Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is 17 per cent lower acceptance than last year? Or the same? Trying to gauge enrollment cliff.

Last year was 14%.

Oh great news! So it was easier to get in this year? I was getting worried hearing that top school admission rates were all going down - ivy plus, new ivy etc.

So Midd's acceptance rate went from 14% (2025) to 17% (2026)? Do we know if it was driven by fewer people applying ED binding to Midd, or just lower number of overall applications?

They've lowered the number accepted ED. Last year was 519, this year is 491. They greatly increased the number accepted ED during COVID. Perhaps they're starting to bring that number back down?

yes I think it's better they bring that number down. they still have a way to go as it seems like with even 491, that's a huge percentage of the class: 77% of the Fall starts this year were accepted ED, and 65% of the overall class (including the late-start "Febs", which usually aren't included in official numbers).

I think that's still pretty high - 65% or 77% of the class filled by ED.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is 17 per cent lower acceptance than last year? Or the same? Trying to gauge enrollment cliff.

Last year was 14%.

Oh great news! So it was easier to get in this year? I was getting worried hearing that top school admission rates were all going down - ivy plus, new ivy etc.

So Midd's acceptance rate went from 14% (2025) to 17% (2026)? Do we know if it was driven by fewer people applying ED binding to Midd, or just lower number of overall applications?

They've lowered the number accepted ED. Last year was 519, this year is 491. They greatly increased the number accepted ED during COVID. Perhaps they're starting to bring that number back down?

yes I think it's better they bring that number down. they still have a way to go as it seems like with even 491, that's a huge percentage of the class: 77% of the Fall starts this year were accepted ED, and 65% of the overall class (including the late-start "Febs", which usually aren't included in official numbers).

I think that's still pretty high - 65% or 77% of the class filled by ED.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is 17 per cent lower acceptance than last year? Or the same? Trying to gauge enrollment cliff.

Last year was 14%.

Oh great news! So it was easier to get in this year? I was getting worried hearing that top school admission rates were all going down - ivy plus, new ivy etc.

So Midd's acceptance rate went from 14% (2025) to 17% (2026)? Do we know if it was driven by fewer people applying ED binding to Midd, or just lower number of overall applications?

They've lowered the number accepted ED. Last year was 519, this year is 491. They greatly increased the number accepted ED during COVID. Perhaps they're starting to bring that number back down?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is 17 per cent lower acceptance than last year? Or the same? Trying to gauge enrollment cliff.

Last year was 14%.

Oh great news! So it was easier to get in this year? I was getting worried hearing that top school admission rates were all going down - ivy plus, new ivy etc.

So Midd's acceptance rate went from 14% (2025) to 17% (2026)? Do we know if it was driven by fewer people applying ED binding to Midd, or just lower number of overall applications?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do we know why 117 students (1/7 of total enrollment) has a delayed Spring start? Is it because there's more space in Spring to fit them in because Juniors are away on study abroad?

USC is doing this exact same thing to make up some of their budged deficit so maybe that's what Middlebury is trying too?

They do it to fill the beds for the kids who study abroad. Febs are a long and honored tradition at Middlebury.

But then the study-abroad kids return to campus the following fall, and the Febs are there then too. Doesn't that create an overcrowding situation?

Kids study abroad in the fall as well

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is 17 per cent lower acceptance than last year? Or the same? Trying to gauge enrollment cliff.

Last year was 14%.

Oh great news! So it was easier to get in this year? I was getting worried hearing that top school admission rates were all going down - ivy plus, new ivy etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do we know why 117 students (1/7 of total enrollment) has a delayed Spring start? Is it because there's more space in Spring to fit them in because Juniors are away on study abroad?

USC is doing this exact same thing to make up some of their budged deficit so maybe that's what Middlebury is trying too?

They do it to fill the beds for the kids who study abroad. Febs are a long and honored tradition at Middlebury.

But then the study-abroad kids return to campus the following fall, and the Febs are there then too. Doesn't that create an overcrowding situation?

Aha, but then there are younger students studying abroad! The circle of life!

Anonymous wrote:Is 17 per cent lower acceptance than last year? Or the same? Trying to gauge enrollment cliff.

Last year was 14%.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do we know why 117 students (1/7 of total enrollment) has a delayed Spring start? Is it because there's more space in Spring to fit them in because Juniors are away on study abroad?

USC is doing this exact same thing to make up some of their budged deficit so maybe that's what Middlebury is trying too?

Middlebury has had Feb starts for 50 years:

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

Why?

For one thing they fill in housing slots and class slots that are open because of many students taking a spring semester to study abroad. I don't think this is unique to Middlebury.

I wasn’t aware of any other small or mid size schools doing this. It’s mostly large privates who make this custom, and Midd

Hamilton has a January admission program.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do we know why 117 students (1/7 of total enrollment) has a delayed Spring start? Is it because there's more space in Spring to fit them in because Juniors are away on study abroad?

USC is doing this exact same thing to make up some of their budged deficit so maybe that's what Middlebury is trying too?

They do it to fill the beds for the kids who study abroad. Febs are a long and honored tradition at Middlebury.

But then the study-abroad kids return to campus the following fall, and the Febs are there then too. Doesn't that create an overcrowding situation?

Is 17 per cent lower acceptance than last year? Or the same? Trying to gauge enrollment cliff.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do we know why 117 students (1/7 of total enrollment) has a delayed Spring start? Is it because there's more space in Spring to fit them in because Juniors are away on study abroad?

USC is doing this exact same thing to make up some of their budged deficit so maybe that's what Middlebury is trying too?

Middlebury has had Feb starts for 50 years:

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

Why?

For one thing they fill in housing slots and class slots that are open because of many students taking a spring semester to study abroad. I don't think this is unique to Middlebury.

I wasn’t aware of any other small or mid size schools doing this. It’s mostly large privates who make this custom, and Midd

schools with dedicated spring start programs include Middlebury, the University of Miami, Boston College, Colorado College, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Southern California, and St. John’s College.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do we know why 117 students (1/7 of total enrollment) has a delayed Spring start? Is it because there's more space in Spring to fit them in because Juniors are away on study abroad?

USC is doing this exact same thing to make up some of their budged deficit so maybe that's what Middlebury is trying too?

Middlebury has had Feb starts for 50 years:

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

Why?

For one thing they fill in housing slots and class slots that are open because of many students taking a spring semester to study abroad. I don't think this is unique to Middlebury.

I wasn’t aware of any other small or mid size schools doing this. It’s mostly large privates who make this custom, and Midd

Thank you. So the practical reason is to fill empty beds from study abroad folks. They’ve been doing it for decades but yes this is the same philosophy that BU, USC etc do. Maintain full capacity on capacity to max tuition revenue. It helps with cost management. Calling them Febs is neither here or there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do we know why 117 students (1/7 of total enrollment) has a delayed Spring start? Is it because there's more space in Spring to fit them in because Juniors are away on study abroad?

USC is doing this exact same thing to make up some of their budged deficit so maybe that's what Middlebury is trying too?

Middlebury has had Feb starts for 50 years:

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

Why?

For one thing they fill in housing slots and class slots that are open because of many students taking a spring semester to study abroad. I don't think this is unique to Middlebury.