it if it’s a place/program my student is excited about, and a college they want to attend more than any others where they were accepted with regular fall entry.

This seems bass-ackwards to me. I gave this the total sideeye and googled it and it has good reviews even though it seems like a monopoly / trap to ensure admission.

If schools need the room on campus, kick the JUNIORS out. Not a freshman trying to integrate and start college with their peers. I did JYA for an entire year and wouldn't trade it for anything. I would never have wanted to do it first semester. It involved a foreign language and I was prepared by junior year.

I know it's easier to make a dependency on admission to doing this, but they can still do that with Juniors. And let the Juniors CHOOSE the JYA program they want (as long as it's accredited, grades can transfer, etc.) vs forcing this expensive, private, monopolizing choice.

I see this as a very bad trend.

I am not for it or against this but it isn't ass backwards. A majority of juniors who go abroad for a semester pick the spring. Same with schools Schools that have co-op programs. If these programs are highly popular, schools are going to have too much empty space in the spring. Offering Spring admissions to student just at the edge of admission is win-win. The student would otherwise not be accepted so not a huge loss for the college. And as for the student, it is a choice, and can be an extremely appealing one for some.

Anonymous wrote:It’s a common pathway for admission to certain schools nowadays. I’d only consider it if it’s a place/program my student is excited about, and a college they want to attend more than any others where they were accepted with regular fall entry.

This seems bass-ackwards to me. I gave this the total sideeye and googled it and it has good reviews even though it seems like a monopoly / trap to ensure admission.

If schools need the room on campus, kick the JUNIORS out. Not a freshman trying to integrate and start college with their peers. I did JYA for an entire year and wouldn't trade it for anything. I would never have wanted to do it first semester. It involved a foreign language and I was prepared by junior year.

I know it's easier to make a dependency on admission to doing this, but they can still do that with Juniors. And let the Juniors CHOOSE the JYA program they want (as long as it's accredited, grades can transfer, etc.) vs forcing this expensive, private, monopolizing choice.

I see this as a very bad trend.

there are 3 country offerings- Seville,
Florence and Buenos Aires.

thanks everyone for the thoughtful replies!!

we will see what options come her way over the next couple weeks...

Does the kid get to pick the country?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The worry that I have is that in is not a big program like Middlebury (which admits about 1/4 of the class for Feb Admit) so starting in January with a small cohort (not yet sure how many kids and am trying to figure this out- might be only 20-30??) would be much harder to integrate into the freshman class.

Middlebury typically enrolls around 600 in the fall and 100 in February. So just over 14% of the class.

But the Feb program is long standing and well run. There’s a weeklong orientation which really bonds the kids and then they have four years to look forward to skiing down the Snow Bowl to get their diploma. I loved being a Feb.

If your DD wants the college enough and is comfortable making the transition in Spring, she should do it. My DD had a similar offer last year, and she was not comfortable with the spring transition, random housing situation, missing joining clubs in the fall, etc, so went to a traditional offer elsewhere. It sounds fun for the more adventurous and fearless type!

Anonymous wrote:
The worry that I have is that in is not a big program like Middlebury (which admits about 1/4 of the class for Feb Admit) so starting in January with a small cohort (not yet sure how many kids and am trying to figure this out- might be only 20-30??) would be much harder to integrate into the freshman class.

Ask admissions if there is a student that did this last year and if she can speak directly to him/her about their experience abroad and transitioning in the Spring.

Anonymous wrote:
The worry that I have is that in is not a big program like Middlebury (which admits about 1/4 of the class for Feb Admit) so starting in January with a small cohort (not yet sure how many kids and am trying to figure this out- might be only 20-30??) would be much harder to integrate into the freshman class.

Middlebury typically enrolls around 600 in the fall and 100 in February. So just over 14% of the class.

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s a money grab as these programs are very expensive. My DD was offered fall study abroad/spring start at a couple of schools but declined. Is your kid full pay? I think they know who is likely to pay up for these programs and who isn’t when making admission offers. If you aren’t applying for financial aid, you’ll likely be offered one of these pricey programs.

My DC started abroad at Tulane as a spring scholar. The tuition was actually A LOT cheaper than if DC had attended Tulane. Saved tens of thousands dollars. Through Tulane’s program you enroll directly in the foreign college and transfer the credits. I would not assume it is more expensive. However, DC spent a ton on the weekends traveling around Europe.

It’s a common pathway for admission to certain schools nowadays. I’d only consider it if it’s a place/program my student is excited about, and a college they want to attend more than any others where they were accepted with regular fall entry.

My nephew did Colby starting fall in Spain. Worked out. Good friends w people who started w him.

In addition to orientation events specific to spring admits, your daughter may be invited to participate in the traditional orientation activities for fall admits.

Anonymous wrote:
The worry that I have is that in is not a big program like Middlebury (which admits about 1/4 of the class for Feb Admit) so starting in January with a small cohort (not yet sure how many kids and am trying to figure this out- might be only 20-30??) would be much harder to integrate into the freshman class.

Your daughter should ask what process the college has for integrating the spring-start students. Many have specific orientations, etc. It’s still a bit like coming in as a transfer, though. She should also get confirmation of the housing process for spring-start students.

The worry that I have is that in is not a big program like Middlebury (which admits about 1/4 of the class for Feb Admit) so starting in January with a small cohort (not yet sure how many kids and am trying to figure this out- might be only 20-30??) would be much harder to integrate into the freshman class.