University of Vermont Top Questions

it's expensive if you live out of state

I think that the best thing about UVM is the location. It's a beautiful city and the campuses are nicely placed and taken care of. It's Vermont, the scenes are BEAUTIFUL. I would change the administration though. They are all very stuffy, not very helpful in my experience and seem like theyre only after your money. The school is a good size, I like the different campuses but it can be a bitch in the winter to get from one campus to the other as buses are full. Alot of the people I've talked to about going to UVM dont even know where it is at first and once they find out the misconceptions start coming. When I'm on campus I used to spend alot of my time at Billings and L/L but because of one of our dining areas changeing I tend to stay away from campus now. Definetly a college town though so theres always something going on, oncampus or off. As I said before I strongly dislike the administration, I've only had like 2 positive experiences with them. When a UVM frat or dorm gets a bad wrap the whole school is labeled as a problem. Most recently the controversy over the frat and drug running and shit was the worst publicity we could get and of course it doesnt help the perception of our school. I think that despite the negative publicity there is alot of school support and pride. Alot of good turn out for sports etc and we are a big part of the local community. The only thing that is unusual to me about UVM is the way the campuses are spread out. It's a good thing but it's definetly different from the standard. The best experience there are the times I've had with the awesome friends I've made at the school. The naked bike rides are fun, good times downtown and lots of memories around campus. I think the biggest complaint is the Davis Center along with buses and administration. The buses need to be more reliable and not so packed full and uncomfortable, administration has a whole mess of problems and the Davis Center was not wanted. As far as I can gather people dont like the way it looks, how it sticks out from campus, disrupts the skyline and the amount of money that has gone into it.

I love how everyone is so open minded, I hate hoe the school tries to regulate drinking because it is going to happen either way. UVM is just the right size, where I run into friends everyday on campus and see faces i recognize but to dnot know, and also see a new person everyday. When i tell people I go to UVM the first thing they mention is how much pot i must smoke, which is not correct at all. Most of my time on campus is spent in the res halls when its cold out or outside when the weather is nice. UVM admin is concerned about what they want the school to look like and not about what we want/need it to be. The biggest controversy, to me, is still the Michelle Gardner Quinn murder. School pride exists in some people and not in others at all.

From strolls on Church street and dips in Lake Champlain, to the thirty minute drive to the mountains and endless cliff-jumping locales, Burlington is the northeast's outdoors mecca. Also, the girls keep getting hotter and hotter each year.

The best thing about UVM is the location and the people. I would make the dorms nicer for the amount of money we are spending. The size is perfect. People often dont know what UVM stands for and are surprised I went to school so far away from home. I spend a lot of time at my fraternity house and around my complex, Billings is still a great place to study if you want a quiet, comfortable place. Definitely College town. I dont mind the administration but I think the R.A.s have too much power. I try to stay out of controversy. I wouldnt call the school pride out of control but you can definitely feel it at hockey games. Ill always remember pledging my fraternity and my experiences freshmen year in the dorms.

The best thing about UVM is how friendly and open the students are. The best thing about the location of UVM is North Beach and the green mountains which allow you to do hiking trips, skiing/boarding, camping, and cliff jumping. THe size is just right. With 10,000 students its not too large where you feel like just a number but you always see faces you recognize. There is not as much school pride as I would like. the hockey games are as much school pride as you'll get. The police presence on campus is too much. UVM is a dry campus so there is zero tolerance for underage drinking on campus. So, the police and RA's are a little too unbearable but it doesn't prevent you from having fun just keeps you on your constant watch. One experience i will always remember is the first month of school. Every student goes down to North Beach in the afternoons or on the weekends for a huge party. People are drinking, smoking, sun bathing, playing games, swimming,or chatting and lots of music.

