Middlebury vs Tufts?

[Anonymous]

Middlebury has suffered under Laurie Patton. Thankfully a new president will be named in the coming months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Middlebury has suffered under Laurie Patton. Thankfully a new president will be named in the coming months.

This I agree with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Middlebury is knocking down an old dorm to build a new art museum, thereby creating an arts quad. Construction of the new museum won't be completed until 2028, though.

https://www.middlebury.edu/announcements/announcements/2024/12/trustees-select-architect-design-new-art-museum

Although the new museum won't be finished until incoming students are juniors or seniors, I can see this presenting a unique opportunity to get an inside look at the design and construction of an art museum.

[Anonymous]

According to the college newspaper at Middlebury, over 90% graduate with Latin honors and 56% graduate summa cum laude. This suggests that the school has widespread grade inflation and is less than rigorous.

Middlebury College has a housing shortages and some financial woe

Middlebury College is ranked at #19 among LACs by US News.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Middlebury has suffered under Laurie Patton. Thankfully a new president will be named in the coming months.

What has she done? The school is better financial health than when she entered

[Anonymous]

I have no connection to Midd whatsoever, but all grading systems are relative. That doesn't say much about rigor. More importantly, AFAIK, Midd grads have great outcomes regardless of any grade inflation. Somebody definitely has an axe to grind against Middlebury.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no connection to Midd whatsoever, but all grading systems are relative. That doesn't say much about rigor. More importantly, AFAIK, Midd grads have great outcomes regardless of any grade inflation. Somebody definitely has an axe to grind against Middlebury.

Id be pretty concerned if 90% of people are getting honors that the school my DS is going to has very little rigor. We’re not a trust fund family and can’t rely on daddy for an IB internship, so facilitating hard work and grit is paramount.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middlebury has suffered under Laurie Patton. Thankfully a new president will be named in the coming months.

What has she done? The school is better financial health than when she entered

I think that she was just "Mid" as far as things go. I don't know of anything bad, but nothing great stands out either. She handled the Murray incident ok, and the student deaths incidents ok, keeping them from spiraling out of hand but not a deft touch in either.

She went 8 years between capital campaigns so even if in better shape she was slow to drive the endowment. It should be $2B by now.

[Anonymous]

I think of Middlebury as a “better” school but know tons of kids at Tufts. Tufts seems to have exceptionally broad appeal. The kids I know there are smart kids with lots of non academic interests, studying different things: biology, math, IR, physics. I doubt they considered Midd — I think Tufts’ size and location were major draws.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think of Middlebury as a “better” school but know tons of kids at Tufts. Tufts seems to have exceptionally broad appeal. The kids I know there are smart kids with lots of non academic interests, studying different things: biology, math, IR, physics. I doubt they considered Midd — I think Tufts’ size and location were major draws.

Medford? It’s not interesting at all and difficult to get into Boston. The campus also sucks, and the student energy is very low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middlebury has suffered under Laurie Patton. Thankfully a new president will be named in the coming months.

What has she done? The school is better financial health than when she entered

I think that she was just "Mid" as far as things go. I don't know of anything bad, but nothing great stands out either. She handled the Murray incident ok, and the student deaths incidents ok, keeping them from spiraling out of hand but not a deft touch in either.

She went 8 years between capital campaigns so even if in better shape she was slow to drive the endowment. It should be $2B by now.

LAC endowments have all trended toward slow growth. The only school with notable recent endowment performance is CMC, but most schools are moving towards sustainable funding over big campaigns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think of Middlebury as a “better” school but know tons of kids at Tufts. Tufts seems to have exceptionally broad appeal. The kids I know there are smart kids with lots of non academic interests, studying different things: biology, math, IR, physics. I doubt they considered Midd — I think Tufts’ size and location were major draws.

Medford? It’s not interesting at all and difficult to get into Boston. The campus also sucks, and the student energy is very low.

Difficult? There's a subway stop *on campus.*

I agree with you about Medford (dull suburb), but my kid and I both liked the campus.

Also, Middlebury boasts about being a 3-hour drive from Boston (it's really more like 3.5 or 4 hours), so if we're talking about the location of these two specific schools, Tufts wins hands down. Unless, that is, your kid specifically prefers rural schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People are tripping over themselves on the museum bit and completely forgetting Op’s child’s major: English. Middlebury simply blows tufts out of the water for English.

Actually, OP said English *and chemistry.* Tufts is much stronger in chemistry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are tripping over themselves on the museum bit and completely forgetting Op’s child’s major: English. Middlebury simply blows tufts out of the water for English.

Actually, OP said English *and chemistry.* Tufts is much stronger in chemistry.

In what way and according to what source? They’re about equal in chemistry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have no connection to Midd whatsoever, but all grading systems are relative. That doesn't say much about rigor. More importantly, AFAIK, Midd grads have great outcomes regardless of any grade inflation. Somebody definitely has an axe to grind against Middlebury.

Id be pretty concerned if 90% of people are getting honors that the school my DS is going to has very little rigor. We’re not a trust fund family and can’t rely on daddy for an IB internship, so facilitating hard work and grit is paramount.

Again, having a high percentage of honor students doesn't negate rigor or reduce career opportunities. Show me more direct evidence--e.g., Midd grads struggling in grad school or failing to find jobs similar to the NESCAC peers.