You’ve dreamed of an admissions letter that reads “Accepted. You’re in!”

A cohort of students (20-30) who were waitlisted on the UVM Admissions admittance and invited to attend this program. In this program you will be taking first year core requirement courses and will transfer as a Sophomore when you’ve successfully completed the program. The program allows you to take courses, demonstrate your academic abilities, meet new friends, live in apartment-style accommodations and make progress toward your degree.

Complete the form available through a link in your invitation email. Accept this special invitation by May 15 and pay a $500 acceptance fee to secure your spot on first come first serve, space available basis.

As a Catamount Advance student you will hold non-degree student status. Upon successful completion of the Catamount Advance Program, beginning with Sophomore year your status will change to undergraduate student.

Students will select an individualized course of study with an academic advisor. Courses will fulfill general education requirements as well as introduce the student to potential majors or areas of interest.

In both the fall and the spring semesters, students also take required 1-credit courses that help them acquire academic success strategies (CAS 1100) and explore majors (CAS 1900).

If, under extraordinary circumstances, a student is unable to complete required courses, they must consult with their Advisor to assess the possibility of meeting program requirements. If feasible, an approved plan will be devised to ensure students remain on track for full matriculation in their sophomore year (provided the minimum GPA requirement is met).

Should it be necessary for students to undertake summer coursework to fulfill program requirements, these courses must be completed at UVM. Students are limited to one course per summer session.

Students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.50 in the fall semester to be eligible to continue in the Catamount Advance program for the spring semester.

Notification regarding students’ standing in the program will be provided in writing by the Associate Dean for Student Success once final grades are posted at the end of the fall semester.

Students must achieve a 2.80 cumulative grade point average at the end of the spring semester to be eligible for matriculation as sophomores the following fall semester.

Finally, students must earn a minimum grade of C in CAS 1100 (fall course on academic success strategies) and CAS 1990 (spring course on exploring majors), to successfully complete the program.

You’ll live at Spinner Place, a suite-style student apartment building, in Winooski with fellow Catamount Advance students. UVM Residential Life staff will be on-site at Spinner Place to facilitate the residential experience. Take a Virtual Tour of Spinner Place.

There is no parking available for Catamount Advance students on campus at UVM or at Spinner Place.

All Catamount Advance students will have access to our local Green Mountain Transit (GMT) system to get to the main campus for class, campus clubs, events and more. All GMT is unlimited access and fare-free with your valid UVM ID. There is a dedicated Spinner Place stop on the GMT route.

Check the schedule below to plan.

#2 Essex (ridegmt.com)

Spinner Place is approximately 1.2 miles from campus and many people regularly walk the pedestrian-friendly route from main campus to Winooski.

No, you will have your own bedroom, but share a common space with 3 other people. This is ideal for getting to know others in the Catamount Advance Program and you will all be living at Spinner Place.

Move in day for Catamount Advance students will be announced. Orientation will begin later that day.

Student Accessibility Services
Phone: 802-656-7753
Fax: 802-656-0739
Email: access@uvm.edu

You can purchase a meal plan to access on-campus dining. Alternatively, you can eat at any of the great local restaurants in Winooski or purchase groceries and cook in Spinner Place.

Yes, you will be encouraged to engage in all things UVM, including joining fellow students in our 250+ clubs and organizations.

You will be assigned an Academic Advisor and will have access to all the academic support resources available to UVM Students.

During your Catamount Advance year you will not be eligible for Federal or University financial aid. You may be eligible for private education loans. Vermont residents may be eligible to apply for an Advancement Grant through VSAC and out-of-state residents can check with their state grant agency.

UVM offers a monthly payment plan option for the fall and spring semesters, allowing you to spread payment  over up to 5 payments per semester. Learn more about payment options available at UVM.

Catamount Advance program students are not eligible for institutional scholarships. We encourage you to begin looking at our outside scholarship resources webpage. Though many outside scholarships may not be available until you enter into your undergraduate degree program after successful completion of the Catamount Advance program, it is a good idea to get familiar with those for which you would like to apply and their respective processes and deadlines

Your bill will be available online around July 10 and will be due on August 16, 2024 by 4:30 PM (EDT), for the fall semester. Spring bills will be available around December 3. Billing notifications will be sent to your UVM email once they are ready to view online. Your bill will include tuition and fees as well as your housing at Spinner Place. You can learn more about billing, including how to view your bill and respond to your bill on the Student Financial Services billing and payment due dates page. Meal plans are purchased separately directly from Dining Services.

If you will be giving someone access to view your bill we encourage you to set them up with Proxy Access. By providing them with account & billing access you authorize Student Financial Services to speak with that person about your bill.

Yes, you will participate in the fall orientation with other new UVM students. Orientation will begin on Wednesday, August 21 and ends on Sunday August 25, and is mandatory for all new students

Catamount Advance students are expected to complete a minimum of 30 credits as part of the CatAd program to matriculate as a student with sophomore standing. We recognize that some students may begin their undergraduate careers at UVM with Advanced Placement (AP) credit.

Students with AP credit should:

• Submit their AP scores to the University of Vermont prior to their arrival on campus in August. Students can do so by requesting their scores be sent directly from the College Board using UVM’s college code: 3920. Students will be able to view their transfer credit in the myUVM portal, once scores have been received, by clicking on the transfer credit link under the Registrar tab.
• If a student earns AP credit for a course which is part of the CatAd curriculum, they may work with their CatAd advisor to find a suitable substitute.
• Students may elect to still take a course for which they received a qualifying score on the AP examination if they want to gain greater knowledge/skills in a specific area of study. If they plan to take the course, the grade they receive for the UVM course will supersede and cancel out the general transfer credits they receive for the AP score.

Students will select an individualized course of study with an academic advisor. Courses will fulfill general education requirements as well as introduce the student to potential majors or areas of interest.

Yes, all successfully completed Catamount Advance courses will count toward completion of your degree.

If you drop or withdraw from a course or courses, UVM will follow this tuition refund schedule.

Tuition and fee charges are based on the number of enrolled credits, so it is important that you understand how changes in enrollment can impact those costs. If you drop or withdraw from a course or courses, UVM will follow the tuition refund for PACE students. The Catamount Advance program is designed to keep you on track for completion of your program in four years. If you are unable to maintain full-time status this may impact your ability to successfully complete the CatAd program.

Yes. Matthew Claeys (Matthew.Claeys@uvm.edu), will be your Catamount Advance Program academic advisor.

You will not need to reapply. Your status will change to a full-time undergraduate student if you satisfy the program requirements at the end of the year by successfully completing all courses and maintaining the required GPA.

Please follow this link (https://account.uvm.edu/netid-setup) to activate your UVM Net ID. Once activated, you can access Student Financial Services, E-mail and other important information through your myUVM portal.

Living at Spinner Place does give you a different experience than living on campus but you will be with everyone else in your Catamount Advance cohort. Previous students have found this very valuable and they have made friends for life. You will have the opportunity to meet others on campus and participate in club activities.

Club Activities

So many clubs and organizations on campus. Take a look and get involved!

Club Sports

Take advantage of being on a club sports team!  Club Sports | Department of Student Life | The University of Vermont (uvm.edu)

Yes. Take a tour of campus before coming. Visit this campus map to get the lay of the land.

Campus Map | University of Vermont (uvm.edu)