Thoughts on Middlebury?

[Anonymous]

Looking at this school...can anymore shed some light? Plus/negatives - only honest assessments please!

[Anonymous]

My DC applied. Really liked the overnight visit there. Is concerned about it being a little remote and small. Likes the international relations/language options.

[Anonymous]

Google "Middlebury College 9/ll desecration of memorial" I think the school has handled it badly. http://www.addison-eagle.com/news/2013/sep/24/911-memorial-desecration-middlebury-student-senate/

[Anonymous]

How else could they have handled it?

[Anonymous]

I graduated from there 15 years ago and loved it. It's a great school but not for everyone. It is small and isolated. That works for some kids and not others so your kid needs to figure that out .

I grew up in a big city but relished the small town feel. We didn't lock our doors and always felt safe. There are tons of outdoor activities and its obviously a great place to be if you are a skier.
Academics are great and it seems to me that the student body is getting smarter every year as the school becomes more selective. I loved the small classes and got to know all of my professors very well.
Many kids go away for all or part of their junior year as Middlebury has many programs abroad. This is such a wonderful opportunity and I am glad for my semester in Europe. Because so many kids go away there is no sense of missing out if you do.

[Anonymous]

My DD is there, first choice, she applied ED and got in, initially was supposed to play sport there but in the end injury prevented participation, however would have chosen school even without being recruited as an athlete. Was a NMSF and competitive for top Ivys but always wanted Middlebury because wanted small but not too small (too small were Haverford, Amherst even despite 5 college system), not too preppy-conservative (Williams) but not too crunchy-druggy (Wesleyan), beautiful and near outdoor activities/hiking but not too isolated (Williams). In the end other schools she strongly considered were Bowdoin and Pomona. She loves it, lots of smart students and challenging classes, really likes the very large and diverse international student presence, and the spectrum of backgrounds and political views (surprisingly so). Campus is gorgeous, outdoor activities unsurpassed, and she likes Burlington as a small nearby city with good music scene (but having a car is a big plus for getting to Burlington or further cities to see friends and do city-type stuff, Boston is less than 4 hours, NYC about 4 hours). Likes lack of Greek system. Food is really good. She is focused on languages/international affairs, and that is clearly a strength of the school, but she has friends who are premed and also very happy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD is there, first choice, she applied ED and got in, initially was supposed to play sport there but in the end injury prevented participation, however would have chosen school even without being recruited as an athlete. Was a NMSF and competitive for top Ivys but always wanted Middlebury because wanted small but not too small (too small were Haverford, Amherst even despite 5 college system), not too preppy-conservative (Williams) but not too crunchy-druggy (Wesleyan), beautiful and near outdoor activities/hiking but not too isolated (Williams). In the end other schools she strongly considered were Bowdoin and Pomona. She loves it, lots of smart students and challenging classes, really likes the very large and diverse international student presence, and the spectrum of backgrounds and political views (surprisingly so). Campus is gorgeous, outdoor activities unsurpassed, and she likes Burlington as a small nearby city with good music scene (but having a car is a big plus for getting to Burlington or further cities to see friends and do city-type stuff, Boston is less than 4 hours, NYC about 4 hours). Likes lack of Greek system. Food is really good. She is focused on languages/international affairs, and that is clearly a strength of the school, but she has friends who are premed and also very happy

Very helpful. What size was her high school? My DC is also being recruited but decided not to apply ED (might still do ED2). Size is the biggest concern coming from a big high school.

[Anonymous]

PP, what are odds your DC drops out? Have heard of dropouts from Middlebury from DC....

[Anonymous]

All very helpful information. Anyone know how "liberal" the school is?

[Anonymous]

'04. There is a reason it is called club midd. The facilities are all top notch, in most cases as good as if not better than a school 10 times its size. Amazing place and I loved it. From a large public in the dc area. Definitely felt unprepared even though I went to a w school.

Not liberal at all. More like range rover liberal. Tons of kids from old money, who like to pretend they are all Eco friendly in their north face.

Great reputation among employers and grad schools.

[Anonymous]

What is a w school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is a w school?

Whitman, Wootton, Winston Churchill, Walter Johnson. B-CC is in the club these days too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:'04. There is a reason it is called club midd. The facilities are all top notch, in most cases as good as if not better than a school 10 times its size. Amazing place and I loved it. From a large public in the dc area. Definitely felt unprepared even though I went to a w school.

Not liberal at all. More like range rover liberal. Tons of kids from old money, who like to pretend they are all Eco friendly in their north face.

Great reputation among employers and grad schools.

[Anonymous]

Not OP, just a parent with a child who's interested - thank you PPs for your very helpful posts!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is a w school?

Whitman, Churchill, and Walter Johnson. Some people have expanded recently to include wooton.