Sometimes the path to the right college experience isn’t short or straight. If you’re a transfer student, chances are you’ve experienced at least one other stop—not to mention a few twists and turns—along the way before arriving at your final educational destination. Sometimes the first school is too big or too small, too near or too far, too urban or too rural. Sometimes it’s a two-year college that leaves you longing for a four-year experience. Sometimes you like the school just fine, but something happens that makes it impossible to stay. But regardless of the reason for transferring, one thing’s for certain: There will be both rewards and challenges on the journey.

We would like to introduce you to nine undergrads who found the academic home and community they’d been searching for in UVM’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) after transferring from a wide variety of other schools. Let’s begin with a pair of students who were in the unique position to make the transition together.

Olivia Montle of Boulder, Colorado, graduated from Front Range Community College in nearby Fort Collins with their associate’s degree in 2022. They knew they wanted to transfer to a four-year school to earn their bachelor’s degree and was also intrigued by the idea of moving to the East Coast. While researching northeastern public universities with strong art history programs, they discovered UVM and arranged to come for a tour.

Meanwhile, Trey Devries was in his third semester as an English major at Colorado University (CU)/Boulder. Originally from Superior, CO, he had taken a gap year-and-a-half between high school and CU, and while college was going okay, he wasn’t sure he was in the right place to achieve his dream of becoming an English teacher.

That’s when fate intervened. Devries and Montle, who had been friends in high school, reconnected in the fall of 2022. They soon became a couple—and quickly realized that neither wanted a long-distance relationship. As luck would have it, Devries found himself really liking what he was hearing about UVM from Montle, so he, too, set up a visit

Fast-forward to fall 2024. Montle and Devries now live in Burlington and attend UVM after transferring last year. Montle, a senior who will graduate in December 2025, is an art history major with a minor in studio art. Devries, an English major and writing minor, is a second-semester junior who will graduate in May 2026, after which he’ll begin an accelerated master’s program in education. Both are happy they made the switch. “The best part of the transfer is that I feel more involved in the community,” Devries says. “People are friendlier and more willing to engage than at my old school.” Montle, whose previous college experience had been completely remote, agrees. “I’m part of the Campus Arts Projects internship class and I’ve made so many connections,” they say. “I love that I’m able to involve myself a lot more on campus.”

Of course, there have been some challenges. “It takes a lot of work both physically and mentally to get here,” Montle says. “As a transfer student, you have to make your own way, since there’s not as much assistance as there is for freshmen.” They and Devries both note that it was hard making friends at first. “I’m older than many of my classmates because of the gap year and the transfer, and sometimes it feels like there’s a big experiential disparity,” Devries says. Both wish UVM had a better system to help transfer students find places to live. While the couple had originally planned to live apart, affordable apartments were scarce, so they ended up moving in together and adding an additional roommate.

But together, they’re making it work and have no regrets about coming to UVM. “I’m still finding my place, but it’s getting easier,” Montle says. Hearing that, Devries nods in agreement, adding. “I feel more at home at UVM than I expected to.”

While Devries and Montle have had each other to rely on, most of CAS’s transfer students end up navigating the transition—and life at a whole new school—solo. Let’s check in with some of them to hear about their experiences.

young person with long light brown hair and light gray/blue/green sweatshirt standing by tree outside classroom building

Will Trevisan ‘26

Major/minor: History major, English minor

Hometown: Duxbury, MA

Transferred from: High Point University, High Point, NC

“High Point is a relatively conservative, religious university, and as a person of queer identity, I didn’t feel comfortable in an environment with a majority of students opposing my social and political ideologies. My parents encouraged me to apply to UVM and I had friends here already, and after touring I felt it was a good fit for me. People are a lot more accepting of differences here and a lot kinder than they were at my previous school. Now, I feel as though I’m in an environment with people that genuinely care about me and want me to succeed. In fact, my biggest challenge since transferring has been finding the time to do everything I want to do!”

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Elsa Althoff ‘25

Major/minor: Theatre major, individually designed minor in social justice and human

diversity

Hometown: South Hero, VT

Transferred from: Vermont State University, Johnson, VT

“I transferred to UVM after Vermont State University closed my major at their Johnson campus due to budget constraints. The differences between the two universities are like night and day! The number of students alone is a striking difference, and it’s been a challenge to adjust to the larger campus—for the first week I basically got lost every day. But the more I spend time around campus, the easier it gets. In general, there’s a lot more to do at UVM, and I feel like I’ve had more chances for growth here. For example, I’m participating in the Northeast Kingdom Community Resilience Internship Program (funded by the Leahy Center), something I wouldn’t have had access to at my old school. Because I’m a commuter student, sometimes it’s hard to do after-school activities or clubs. But I love how much is going on here! It’s really cool to feel like a part of a big network of students. Also, I’ve met and connected with so many genuinely kind people since transferring here, and that has made the entire process so much easier.”

