Applications down at Middlebury

[Anonymous]

Let’s not confuse things w facts. We have one enthusiastic Midd hater here. Let her cook!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Majoring in Russian or Political Science in the middle of nowhere for $100k a year is less appealing to GenZ and their families than it used to be.

Also skiing in Vermont had declined in quality due to rising temps. Kids who really love to ski now go to school in Colorado.

As someone who legitimately studied Russian at Middlebury many years ago, this was kind of my first thought. If the school's strength is in teaching foreign languages and that's one of those areas where AI can now do all the translating, etc. then it doesn't make economic sense to spend four years learning this skill -- and I am saying this with great sadness as someone who loves Russian poetry and literature, etc. If I were a professor of a foreign language, I'm be concerned that my job would soon be going away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Majoring in Russian or Political Science in the middle of nowhere for $100k a year is less appealing to GenZ and their families than it used to be.

Also skiing in Vermont had declined in quality due to rising temps. Kids who really love to ski now go to school in Colorado.

As someone who legitimately studied Russian at Middlebury many years ago, this was kind of my first thought. If the school's strength is in teaching foreign languages and that's one of those areas where AI can now do all the translating, etc. then it doesn't make economic sense to spend four years learning this skill -- and I am saying this with great sadness as someone who loves Russian poetry and literature, etc. If I were a professor of a foreign language, I'm be concerned that my job would soon be going away.

The professors are fine, but the grad students should be horrified

[Anonymous]

Application numbers are down at a lot of colleges. This isn’t just a Midd thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Majoring in Russian or Political Science in the middle of nowhere for $100k a year is less appealing to GenZ and their families than it used to be.

Also skiing in Vermont had declined in quality due to rising temps. Kids who really love to ski now go to school in Colorado.

As someone who legitimately studied Russian at Middlebury many years ago, this was kind of my first thought. If the school's strength is in teaching foreign languages and that's one of those areas where AI can now do all the translating, etc. then it doesn't make economic sense to spend four years learning this skill -- and I am saying this with great sadness as someone who loves Russian poetry and literature, etc. If I were a professor of a foreign language, I'm be concerned that my job would soon be going away.

Fewer than 5% of Middlebury students major in foreign languages.

[Anonymous]

Last president was well respected but indecisive. New president just started.

For those interested in the school, it might be useful to listen to his welcome speech.

https://www.middlebury.edu/announcements/announcements/2025/06/message-president-ian-baucom-greeting-and-gratitude

[Anonymous]

We really liked Middlebury's size (a bit larger than many LAC) and social culture but it is only classic liberal arts: math, biology, English, Spanish, History, etc.

Bowdoin, Davidson, etc have more hybrid degrees and updated majors which appealed to my kid.

In the end she decided on a large state school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Application numbers are down at a lot of colleges. This isn’t just a Midd thing.

Yea, this. Middlebury isn't a WASP school and is never gonna be. It's in the group of LACs where admit rates will be between 10 and 15 percent, and that's plenty selective.

[Anonymous]

For some reason Midd is the hardest NESCAC admit for our NJ public high school, both ED and RD. Here are the numbers over the past six years (and I'm sure ED numbers at all schools include recruited athletes):

Midd -- 6 percent total, 23 percent ED
Tufts -- 10 percent total, 39 percent ED
Bowdoin -- 12 percent total, 67 percent ED
Williams -- 12 percent total, 86 percent ED
Amherst -- 13 percent total, 50 percent ED
Wesleyan -- 14 percent total, n/a ED
Colby -- 17 percent total, 100 percent ED
Bates -- 22 percent total, 40 percent ED
Hamilton -- 23 percent total, 100 percent ED
Trinity -- 25 percent total, 50 percent ED
Conn -- 50 percent total, 100 percent ED

[Anonymous]

I think if you come from an UMC family it’s becoming more likely that you have to ED for acceptance- everywhere.

Even public’s are heading that direction.

[Anonymous]

With 2025 US News ranking of 19, MIDD is comparable to Colgate and Richmond. It is not in the same neighborhood of Amherst, Williams and Bowdoin. Colby at 25 is more of a peer. Endowment wise it’s endowment is respectable but pales in comparison to Amherst, Bowdoin, Williams, Wellesley, Smith, Richmond.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s not confuse things w facts. We have one enthusiastic Midd hater here. Let her cook!

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The most troubling thing of all is if the college actually uses this terminology: "the class of 2029 and 2029.5"

2029.5 -- tell me this is a joke.

Feb program has been a thing at Midd forever. They ski down a mountain at their graduation. It’s a whole thing.

I believe that Hamilton does it as well. The idea is to keep the dorms full while kids are studying abroad.

[Anonymous]

CIA not recruiting there anymore

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With 2025 US News ranking of 19, MIDD is comparable to Colgate and Richmond. It is not in the same neighborhood of Amherst, Williams and Bowdoin. Colby at 25 is more of a peer. Endowment wise it’s endowment is respectable but pales in comparison to Amherst, Bowdoin, Williams, Wellesley, Smith, Richmond.

Karen is cooking!