University of Vermont Top Questions

Is the stereotype of students at University of Vermont accurate?

Madison

The drugs thing, yes, most of the students here like using a wide array of substances. But I have also met students that will not even drink and have never smoked a cigarette. I personally find UVM challenging, I have a double major in Political Science and History and have met some people that think it is a breeze. These people are obviously not getting great grades.

Ben

Yea kids at UVM smoke pot but you're gonna find that at any school no matter how large or small. As for the hippies, in the past two years here I've noticed a definite decline in the people your average person would call hippies but seemingly all the good things from hippie culture remain such as the music (minus the drum circles) and the friendliness. The people here are by far the friendliest I have encountered.

Quinn

Those stereotypes are true for some of the student body here but not all. There is weed at any school you attend, it is just more abundant and more accepted at this school. Not everyone smokes, as there are the athletes, healthy lifestyle-living, and those who just do not smoke. People of all types attend UVM which makes it very diverse.

Lauren

In some ways the stereotypes are correct--we do still have a lot of political activism on campus, and many students consider themselves very liberal. However, the sincereity of our open-mindedness has changed. Too many people are close-minded to conservatives, which makes our entire liberal steroetype kind of inaccurate. The student body is changing too, since UVM has become sort of a "hot school", people just apply here now for the prestige, and not for the "groovy", political atmosphere UVM is known for.

Kate

I would certainly say that the stereotype of UVM being a party school is true. However, in the past few years as the administration has implemented and strongly advocated for the dry-residence hall policy, these ideas are slowly diminishing as the both applicant and student pools are becoming more prestegious. Of course there are members of the community who choose to stay away from the "work hard, party hard" which too is strongly accepted, but I would say the majority of students enjoy their Thirsty Thursdays a bit more than most. As far as the stereotype that UVM is simply the back-up "Groovy-UV", I have been pleasantly surprised to see more and more in-state and out-of state students enroll with the highest opinion of the University. There has been a great push with the current administration to attract more valedictorians and student leaders, which I think is helping to take a step back and reevaluate the UVM stereotype of "Groovy-UV", so I would say this is not as true, or at least in comparison to the past.

Alex

somewhat. the "trustafarians" arent overwhelming. there's more just normal kids than anything--not too preppy, not too hippy. however the school is just as white as its reputation indicates.

Josh

We have our share of those types of people but there are also plenty of religious people at UVM. Yes the student body does tend to be liberal, however there are plenty of people who are not hippies.

Bill

all stereotypes have some factual basis, but they are never always true.

Jeremy

Somewhat

Alex(andra)

There are certainly students who advocate many liberal causes very vocally, but I think there's a more ho-hum majority that would generally like to recycle and what-not, but they don't really care that much. As for the pot; it's around, but it certainly isn't everywhere.