The best thing about UVM is the size. It's a mid-sized university that is neither too big nor too small. By the time you are a sophomore or junior, you know enough people to really feel like a part of the community, but you're still meeting new people all the time. If I could change one thing, I would change the amount of diversity at UVM. It has been getting better, but it still a terribly unbalanced figure. Vermont is the second whitest state after Maine, and sometimes I feel as if I am missing out by attending a school with such a misleading sample of the country's diversity. When I tell people I go to UVM, a lot are impressed since it has been getting so much positive press in recent years. The younger set tends to always mention something about the marajuana reputation. I spend the most amount of time on campus either hanging out in my residence hall with friends, watching TV and chatting while we study, or sitting around in the dining hall for hours at a time, just talking. During exams, I am definitely a slave to the library. Burlington is a fantastic college town. There are a million things to do with every season. I myself have sampled the bike path along Lake Champlain, shopped for hours on Church Street, and tried out most of the clubs, resturants, and bars. The entire town is more like an extension of campus to us students, and not separate by any means. There are no gates around UVM which really integrates the campus into the community, which is unbelievably welcoming to students. I wouldn't want to go to school anywhere else. I don't have any strong opinions about the administration--they seem to handle everything pretty proficiently. When I was getting my paperwork done to study abroad, the people in financial aid and tranfer affairs were very friendly and helpful. UVM students have an enormous amount of pride for their school. In fact, I absoloutely cannot stand when people talk about how much they hate UVM, because I love it so much. Sure, we may complain how much money we owe in student loans and about the dry campus policy, but in the end, we are really proud to be part of such a great community. When I was a freshman, I lived on an all girls floor and over the course of time, most of us became friends. We would all leaves our doors open in the evenings and would pop in and out of eachother's rooms, sometimes yelling to people from across the hall. Living in an open atmosphere like that is something I will never forget. We were all new to college, and all scared at first, but something about that floor makes me really nostalgic for the rare bond of a shared experience of starting college for the first time. I know a lot of students that complain about how expensive UVM is, especially since a lot of us are buried in student loans. We're nickle and dimed for a lot--and the cost just seems to keep going up.

The best word that I can think to describe UVM is innovative. With the eco-friendly and 'green' inititives that have been pushed in the past several years, UVM is becoming a national leader in some of today's most important sues, such as the environment, social justice, and introduction of student activism and ideas. Within this University there is an incredible range of programs for students to study, and even better opportunities to further education during or after graduating (especially evident if you take a look at the list of over 100 student clubs & organizations). I think a great part of UVM is its atmosphere, which is in the middle of one of the most inviting college towns that is not only interested, but also a direct part of the University. As a part of that atmosphere, I would not necessarily describe it the most prideful school [unless at one of the sporting events], but those who are involved are in it for the long-haul and are truly interested in bettering the University. I do think this is one of the more frustrating parts of being involved on campus, simply because many students are not willing to go to an extra lecture, or film festival, or be as engaged on campus as they could be. This too is part of the administrative effort, to offer more exciting opportunities to UVM, dealt through much of the student represenation on campus.

I like the size, it's not so big that its scary, but not so small that you end up seeing the same people all the time. Burlington is definitely one of my favorite things about UVM, its the perfect resource to have right down the street--a town with the cultural amenities of a big city but without the dirtyness and loudness of a big urban center. If you want to get into the sports teams there are plenty of avid fans to get into it with, but most people i know dont have tons of school spirit. students complain about the food, price of the food, but its never too awful because there's an abundance of good, affordable food in burlington.

The best thing about UVM is the ability to make change here. I would change the university by building a Hillel House. The size is just right. Burlington is definitely a college town. The administration has a different idea of what should happen at UVM than what the students have in mind. The largest recent controversy on campus was the push to ban the Red Cross from UVM. There is not a lot of school pride. I'll always remember being told by another student that I was for the innocent killing of Lebanese children, women and babies.

UVM has a chance to lead the country in so many senses. In some ways we are, but we aren't even close to truly walking the walk. The "leaders" of the school say that we are the socially just, and green university, but underneath it all, when you look at our investments and our labor practices, that is not the case. we invest in corporations profiting from the war, destroying the environment, and abusing workers. how does this make sense? it doesn't. im sad to see that this is happening, and i hope that the university can begin to practice what it preaches. i want to be proud of my school, and im not there yet. burlington is awesome, and uvm has a beautiful campus, though, i worry that way too much money is being spent on fancy buildings that we don't really need. it would be too bad to lose the rustic charm of campus to more monstrous buildings that don't fit in. we need to take care of our faculty and staff, and make sure they are getting what they deserve before we put hundreds of millions of dollars into construction. not to say that facilities aren't important, but let's be serious here. the davis center cost something like 70 million dollars. livable wages would cost $1.2 million. recently, the administration passed a resolution spending $844,000 dollars on research into the new health and athletic complex. RESEARCH!!!! we've been fighting for livable wages for years and the administration refuses to respond. there has been non-stop student activism around it with protests and tent cities. i don't understand why they won't pass this when the majority of campus supports it. how can the administration say the davis center is the center of social justice when they very people who work there are getting paid poverty wages. please president fogel, explain this to me.

