The University of Vermont

Okay. I am a second year nursing student and the first thing I want to say is if you are a person of color, you probably should stay away,especially if you come from an urban environment where you are used to diversity of ethnicities, culures, ways of dressing, socioeconomic backgrounds, etc. The school is 96 percent white and the state is 98 percent white... that should tell you something. My freshman year was honestly one of the worst in my life. Your white peers treat you differently (stares, glares, ignorant comments) and you can sometimes feel like an outsider. Second, drinking is very prevalent and so is smoking weed. (I once saw someone smoking weed in broad daylight on a terrace and at night time on weekends, you can smell it.) The thing is, everyone is a little too liberal. To the point that if you are a little conservative, you can feel like a freak. Third, i feel like this school is one-dimensional in that everyone is just trying to be like everyone else. Trivial things like Uggs, J.Crew backpacks, weed, alcohol, an anything-goes attitude,skiing/ snowboarding plus good things like an interest in nature/the environment and social social justice can be attributed to soooo many people here...which is great for them,and if you like the things listed above, go for it! But if you aren't like that, you kind of feel like who you are as a person isn't appreciated or validated. And this is not just my personal opinion; I have had several people tell me the same thing. In short, UVM is a school for a certain kind of person; its not just for anybody. Last year I was in a culture shock and uncomfortable, this year I feel like Vermont is just not the place for me as a person.

2nd Year Female -- Class 2010

Campus Aesthetics: A+, Surrounding City: F