<p>We did this same trip but in February. We wanted to see how the climate was in the winter. Unfortunately, it was 60 degrees the day we visit so we didn’t get the feel of a Vermont winter. We saw UVM, Champlain, Middlebury and Colby-Sawyer. </p>
<p>Academically, Middlebury is excellent and a very pretty campus, but it is pretty isolated about an hour from Burlington. I was very impressed with Champlain. It’s small, right near downtown Burlington. Nice dorms and college classrooms. Your daughter might love this school because it is smaller and there are majors that are close to her interests. Each student is assigned 3 advisors who help the student identify his/her passion and advise the student on classes on careers. In this day and age with the poor job market, Champlain graduates do very well. There seems to be a wide range of activities and ways to get involved. Unfortunately, my son thought the school was too small.</p>
<p>UVM looks huge when you approach it but once you take the tour, you will find that the academic classes are close together and residences/sports complex are around the perimeter. UVM is definitely for the student who loves the outdoors. It seems to have a very strong science and engineering programs and prides itself on being so environmentally conscience.</p>
<p>We didn’t tour St. Michaels because we thought it would be too small and the fact that it is a catholic school.</p>
<p>I don’t know how you will be getting to Vermont. If you are travelling down RT 89, you might want to stop at Colby Sawyer. It’s a very small school in a small town but it appears to award generous merit scholarships and has a great variety in majors. If your daughter likes to ski, the tuition includes a free ski pass to MT Sunapee .</p>
<p>Veruca, I would love to hear your impressions of the schools and hope you will do reviews on the College Vibe board too. I found out after the fact that my son helped out with the accepted students day at Champlain.</p>
<p>Is there someway to change the title of the Thread?
I could add Update to it.</p>
<p>Kathiep I was impressed with ALL the schools for different reasons and would not be unhappy if she chose any of them.
She loved the Champlain Campus -but I think she is leaning towards something a bit bigger and a more traditional curriculum.
I could see what made your son pick it -it is a really neat place -I think particularly if you have a specific career in mind. The views were incredible and everyone really nice.</p>
<p>She thought Saint Mikes was too much like her high school. (small a little bit jock-ish)
I liked the round table style small classes </p>
<p>She liked UVM -I think she likes that it is a bit bigger and traditional academically </p>
<p>She liked the town of Burlington very much -I am a little worried about her adjusting to the cold. </p>
<p>She liked Amherst (the town) as well and Umass. We looked at Amherst College too -loved the art museum -but it is not really in the card for her . It would be a reach academically and financially.</p>
<p>I think her favorite overall was UVM -but she is still very unformed in her opinions.</p>
<p>One thing my kids found out about small LAC’s is the ease of study abroad’s. All three of mine went to colleges that transferred all aid to an abroad trip and the college was very supportive of the trips. At Champlain, they have physical campuses in Dublin and Montreal so any course they take at those campuses would be the same as ones they would take in Burlington. When we asked about abroads at other techy schools it was often suggested that he do a summer or winter trip - at our expense. </p>
<p>Going abroad also makes the small schools more doable since you would be off campus for a full semester. One other thing that someone pointed out once about small vs. larger schools, is that we all tend to stay in our own group once we find them anyway. It’s not as if you would have a larger pool of friends because you go to a larger school. What’s important is how active the campus is and that students stay on campus to do whatever is offered.</p>
<p>katheip
I will pass that on to her. She goes to a TINY high school
So I think some of this is the typical rebellion -wanting something different from high school</p>
<p>I thought she would be drawn to the smaller schools -she is surprising me</p>
<p>Keep in mind, (this past year being the exception), I was required to travel to Burlington once a month between '08-February of this year. Brutal and a real “crap shoot” from November through March. It was 50/50 that I’d get there or home, on schedule, during the winter. And it wasn’t always Vermont’s weather at fault, very few direct flights, depending on where you’re coming from. All airlines feed you through New York, Philly, Det, or Chi… tough going.</p>