Uni in the USA: A British Guide to American Universities and Colleges > All New: Colleges and Universities Added in 2009 > University of Vermont (new review!)
Burlington, Vermont
Undergraduates: 9,867
Graduates: 1,384
How many UVM students does it take to change a lightbulb?
Eighteen: Fifteen to form a long distance trekking team to hike through the mountains to the nearest shop selling light bulbs, one to snowboard back with it, one to compose a country-and-western ballad about the event, and one to change it.
***
The biggest university in a tiny state, and one of the oldest universities in the country, the University of Vermont (UVM) is an alternative school for a certain type of alternatives. Having said that, the particular niche to which this school appeals actually encompasses a very large number of people, from across the country and indeed the world. UVM has, true to its liberal nature, often led the way in showing dedication to equality and even-handedness, being generally a champion for minority participation in higher education, and the first university to admit women or African-Americans into its Greek life. Its charter declares that the “rules, regulations, and by-laws shall not tend to give preference to any religious sect or denomination whatsoever,” and it is this attitude that permeates the happy, exuberant college life here.
The campus is a medium sized affair, with a typically New England Greek/Romanesque central building combined with outlying groups of horrific 50s concrete. On site accommodation caters for about one third of the large student body – 3,500 out of 10,000, including all first and second year undergrads – and the rest commute, without too much complaint. Although the main campus sits slightly apart on a hill above the town of Burlington, which in turn overlooks a rather attractive, huge lake near the Canadian border, it is only about six blocks to the centre, and preserves a ‘townish’, collegiate feel.
Burlington itself is the largest town in the state: but then the state in question is Vermont, the 49th largest in the Union by population (only Wyoming has fewer people). Considered by Americans one of the wackiest states, the little “Green Mountain State” combines the culture and intelligence of the North-East with the nature-loving, pioneering spirit of the Appalachians, and Burlington is the perfect ultra-progressive, in-the-wild example of this happy fusion. Definitely a student town, with at least three other universities besides UVM, this beautifully situated, peaceful, attractive little settlement has got itself situated firmly on the tourist route through New England; a testimony to its charms. For those to whom such a location, with breathtaking mountain scenery and wildly-wooded countryside appeals, this is a school worth serious consideration. For those to whom being stuck in an unruly wilderness with no population that could be called a city for about 130 miles seems a tad frightening, you will need to be very firmly attracted to UVM’s other charms if you want to apply here.
These charms, thankfully, are manifold. Students study in an exhilarating alternative atmosphere, often with excellent professors in departments that can be leaders in their field. The student body does not so much suffer from one stereotype as a whole host of vaguely related stereotypes, most of which can be bundled into one of three categories – the hippies, the snowboarders and the “Vermonters”. Hippies are charmingly traditional here – you will see real tie-dyed shirts, smell marijuana, taste over-organic foods, and hear plenty of Joni Mitchell on beat-up acoustic guitars. The snowboarders, who also include lots of skiers and general winter sportsmen, come to Vermont in droves, attracted by the abundance of ideal mountains to practise their adrenaline-soaked activities, often abandoning their studies for significant periods of time to devote themselves entirely. “Vermonter” is a kinder term for someone who elsewhere in the States might get labelled a “hick” or “hillbilly” – they enjoy wildlife (both to shoot at and look at), “the wild”, and general frontier-type, non-urban activities.
Despite these perceived groups and several other flourishing scenes, the UVM student body is a wonderfully easy place to integrate, and there is a good helping of diversity in this otherwise remote establishment. A large chunk of the students are from Vermont or elsewhere in New England, but many are from the other 49 states, and there are plenty of foreigners for any unfortunate Brit who might otherwise feel isolated (there is even an exchange program with the University of Sussex). The host of groups to which it is possible to belong, though internally healthy, are by no means obligatory – in general UVMers are more free-thinking than boxed-in – and social pressures are rarely if ever a complaint. Students are accommodated in themed dormitories, which can include global villages where there is a positively international atmosphere.
And just because you are more or less in the middle of nowhere doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do there. Drinking in dorm rooms is banned (until recently it was a fully dry campus), but parties are numerous and large-scale, normally held in student housing in the town, so UVM enjoys a vibrant nightlife for those who want it. Again, students insist that such partying is only available and not obligatory, without any kind of pressure on those who prefer less hectic pursuits most nights of the week. Day-time activities include the many clubs (over 100), societies and sports teams that spring up from the motivation and interest of the student body. UVM is almost unique in being a state university with no (American) football team, but it does excel in hockey, and of course in all winter sports. There are debating societies (with overseas cultural exchanges), at least two weekly newspapers, and a popular and intriguingly entitled organisation called the “UVM Outing Club”.
Study at UVM is mixed, with the recent boost in student numbers meaning ever expanding class sizes and a more stretched staff, leading to cuts in some of the less popular, but pleasingly diverse courses (“reggae music”, for example, sadly got the axe). Mounting debt means that more budget-cuts and lay-offs seem imminent. Nevertheless, there are over 90 majors to choose from at UVM, so the enviable range of options which has been a hallmark of the college is by no means gone.
The teachers range from world-renowned and pioneering in their field to mediocre, as do the courses available. The college has excellent politics and business schools, and the environmental department has an international reputation as one of the best and most progressive in the country, filled with exciting, forward-thinking professors and huge quantities of equally eager students. The nursing school is also very famous and extremely competitive, for anyone interested in this academic niche.
Getting in to UVM has traditionally not been too difficult (by US standards), as it has a big capacity and lots of room for interesting-if-not-massively-qualified individuals. As a state university in the recent economic meltdown, however, UVM has found its application inbox overwhelmed with hard-hit students seeking slightly more manageable debts, and competition has consequently been much tougher. The process remains relatively straightforward, however, with no interviews, additional essays or SAT2s required, and the Common Application available. Fees can be tough for non-Vermont residents, but not ultra-tough, and there are many scholarship opportunities, including occasionally for international students: ask the Scholarship Coordinator in the Admissions Office.
Famous Grads
E. Annie Proulx – author (Brokeback Mountain, The Shipping News)
Ben Affleck – director, actor, director, writer (Daredevil; Sum of All Fears) [did not graduate]
Jody Williams – Nobel Peace Prize winner for action to ban landmines