I love snowboarding, so UVM is the best you can get for the east coast. People are mad chill. It's kinda hard to party because it's so cold and the campus police are getting more strict, however. Burlington's a great college town and VT is an awesome state.

I like how much a lot of the students seem to care about various causes. There may still be the beer-infused frat parties you'll see on any other campus, but you really get a sense of students here wanting to make a difference and many of them seem intelligent enough to do so. If I had absolute power I have to admit I would change the weather here. The snow just won't. go. away! UVM's size suits me, but I could see it being too big for other people. People seem to have a good opinion of UVM. It's not up there with the Ivy League schools in people's minds, but it's also not like "Oh, she had to go to a STATE school." I spend a lot of time in my dorm, but that's mostly because it's cold out and this is where all my stuff is. Burlington definitely knows about us. They probably call every weekend to tell us to shut up. I think that UVM has a lot of awesome teachers, but I don't really have an opinion on the people who run things. The president is controversial though. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of school spirit. That might be because we don't seem to have a football team though.

UVM is a fun place for me because of the bars and other things to do downtown, and I also really like the people here. One huge drawback is the weather. If you can't take rainy/snowy, dreary days for the majority of the time you're at school you should think hard about if you really like this school. I obviously don't enjoy the weather here but I like the school anyway, but it's certainly something to take into consideration that nobody told me when I was applying here. The campus food kinda sucks but there're plenty of places off campus around town to eat.

My favorite thing about UVM is the people and the town. Burlington is such an amazing little city with a variety of experiences and people. I feel like UVM is the perfect size of a school without being oversized. 10000 undergraduate students is enough where you know alot of people but not everyone. People often react by giving me a wide eyed "ohh UVM" which to me always seems to suggest that I love weed and drugs. They always say that its a good time but few people are aware of the academic prowes of UVM. Burlington is not a college town the city was here way before and will be here way after. The UVM administration in my opinion is trying very hard to improve the image of UVM but not working hard enough to actually improve UVM. They are overly woried about the image and not enough about the substance. The biggest recent controversy on campus was the arrival of the Dudley H. Davis center. There is a fair amount of school pride but nothing like in a big university with a prestigious football or basketball program. UVM is unusual because of the amount of experiences that are possible to have at UVM. Burlington is a cold northern town but during the spring you can go down to the beach and enjoy the sand and the water as though you were down south. I will always remember my freshman dorm, Buckham 3, and I will always remember north beach. Students often complain about the administrations inability to listen to the students and their new found extreme concern with UVMs image and not its substance.

Burlington is one of the best things about UVM, which I didn't actually realize until I moved off campus. With a strong underground arts movement, activist groups, etc. there is plenty to become involved with off campus. Living among mostly students is also great, as well as skiing in the winter and the lake in the summer, especially biking in the summer, around town. Williams Hall, the art building is where most of my time is spent, a majestic old building with a great faculty, I also spend a lot of time at the library. UVM is a good size, although I wouldn't want to see it get any larger. There doesn't appear to be much school pride, which I like. Also not having a football team is nice, sets us apart from the other big state schools. The Naked Bike Ride, at midnight on the last day of classes, is certainly one experience that I will take away with me, a great UVM tradition in which hundreds of students cycle around campus. fantastic.

One thing I enjoy about UVM is the close relationship it has to the City of Burlington. It makes access to downtown stores, shops, and restaurants a whole lot easier. The best thing (if people enjoy it) is the skiing, with four or five great resorts under an hour and a half away from campus. If i had to change one thing it would be the way UVM enforces its drug and alcohol policy. As far as size goes it's about 11,000 undergrad give or take, which is a great size. It's large enough to meet new people but small enough to not feel lost. I have a very low opinion on UVM's administration. They try to treat the student body like children instead of implementing more progressive alcohol and drug programs. It's one thing that UVMPD is allowed to refer you to judicial review, but it's another thing that they are allowed to make random rounds inside dorms, listening for noise and looking for excuses to question students.

I love the whole community at UVM. I would change how strict the cops are. They school is perfect for me and for most peopole here. Its the perfect size university. People are proud of me when i tell them i go to UVM. The biggest controversy was the murder of michele last school year.

