I’ve recently been accepted to University of Vermont, and College of Charleston. At Vermont my major is Undeclared in the college of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and at Charleston my major is marine biology. I received a large scholarship from UVM, making the cost comparable to in state tuition; but have not received any money from Charleston.
I am a resident of VA, and also am looking at James Madison University as one of my top choices. (I have not yet been accepted but am pretty confident with my stats and extracurriculars that I will be admitted). My major at JMU would be Undecided.
My college choice is going to come down to these 3 schools, and I am hoping to get more information that could help me decide. Some things I am curious about:
‐ What kind of people do these schools attract? (I’ve heard Vermont is very liberal, hippie, granola while JMU kids are more friendly and laidback)
‐ What is the social/party scene like? Are there crazy parties every night? How important is greek life to the overall social scene? What other activities might the students like to do for fun? What is the nearby town/city like? Are the students happy at their school? How big is the athletic scene?
These are just some ideas of questions I am curious about, but any information about these colleges would be very helpful!
Thank you in advance for your help
My older son is graduating from University of Vermont this month and my younger son was just accepted. My son has been very happy at UVM. It took a little while to find his people, although he did have the advantage of attending with a good friend from high school which made the transition easier. He now has lots of good friends and is sad to be leaving. It is a pretty big party school, although if you are not into that, there are plenty of like-minded students and even a Wellness community which has a dorm that is supposed to be substance free (actually all the dorms are supposed to be substance free, but Wellness is the strictest and you have to sign a contract). There are not big parties every night. As a Freshman, my son actually had a hard time finding parties LOL but as an upperclassman he has an easier time. Kids tend to party in their rooms, although Covid did put a hitch in that. There are frat parties etc. Students tend to be very outdoorsy and liberal. It is a very beautiful campus in a very beautiful location. Downtown Burlington is walking distance from campus as is Lake Champlain. There are lots of great restaurants and shops on Church Street and a beautiful waterfront park on the lake close by, as well as lots of trails to hike and a beautiful beach (North Beach) nearby. Skiing and snowboarding is big there too, although it is hard to get to without a car (there are buses but they tend to fill up). Freshmen are not allowed to have a car on campus, although some people pay for off-campus spots. Academically is it a very good school as well (I think it is really underrated), and my son has had a great experience and is graduating with honors. The biggest con is that it is very cold in the winter! Also it is very gray and depressing for much of the year as it is barely getting warm by May. September and October are glorious. The weakest link is the residential department (Res Life) and lots of people complain about requesting roommates and not getting them or being stuck in forced triples. If you want to request a roommate, you need to choose a learning community (not guaranteed) and then a roommate in the same learning community (still not guaranteed). My son and his friend were very lucky in that they got into the same learning community and were approved together. They ended up moving off-campus together junior year as well. I understand the Res Life director left recently so hopefully whoever they hire can get it together better for next year. A lot of people complain about the food as well, although my son really liked it, so I guess to each his own! The school is also really good about connecting students with internships and my son had a really rewarding internship at a local non-profit this past semester. I am not sure if my younger son will end up there or not, but if he does I know it is a good option! Oh to answer your other questions - there is Greek life but my son never joined. It is not really that important but a lot of kids that pledge seem to like it. There is no varsity football team (there is a Club team), but the Basketball team is very good. I think they are good for hockey and skiing as well. My son really did not participate.
You should look at Coastal Carolina for your major.
Charleston is very urban. Like any public school, dedicated kids and some less so. Her bff got into Rice but others are just there to party. But that’s any school.
Many are Greek but many aren’t. My daughter loves the friends she’s made (many non greek) from all over and lives in the library studying. She’s free tuition OOS but is in Honors and the Fellows. Did you apply for any special programs? Admittedly she got more $$ after accepting admission which is not a good strategy to follow.
I think urban wise it goes Charleston, UVM, and then JMU. It’s why my daughter didn’t apply to JMU…that and the highway that ran through it that bothered her during our visit. Really nice campus I thought. I’m sure all 3 party. Charleston is in the tourist district. They have big parties, bar parties and small house parties. I’d assume the same at all three.
Charleston does not have football so while basketball draws it won’t have JMUs vibe.
Weather wise Charleston warmest but UVM for great skiing. My daughter Ubers to the beach 20 mins away a lot. She also walks 15 mins to the Battery daily which is neat. Google it. But you have to be with others…Charleston is a city with crime.
Charleston is smallest and my daughter is always seeing people she knows. The others a bit bigger.
Off campus housing…next year rent alone will be near $1100 for one room in a 4 bedroom. Yes it’s a nice place but Charleston is a pricey city.
Thank you for all the great information!
I have visited both JMU and Charleston, and loved both of them although they have different vibes. I think I preferred Charleston a little better just because it seemed like there was a lot to do in the surrounding city, a beach, and great weather. The only thing I feel like I’ll be missing out on if I choose Charleston over JMU is the “classic” college experience with football and tailgates and all that.
Also, another drawback I saw at Charleston was that the student population seemed very preppy and I don’t know if that would match my personality well.