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Matthew Pickarski ‘25

Major: Anthropology

Hometown: Manchester, VT (originally Philadelphia, PA)

Transferred from: The University of Hawai’i, Hilo, HA

“After being so far away for two years, I felt it was time to come a bit closer to home. Plus, the program at UH Hilo was too small— I’m interested in a broader sphere of cultures and histories. UVM is much larger, which is something I have really enjoyed. The school also provides more resources for its students—having a library open all days of the week was not something that happened at my previous school! I have really appreciated that UVM’s campus does not entirely shut down on the weekends. So, the changes have been mostly for the better. The most difficult thing has been the gaps in communication between the two universities—for a while I was missing an entire semester’s worth of credits from my transcript. That has since been resolved (my advisor has been wonderful), but the inner workings of UVM can be a bit cryptic and hard to navigate. Still, I love how big the school is. I love that, when walking through campus on a random Saturday, I can see club meetings, students studying out in the sun, people walking their dogs, and others lounging on the grass. This campus feels like a community and it’s exciting to be here.”

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Jemma Hoko ‘25

Major/minors: Sociology major, studio art and philosophy double-minor

Hometown: Madison, CT

Transferred from: Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT

“My first semester at UVM was fall of 2021. I hadn’t declared a major at Wesleyan, as you don’t do that until spring of sophomore year, but I’ve always been interested in sociology. I chose to transfer to UVM because I wasn’t happy at Wesleyan, and I realized I would thrive better in a bigger school a little farther from home. The transition was daunting at first, but I quickly found out how welcoming and kind the student body and staff are here. Especially during the pandemic, the social climate at UVM felt distinctly warmer and less isolating. I immediately felt that I had found my place within a strong community. I found my closest friends in my freshman year dorm, and forming relationships with my classmates who share my interests and passions has been incredibly fulfilling. I’ve also been introduced to amazing professors who have really supported and guided me throughout the years. The people I’ve met and connections I’ve made here have been my favorite part of being at UVM.”

young man in blue t-shirt with light brown hair giving peace sign while standing in front of traditional Japanese building surrounded by trees

Will Lagrow ‘26

Majors: Japanese and psychology double-major

Hometown: St. Albans, VT

Transferred from: UMass Boston, Boston, MA

“I chose to transfer to UVM to be closer to home. After studying sociology when I first got here, I switched to psychology with a minor in Japanese. Eventually, my Japanese professor suggested I become a Japanese major, so now I am double-majoring. The atmosphere here at UVM is livelier than at UMass, and the campus is larger and more beautiful. Plus, after taking my first semester of classes here, I noticed I had learned more than I did in the entire year I was at my previous school. One challenge, though, has been getting used to a new environment where, at first, I only knew people who had also come from my hometown and high school. The other was getting social—I felt a little behind because I had joined a year later than the other students in my graduating class. But now that I’ve joined the fun and active community at UVM, I’m really enjoying the people I have met and the experiences  I have been privileged to have. I even founded a club where anyone with an interest in studying Japanese can do so in a fun and interactive space.”

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Lucy Johnson ‘27 

Major/minor: Political science major, environmental science minor

Hometown: Newton, MA

Transferred from: University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia 

“I missed New England so much and knew UVM would have my type of people: crunchy, creative, and fun. Richmond reminded me of my New England private school—the social scene was dominated by business majors and Greek life, and the outdoors club shut down because no one joined. It’s a great school, but it just wasn’t my scene. UVM is crazy different from Richmond. The biggest difference is class size—here I have much bigger lectures. I also prefer Burlington, as it’s much more accessible than Richmond and there is so much more to do. Transferring has been tough, though. Since I was 20 when I arrived, I couldn't live in the dorms like my fellow sophomores. Instead, I live in the new Catamount East building. The commute is a pain and has made it super hard to meet people. Also, no one told me everyone would sign their junior-year apartment leases within the first month of school, so I felt totally left out. But I love UVM. Everyone I have met, friend of a friend or classmate, is willing to have a conversation with me and wants to know about me. I also love how much everyone loves the outdoors, which was NOT a thing at Richmond!” 

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Charlie Kimmich ‘26

Major/minor: English major, Chinese minor

Hometown: Stowe, VT

Transferred from: Penn State University, University Park, PA

“In my first year of college at Penn State, I was not adjusting very well to being so far away from home and was unsure about where I would like to point my future career. I transferred to UVM because I thought that being closer to home would give me a greater sense of direction and stability. Initially, though, I was in the same boat as I had been at Penn State—I selected a film major simply because I didn’t know what else to major in. Eventually, though, UVM helped me come into myself and pointed me to the future I would like to have: going to law school. Getting involved in student life at UVM—particularly my fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi, and the Mock Trial Society—has helped me make new connections and find things that I am passionate about. My professors have helped push me academically; I went from consistently missing homework assignments to obtaining a 4.0 throughout multiple semesters. My favorite part about UVM, though, is that it’s so close to nature and outdoor activities. Overall, I am very happy with my choice to transfer to UVM, and I have found my home and my future in the Green Mountains.”

 

Finding a community and a path to the future here in the Green Mountains is a common thread among so many of CAS’s transfer students. Another thread? Having the resilience and determination to find just the right social and academic fit. Gather those threads together and you have an essential part of the glorious tapestry that is UVM. Welcome home, everyone.

 

Aware of the barriers faced by many of our transfer students, UVM’s College of Arts and Sciences has appointed a dedicated counselor who will be working to help ease some of those challenges. This is a new position currently being developed, with more information to come soon.