Diversity/ Harsh Weather at UVM?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Vermont
1

Hi! I’m an international student from Dubai and I’m really interested in UVM! The facilities/ majors sound really great here, but my two major concerns are-

  1. Diversity- as an intl student, is there a good mix of students, be it ethnic, political etc.?
  2. Weather- seeing as it is very close to Montreal, how bad does the weather get? I have heard a lot of scary stories where students suffer academically and emotionally because of the harsh weather and I would really like to know what i'm in for by choosing Vermont.
2

UVM is itself not extremely diverse, the majority of students (80%) are white and from the surrounding states around Vermont. The out of state students tend to be upper middle class, as it is an expensive school if you are not a Vermont resident. However, it is a big school and does draw from around the United States and internationally, so you will most certainly meet people from many countries and backgrounds. The school, student body and city leans left politically, but you will still find conservatives, libertarians, moderates, etc (they will be the minority) . Coming from Dubai, the winters are going to be very cold for you, as it is very cold for those of us who live in this part of the world. The city of Burlington is very nice, the area itself is very beautiful and you will find the people very welcoming of all backgrounds. UVM would be a stark contrast to Dubai, I say if you are interested, go for it, very nice campus and college town, with lots to do and Montreal is only 90 minutes away by car.

3

Agreed. UVM was one of the least diverse campuses we visited, however, the campus very nice and the people were welcoming and very healthy/happy looking. And Burlington is great. It will be cold!!! Get yourself the proper clothing and you will adjust–it might take a year or so but you will adjust eventually.

4

I actually have a friend from Dubai that attends UVM and he loves it. Yes, it’s not that diverse but everyone is so welcoming and there is at least some diversity present in one way or another. The winters can be bad, but you get used to it after a month or so. I found that I actually started to prefer the cold after a winter there. It will definitely require some getting used to though for sure.