Experience with Middlebury College?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard they're going through serious fiscal trouble at Middlebury.

Not sure about “serious.” They have a $14M budget deficit this year, of which $9M is from the Middlebury Institute in California. They also have a $1.4B endowment and sub 14% acceptance rate. I’m sure they’ll be just fine.

They have had huge budget deficits for 5 years running; it is not just Monterey but declining enrollment in all Midd schools abroad. They raised enrollment by over 10% due to budget issues. They increased the proportion of ED students dramatically two years ago. Because of budget issues. Duh.

[Anonymous]

they overenrolled one year - during covid, many colleges did, my kid was at Purdue - and then returned to normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The video of Middlebury College in March was depressing. The NE US is not a good place to be in Feb or March--especially if affected by SAD.

Geez it’s not upstate NY or Ohio. New England isn’t that bad. I went to college in New Hampshire and always thought it was so pretty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A classmate of my kid’s who was genuinely a terrible student who struggled with any form of rigor or expectations was admitted thanks to a rec from a dean who was a friend of her parents. Makes a bad impression.

Sure, if you say so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard they're going through serious fiscal trouble at Middlebury.

Not sure about “serious.” They have a $14M budget deficit this year, of which $9M is from the Middlebury Institute in California. They also have a $1.4B endowment and sub 14% acceptance rate. I’m sure they’ll be just fine.

They have had huge budget deficits for 5 years running; it is not just Monterey but declining enrollment in all Midd schools abroad. They raised enrollment by over 10% due to budget issues. They increased the proportion of ED students dramatically two years ago. Because of budget issues. Duh.

More nonsense. They are raising enrollment by about 50-75 kids overall because they built a new dorm with…wait for it….50 more beds. Everything else you are spouting is nonsense except for MIIS having a nagging budget deficit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middlebury’s okay, but there are much better LACs with more rigorous academics and student diversity.

And.....Vermont.

No thanks.

Vermont is amazing. I’m a Midd alum and I know so many other alumni who have settled in Vermont, including several who grew up in Southern CA. Vermont gets into your heart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middlebury’s okay, but there are much better LACs with more rigorous academics and student diversity.

And.....Vermont.

No thanks.

Vermont is amazing. I’m a Midd alum and I know so many other alumni who have settled in Vermont, including several who grew up in Southern CA. Vermont gets into your heart.

+1

[Anonymous]

You said you are coming from the Southwest. Does your kid ski or snowboard? I like Middlebury a lot but would be very hesitant about signing up for rural Vermont winters sight unseen

It is cold and dark and gray from November through April, so you need to be prepared for that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard they're going through serious fiscal trouble at Middlebury.

Not sure about “serious.” They have a $14M budget deficit this year, of which $9M is from the Middlebury Institute in California. They also have a $1.4B endowment and sub 14% acceptance rate. I’m sure they’ll be just fine.

They have had huge budget deficits for 5 years running; it is not just Monterey but declining enrollment in all Midd schools abroad. They raised enrollment by over 10% due to budget issues. They increased the proportion of ED students dramatically two years ago. Because of budget issues. Duh.

More nonsense. They are raising enrollment by about 50-75 kids overall because they built a new dorm with…wait for it….50 more beds. Everything else you are spouting is nonsense except for MIIS having a nagging budget deficit.

They increased enrollment by 300 in 2021 to 2800, said every year they were going back down to 2500 — and that the enrollment increase was temporary — and then (after applications were in this year; info sessions for the class of 2029 said enrollment would return to 2500) only recently announced that the increase is permanent.

Here is the cite from institutional research itself:
https://www.middlebury.edu/assessment-institutional-research/institutional-data/middlebury-college

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have people been on campus outside of the fall? For the most part it is drab, homogenous gray architecture and definitely doesn't give a country club vibe. I wouldn't pin it as gorgeous in the way that peers like Williams, Pomona, or Swarthmore is. For anyone who is interested but hasn't been on campus:

Here are some additional videos not shot on a dreary March day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfTbWPCr528

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EnDAeK2sM0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4ILRjR3tPM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N9cK4hya4k

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Middlebury’s okay, but there are much better LACs with more rigorous academics and student diversity.

Can you elaborate? How do you measure academic rigor?

[Anonymous]

My child loves Middlebury and it is a great fit academically and socially. OP--I'm really not sure why you are posting on here in terms of what you are expecting to learn but this DC mom is very happy with child's choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard they're going through serious fiscal trouble at Middlebury.

Not sure about “serious.” They have a $14M budget deficit this year, of which $9M is from the Middlebury Institute in California. They also have a $1.4B endowment and sub 14% acceptance rate. I’m sure they’ll be just fine.

They have had huge budget deficits for 5 years running; it is not just Monterey but declining enrollment in all Midd schools abroad. They raised enrollment by over 10% due to budget issues. They increased the proportion of ED students dramatically two years ago. Because of budget issues. Duh.

More nonsense. They are raising enrollment by about 50-75 kids overall because they built a new dorm with…wait for it….50 more beds. Everything else you are spouting is nonsense except for MIIS having a nagging budget deficit.

They increased enrollment by 300 in 2021 to 2800, said every year they were going back down to 2500 — and that the enrollment increase was temporary — and then (after applications were in this year; info sessions for the class of 2029 said enrollment would return to 2500) only recently announced that the increase is permanent.

Here is the cite from institutional research itself:
https://www.middlebury.edu/assessment-institutional-research/institutional-data/middlebury-college

I think all these 2000-kid schools should increase by a few hundred. They're only adding non-athletes (since those spots top out) which helps make the campuses less athlete heavy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The video of Middlebury College in March was depressing. The NE US is not a good place to be in Feb or March--especially if affected by SAD.

Geez it’s not upstate NY or Ohio. New England isn’t that bad. I went to college in New Hampshire and always thought it was so pretty.

What’s with the dish on upstate New York. Williamstown is essentially in Albany and is drop-dead gorgeous year round

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have people been on campus outside of the fall? For the most part it is drab, homogenous gray architecture and definitely doesn't give a country club vibe. I wouldn't pin it as gorgeous in the way that peers like Williams, Pomona, or Swarthmore is. For anyone who is interested but hasn't been on campus:

Here are some additional videos not shot on a dreary March day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfTbWPCr528

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EnDAeK2sM0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4ILRjR3tPM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N9cK4hya4k

A bunch of aerial views selected at a particular time of year. Most of the year, middlebury is going to look like what the first poster showed. If you can’t handle drab, New England is not gonna be a good fit for a majority of the school year.