Admissions Blog

Another popular question I have heard during my time in the Philadelphia area is: "What is the best way to get to your campus?" Having spent 4 years as a student and 2 years on staff, I can assure you that I have taken the drive many times and have found the best routes from Philly to Burlington.

Quick fact - Burlington has an airport about 3 miles from campus. If you are visiting from outside of New England, flying into BTV (Burlington International Airport) could save time and money. BTV has direct flights to: Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland, Newark, Atlanta, Cincinnati, New York City (JFK and LaGuardia), Chicago, Washington, D.C. (Dulles Airport and National Airport), and Orlando (starting in January). I find that the best deals are usually found through jetblue, orbitz or kayak.com.

Now, if you are driving up from Philly, there are a few different directions you could follow. Either way, it is best to avoid the congested New Jersey Turnpike. Once you are north of Albany, there are two ways you could go. One way is to get off of I-87 at the Fort Anne/White Hall exit 20, where you can meander your way through New York and Vermont by two-lane state roads (shown here.) Or, you can continue north on I-87 and take a ferry across Lake Champlain. There are two different spots to cross the lake coming from the south. However, only the Essex,NY- Charlotte,VT ferry is open year-round (shown here.) I would definitely recommend taking the ferry at least once. Not only does it save some time if you hit it right, it is a beautiful way to enter our Green Mountain state. To get the ferry schedule visit ferries.com. Either way, making the drive will take you around seven hours - including some short pit stops, whereas to fly takes only an hour.

Hope this helps! Bon Voyage!

Posted by Ethan Bernstein at 8:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This past weekend, I hopped on a direct flight from Burlington to my hometown of Philadelphia. My schedule for the next two weeks consists of visiting high schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. So far, I have visited nine schools and similar questions seem to pop up. This time of year, the most frequent questions are about our Early Action policies. It got me thinking - it may be time to start a FAQ section of the blog.

Many students are concerned that they won't be able to get all of the required materials in by Nov 1 - their application, common app supplement, high school transcript, mid-year grades, teacher recommendations, and SAT or ACT scores. Well, you will be relieved to know that if you submit your application, and the supplement if you are using the Common Application, by November first, your application will be considered for Early Action. Send the remaining requirements as soon as you can, so that you can hear back by mid December.

I hope this helps to alleviate some of the pressure you might be feeling.
Also, be sure to check out the useful applying to UVM checklist for any other questions you might have.

Feel free to ask your own questions, and I will be sure to get back to you.

Posted by Ethan Bernstein at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

UVM held its first of three annual open house events yesterday! Cooler temperatures and a little rain greeted approximately 500 visitors to campus. Prospective students and families toured campus, heard from Admissions and Financial Aid staff, and met with representatives from our seven colleges and schools. We were excited to see many visitors who had traveled great distances to attend this program. I met with prospective students from Atlanta, San Francisco, and Philadelphia who were all very excited to see UVM's campus first hand. I will be traveling to Atlanta and Philadelphia this fall, so it's great to make some connections with students from these areas.

Pictured below: Visitors browse through the academic fair held in the new Grand Maple Ballroom on the 4th floor of the Davis Center.

These events have become very popular, so be sure to rsvp online before they fill up. If the open house dates don't work for you, we have many other visit options available. Tours and information sessions are offered Monday-Saturday. Check out the admissions visit calender to see what day fits best into your schedule.

Posted by Ethan Bernstein at 8:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When visiting colleges, it might be difficult to gauge the strength and size of an alumni network. If you are visiting Burlington this weekend, this will not be a problem. October 4th-7th is Homecoming and Family Weekend at UVM. Hotels are sold-out, dinner reservations have been made, and the streets of Vermont's largest city will certainly be more congested than usual. There is no better time to witness how dedicated and active UVM alum's remain years after graduating.

As an alum, this weekend is always a highlight of the fall semester. A list of events happening on and off-campus can be found at the homecoming and family weekend website. My recommendation's include: The Dudley H. Davis Center Dedication, a Lake Champlain Cruise, the Men's Soccer Game against Albany, an evening concert featuring Guster, and if the weather cooperates - a hike up Mt. Mansfield. If you haven't had the opportunity to tour the new Davis Center, I would definitely recommend attending one of the tours running throughout the building all weekend.

Posted by Ethan Bernstein at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)