That works - U of O is smaller, in a small city (fly direct), more blue leaning according to online rank, less “techy” - so it probably fits her better (not knowing her).
But you can never have too many admissions 
UVM is a very good university in an attractive location. You will get real winters there (as the crow flies it is not really all that far from Montreal). Your daughter will be able to purchase the appropriate warm clothing items in Burlington.
One daughter was accepted to UVM with marginally lower stats, but this was quite a few years ago. I think that your daughter’s chances are very good. I also think that her chances of a presidential merit scholarship might be quite good, but I do not know whether the lack of an SAT score will impact this. The UVM Net Price Calculator at least when we checked it (years ago) did accurately predict merit aid.
You might want to check whether or not merit aid at UVM requires an SAT or ACT score. It is possible that not taking the SAT might cost you something like $60,000 or a bit more over four years.
Does your daughter want to teach in Vermont after graduating?
What subject(s)? High school teachers will typically need course work or major in the subject(s) they will teach, in addition to teacher preparation.
Teacher preparation will also fit best with the teacher credentialing requirements in the same state as the college.
TSA will show which subject areas have teacher shortages in each state.
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If she does not major in things like CS, business, majors with lots of pre-med or pre-law students, then she is more likely to avoid that, regardless of which college she goes to.
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I’ll look those up. She is applying to NH and maybe Maine. I guess I forgot that on the list.
She’s only ever lived in California so it’s impossible for her to know at this point where she wants to live after college. I suppose some kids might, and it’s certainly a valid question in a field where certification only is eligible in that state, but she just doesn’t know yet.
Maine will come with merit. URI would too and while all three (UVM, UNH, Maine) would work - I believe UVM and then URI would be your most liberal although all four states have their share of blue politics - but they moreso dominate in RI.
Maine will have merit but also has a state tuition match but not sure if CA is one of the match states.
I think you’ll more than be covered - but she’ll have a lot of good acceptances and some fine merit offers.
My son did not submit scores and got merit aid from UVM. That was 2021 so covid year-
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Just playing devil’s advocate but is she going to apply to at least one UC or CS? Never hurts to have something in-state in your back pocket. Kids change their minds. UVM is a far commute. Lots of time between now and May 1st.
Completely agree. UCs are insane. They are now mostly 30% admit or less. Even with many impressive, top notch, highly competitive students we know, so few get in. I’m sure she’ll apply to at least a Cal State, and maybe UC Santa Cruz, but we’ll see.
Regarding UC admission rates, this may be helpful:
Recalculate your HS GPA with GPA Calculator for the University of California – RogerHub . Use the weighted capped version for the table below.
Fall 2021 admission rates by campus and HS GPA range from Freshman fall admissions summary | University of California :
| Campus | 4.20+ | 3.80-4.19 | 3.40-3.79 | 3.00-3.39 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | 30% | 11% | 2% | 1% |
| Davis | 85% | 55% | 23% | 10% |
| Irvine | 60% | 31% | 14% | 1% |
| Los Angeles | 29% | 6% | 1% | 0% |
| Merced | 97% | 98% | 96% | 89% |
| Riverside | 97% | 92% | 62% | 23% |
| San Diego | 75% | 35% | 5% | 1% |
| Santa Barbara | 73% | 28% | 4% | 1% |
| Santa Cruz | 91% | 81% | 46% | 9% |
These are for the whole campus. Different divisions or majors may have different levels selectivity (usually, engineering and computer science majors are more selective).
Humboldt and Santa Cruz are probably much more chill in the aspects you describe that she wants.
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You will want to double check this, but I believe Vermont has a program where if you stay and teach for x amount of years after you graduate with a degree in education (I think it may be 6 years) they will help you with student loans, if she will have any.
In reply to your post re: OP’s assumption on rigor - I live in the same general area as OP and am pretty sure I know which HS she’s referencing based on certain disclosures throughout this post. If I look at said HS’s latest profile, there are 27 AP classes available. The language on the profile states that said HS doesn’t “recommend” any AP’s in 9th, though we can presume some freshman take them. Additionally, it also “suggests” a max of 2 AP’s per semester. So maybe we can also assume that some students take more. The OP only has 3 AP’s on record.