I love UVM. Having now gone here for four years I think it's the perfect size and environment for me. The reaction I get from people when i tell them i go to UVM is often one of surprise, people can't believe that someone from New York City would want to go to a school that immediately connotes hippies and the woods. To all the skeptics, though, I tell about the beautiful campus, perfect size, and prime location of the school. Burlington is really an amazing city to be in. It's got a lot of diverse elements to it including nice quaint stores and great restaurants; one's life does not depend on campus life.

I wish it was more racially diverse. Burlington is a great asset. People are generally friendly. It's a good size, lots of new people to meet.

Best things about UVM - the weather (if you like snow), the scenery (it's on top of a huge mountain looking over Lake Champlain and New York State - truly breathtaking), the kids (most people you meet are chill), downtown (fun nightlife, shopping, food, big grassy quads) Burlington - If you're like me and you come from the New York metro area (which is like plenty of kids at UVM), you'll laugh to find out that B-Town is the biggest city in Vermont. But that's not saying much - you can drive from one side of Burlington to the other in fifteen minutes. With that said, it's an awesome place to go to college. Filled with hippies from the 60's, environmental Vermonters, old people, young people, sketchy townies, Burlington is the perfect size for a college town. There's so much to do here - North Beach gets packed with UVMers when the weather gets nice. Lake Champ is a little too cold for swimming, but everybody comes down with beers, burgers, footballs, etc - it's a super chill time. And of course, Burlington is within driving distance of the best mountains in the Northeast - hiking in the winter, Stowe, Jay Peak, Bolton, Sugarbush, Mad River Glen, Smuggs in the winter. Size - It's totally cliche, but absolutely applicable to UVM - with 10,000 students, UVM is big enough to always be meeting new people, but small enough to always bump into people you know. It's easy to walk anywhere on campus (from one end to the other takes about 15 minutes) but there's busses, in case your lazy or late to class or don't want to deal with the coldness (it gets REALLY cold in the winter) Worst things about UVM - The school administration is really looking to improve UVM's image, expand the school, and make it more recognizable throughout the USA - as a result, the police and RA's are pretty hardcore. Downtown house parties that get wild will get busted pretty quickly. Cops take random patrols through the dorms, and they just got a drug-sniffing dog (but nobody has ever seen them us it). Cops and RA's arent allowed to key into your room, but they'll do everything they can to trick you into letting them in. If they hear cans clanking or pong balls bouncing or just lots of voices, they wont hesitate to knock.

The best thing at UVM is that there are a million things to do. Each week, our Senate approves of new clubs, which are funded by the Student Government Association (SGA). In addition, the teachers- even of large introductory biology classes- are receptive and willing to talk about almost anything; you just have to approach them. Many teachers do go out of their way to talk to students, as well. We also have a Teacher-Advisor Program (TAP), which are classes that are taught by your advisor in small, discussion groups (usually 10-20 students). Another great thing about UVM is that we're in Burlington (well, it's sorta great... Burlington has their own Fire/Rescue so that puts a dent in our rescue's call volume). But the town is one of the best college towns in the country. Church Street, which is the main street in Burlington is also quite famous. The biggest recent controversy was a resolution that came before our Senate that would have mandated that the Red Cross not be allowed on campus due to their discriminatory policies towards "men who have had sex with men" and other groups. We had the NY/PA director, NE director, two local reps and a national rep come to talk with us about their position. We also had 3 TV stations and numerous papers covering the event. One thing that caught me off guard about UVM was that we're right on Lake Champlain (perfect for boating or trips down to the water/beach in the summer/fall), which means there can be wicked (another strange thing about us New Englanders... we say wicked) strong winds. If you're coming to visit, bring a windbreaker.

-I'd change the fact that UVM is trying to compete with 'peer' schools than staying true to its roots of academic exellence, and not flashy new buildings. -Just the right size -They say its a pretty damned good school. But have no idea its harder than most New England state schools I've seen, despite its rank. -I spend most of my time in the political science or philosophy department buildings. -Perhaps the greatest college town ever! -The administration will lsiten and change with student opinion, but it takes a hard push to get them going. -Livable wages for school employees -Plenty, mostly at hockey games. -Our school has a special place to 'smoke' called The Shire. - The Valentine's Day blizzard of '07 -The food, Residential Life, our school president is an ass.

The University of Vermont is the perfect sized school. I am constantly meeting new and interesting people. Although at times it may seem big, it is almost impossible to walk to class without running into at least one person that you know.