Appreciate insights on these two schools- they are the frontrunners at the moment. We live in CA, aka, no one from D’s high school has gone to either school and our college counselor knows nothing about them. Mom and Dad are both from East Coast, but our knowledge of the personality of these schools is dated. Hoping they are more familiar to some of you and you’re willing to share some of that info …
@Turquoise52 - What is your daughter’s prospective major? My D was admitted to Clark for STEM. It’s a school with a cool vibe in a gritty city that is on the rise. The LEEP program is novel. A warm and welcoming place. Good college town - WPI and Holy Cross among others. Worcester is on the rise. I know UVM by way of attending nearby St. Michaels only - not sure, but I believe its student body still exudes a down to earth vibe. Burlington is an awesome college town - perched on a hill with drop dead views of Lake Champlain and Adirondack Mountains. Church Street features funky shops and restaurants. It’s where Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream was born - I used to frequent their store in a converted gas station. Bernie Sanders was mayor - just dated myself! Close to great skiing and Montreal.
Calling @eandesmom…
@ChillDad Thank you so much for your reply - my daughter is interested in majoring in Psychology. We toured both schools - if Clark was located in Burlington, there would be no debating. My sense of Clark was as you say - warm, open-minded, curious students. We didn’t get as good a sense of the type of kid that attends UVM. She’s signing up for admitted stdents days at both so that should help get a sense of that. Here’s one of my big concerns: she’s not a skiier or snowboarder - will she be alone on campus every weekend in the winter? She’s not averse to learning but I am not sure how many college students will be interested in hanging out with a begimner!!
Clark is quite well known for Psych, it’s one of their strengths right? Also, a friend of mine goes to Champlain College, in Burlington. Among his reasons for going there was his love of snowboarding. Turns out, he went ONCE during school and about twice during breaks (he’s a senior). For him at least, with schoolwork (he’s very motivated and driven), there wasn’t enough time to ski a lot. I wonder if this is a general phenomenon…that kids find out they have much less time for those recreation activities that take hours than they thought they would.
Clark offers a fifth-year MA for free for students who maintain a certain GPA (3.5 maybe?), so that’s a bonus, especially since psychology as an undergrad degree is over-represented right now. UVT is a popular choice not only with outdoorsy types but also for those who need a safety school because Ivies and highly-selective LACs are either too tough or too expensive. It’s a public school with a smaller size that in some ways mimics that “Ivy feel,” at least aesthetically.
I don’t know. Form what the OP has says, it sounds like Clark is the better fit. Worcester might not be tops, but one does not choose a school strictly for its awesome location. I mean, some do, and if Burlington and the UVT experience is what DD wants above all else, that’s fine. If not, I think the OP has her/his answer: Clark U, a terrific and often overlooked school.
If you haven’t done so already I suggest posting your questions in the Clark and UVM forums. You might get some current students are recent alumni to provide feedback there.