In a similar way to what she said, I’ve often heard of high school’s in this area (including my own DS’s) saying that we have rigor because our general grade level academics are so challenging. But, if you run the numbers, regardless of where OP’s daughter went to HS, her course load doesn’t equate to “rigor,” right? Is there a general percentage of honors/AP’s that would make one’s load rigorous or is rigor simply a perception based on various factors - what is or isn’t available, the culture at the HS, the level of instruction across all classes?
Fair question. I’d ask a guidance counselor. It may be the school profile tells the college how rigorous the classes taken vs offered is. The college may itself determine after seeing the school profile.
I don’t know the answer other than many colleges deem rigor in the important category.
Could be they are looking at certain subjects, etc.
Ultimately each college would need to answer.
Look at UVMs Common Data Set linked below. Section c7.
They list one VERY important item - rigor. GPA is just important.
What is acceptable rigor to them only they would know.
When I went to HS we had college prep classes (not honors) and our valedictorian took one. I had a 2.8 and I was the 4th decile. I read a school’s profile the other day and half had over a 3.75. Someone may say all Honors or College Prep classes designates rigor. Others may use a quantity or a percentage of available AP.
But it’s clear that in this inflated world the most reputed schools want ‘more’…of most anything. And if you don’t have more…ie a test score…leave it out.
Hope that gives context from my POV whether right or wrong.
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I get it. Wesleyan is “a big little college”; has an equal number of techies and theater kids so it can be as chill or as cut-throat as you want it to be, the misery poker doesn’t go viral the way it does at some small schools. Agree that it’s a reach.
Do you mean to say that the theater people are cut-throat?
You can judge for yourself in this interview with Thomas Kail `99, the Tony Award winning director:
When asked if he wished he had spent his time at the University differently, Kail said yes, but stressed that there must be a balance.
“If you don’t have a life outside the theater, you can’t have a life inside the theater,” he said. “And that’s the same work balance no matter what you do. You have to go and fill yourself up.”
The Wesleyan Argus | Kail ’99 Reveals Directing Secrets at Campus Event
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Just thought I would follow up here for future people searching about these schools. She was admitted with distinction at Western Washington a few days ago, a few days after the entire profile was completed (application, transcripts, rec letter uploaded by school counselor). I have no idea what admitted with distinction means, and I can’t find any explanation on it anywhere other than it means she had a high gpa. I assume a grant will go along with it but we’ll see in the spring. She won’t be eligible for financial aid, so it won’t affect that.
Regarding UVM, she met with the Senior Director of Admissions for the West Coast when she visited her high school. She was the only one who attended, so it was essentially an interview. The lady said that she thought my daughter was a strong candidate.
From what I’ve heard, colleges do gauge rigor from the profiles and reputations.
I’ll update when she gets any other answers. Since WW was her #2 school, there are several schools she’s no longer pursuing. Her #1 is still Vermont and she submitted everything yesterday. 
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I don’t like the term “safety” for any competitive admission school, as there are no sure-things in today’s admissions world. As schools seek to protect yield, they will reject students for being TOO GOOD – In other words, “there is no way that 4.0/1600/20 APs student really wants to come to this more modest school… they are just using us as a backup… so we will reject that student to protect our yield rate.”
That said… If through essays and demonstrated interest, your daughter shows she is serious about UVM… with a 4.0 in a very competitive high school… I’d be very very very surprised if she got rejected from UVM.
There is 1 slight unknown though – UVM is changing their admission process this year, having a true ED. This could cause a reduction in EA and RD acceptance rates, to the extent they fill the class with ED.
Since UVM is her first choice, did she apply ED? If she applied ED with a 4.0, I would truly be shocked if she was rejected. EA/RD is just lesser known at this point.
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