by Karen A. Hott, Hott off the Press

Did you ever wonder why Vermont’s university is UVM instead of UVT? MD is the postal abbreviation for Maryland, and UMD = University of Maryland. VT is the postal abbreviation. What gives with Vermont?

It’s Latin! UVM stands for the Latin phrase Universitas Viridis Montis, which translates to “University of the Green Mountains.” Fitting!

Brooke Willett told D.C.-area counselors August 28 about the school where she is a senior admissions counselor and the DMV (District/Maryland/Virginia) representative. 

An academic ecosystem

Vermont is an “academic ecosystem” with a “liberal arts core,” said Willett. Of the 11,600 undergraduates, 78% come from out of state. That’s a positive for out-of-state residents. Smaller states, like Vermont and Delaware, don’t have to reserve 82% of their seats for state residents (unlike the university system of North Carolina), so you have less competition.

All students are admitted directly to their major. If you’re undecided, in five of the seven colleges you can choose to be undeclared within that college. You can be undeclared in all but business and nursing. You must declare a major by the end of your second year, and in the College of Arts and Sciences, you must also declare a minor. It is possible to transfer from one college to another except you cannot transfer into nursing. Nursing only admits first-time first-year students to the program.

Seven Colleges, 100+ Majors

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences
College of Education and Social Services
College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Grossman School of Business
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources

The Patrick Leahy Honors College takes in the top 4% of applicants. All applicants are considered for it; there’s no separate application. Exercise science is a capped program within the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Sport Management is a minor within Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. [This is a great example of why I tell my students to look not only at the majors and minors, but where they’re housed. I wouldn’t have guessed the sport management minor to be there!]

World-class scholars who love to teach

Willett says the secret of Vermont’s success lies in their faculty. They hire “world-class scholars” who love to teach and mentor students. This attention to teaching and mentoring is what small liberal arts colleges are good at, but here’s a medium-sized public research university with the same value of connecting students and professors. They connect through research, hands-on experiential learning, and studying abroad with undergraduates.

Experiential learning

Experiential learning has become a buzzword in higher education; at Vermont it’s real. Over 90% participate in at least one internship, either on campus or off. UVM has $300K of funding for undergraduate research, and 40% of students engage in research with faculty. If you care about the environment and sustainability, you’ll find like minds in Burlington, where UVM conducts research in the environment with four research farms. There’s also research in humanities and arts. One-quarter of students study abroad, often led by a professor. 

Students must live on campus for the first two years, and 100% of first-years live in a Learning Community. Three of the four UVM campuses are residential. Residence halls are not separated by class; this way, younger students mix with and learn from older students.

The Catamount Core

The Catamount Core reflects UVM’s values. According to uvm.edu:

The Catamount Core Curriculum is designed to expose students to the intellectual breadth of the liberal arts, develop the skills needed to integrate and apply diverse areas of knowledge, and build the foundations for lifelong learning and active participation in local and global communities.

The Catamount Core Curriculum is made up of 42 credits in courses distributed across three main areas: LIBERAL ARTS (21 credits); CORE SKILLS (9 credits); and COMMON GROUND VALUES (12 credits).

What’s a catamount? The last one found in Vermont was shot in 1881. It’s a large wild cat like a mountain lion, panther, or cougar, and it’s the mascot of UVM. Literally, catamount means “cat of the mountain.”

ROI

Vermont’s return on investment is high: Six months after graduation, 94% are employed or in graduate school; more importantly, 92% say they are satisfied.

Living at UVM

Housing is guaranteed for the first two years, but off-campus housing in Burlington can be tricky. Willett said that as long as you’re willing to start looking for housing at the start of your sophomore year, you’ll find housing for junior year.

Burlington is a “cool town,” according to Willett, and it does have a reputation for being laid back and artsy. It’s about the size of Annapolis, Maryland, with 40,000 inhabitants, but 11,000 of those inhabitants are part of the University of Vermont. 

Special programs

Be aware that certain colleges and majors have college-specific requirements. 

Business and STEM majors should have four years of high school math. 

The College of Nursing expects to see four years of math and science, but test scores aren’t required. Nursing has a 96% NCLEX pass rate. 

Engineering has five ABET-certified programs and a voluntary year-long engineering co-op option.

Applying to UVM

Because the FAFSA was so delayed last year and is set for a December release this year, UVM is requiring the CSS Profile to get your financial profile. All applicants are considered for the honors college and for merit scholarships up to $25K a year. They are test-optional for 2025, and they accept AP, dual enrollment, and IB credits.

Your application is read holistically for academic rigor (“very important” according to the Common Data Set), performance, essay and personal characteristics (all “important”) and fit to major, so if you’re applying to animal science, your activities should show that you’ve been working with animals in some capacity. If you have lots of interests and you’re undecided, apply undeclared to the College of Arts and Sciences. If you’ve narrowed down the general area you’re interested in, then you can apply undeclared to the colleges of Engineering & Math, Environment & Natural Resources, Agriculture & Life Sciences, or Education & Social Services. 

This was the third year UVM had Early Decision and the first for EDII, but three-quarters of applicants applied Early Action and only 10% of the class came from Early Decision. Last year Vermont had 30,000 applications and an admit rate of about 60%. 

Take advantage of the optional supplements, which range from the mundane (Why UVM?) to the out-there (What Ben & Jerry’s flavor would you develop for charity and why?) According to their Common Data Set, essays are “important” to the holistic reading of each application.

Final thoughts

Unfortunately, I have not visited the campus, but every student of mine who has visited has decided to apply. They say it’s beautiful and welcoming. I’m hoping to get there in person soon!