Anonymous
10/20/2025 22:41
Subject: How can you tell how rigorous/intense a school is?
I went to MIT. With very few exceptions like a friend that got As in nuclear engineering with little effort, most people cried in hallways. There was no one that bested the institute.
Anonymous
10/20/2025 22:41
Subject: How can you tell how rigorous/intense a school is?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP--I'm the Midd grad. Most students study hard during the week and let off steam on weekends. Humanities classes are generally known for being less work than STEM classes (as is likely the case everywhere).
It's a paradise for those who like the outdoors. It's one of only two colleges in the country that has its own ski mountain (the other being Dartmouth).
I don't get "the outdoors" when we visited, was ok, odd location and not much around. Seemed like any old LAC, nothing "outdoorsy." On tour the tour guide said there are contests during winter term for who cannot go outside for the entire term! And kids don't...due to connected buildings.
Connected buildings? That’s how we know you’re a troll.
Anonymous
10/20/2025 22:39
Subject: How can you tell how rigorous/intense a school is?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP--I'm the Midd grad. Most students study hard during the week and let off steam on weekends. Humanities classes are generally known for being less work than STEM classes (as is likely the case everywhere).
It's a paradise for those who like the outdoors. It's one of only two colleges in the country that has its own ski mountain (the other being Dartmouth).
To add, the ski mountain is not on campus. But it does attract a certain…wealth demographic.
OP, Midd has increased enrollment 10-15% in only the past five years (this was intentional but administration prevaricated about “unanticipated over-enrollment” several years running). Only in the past 4-5 months — after the last admissions season - have they acknowledged that the increased enrollment is permanent. During this same time, 2-3 years ago they increased ED admits so that, now, 70%+ of the class is admitted ED. If your kid wants to go, an ED is an absolute necessity. Be aware that Midd has had financial deficits several years running (the cause of the increase in ED, which means more full-pay kids). A few years back they were paying kids 10k - in hard cash - to take a semester off.
All this is to say that Midd is a far easier admit than CMC these days and, if you don’t think Midd is on a downturn - even a modest downward slope like its ski hill - I question what DCUM island you have been living on.
The notorious Midd-hater has entered the chat! Welcome—I’ve been wondering where you were.
Anonymous
10/20/2025 22:03
Subject: How can you tell how rigorous/intense a school is?
^^ $94k
Anonymous
10/20/2025 22:02
Subject: How can you tell how rigorous/intense a school is?
Google Middleburg too woke and read. Not worth &94k a year
Anonymous
10/20/2025 22:01
Subject: How can you tell how rigorous/intense a school is?
Anonymous wrote:OP--I'm the Midd grad. Most students study hard during the week and let off steam on weekends. Humanities classes are generally known for being less work than STEM classes (as is likely the case everywhere).
It's a paradise for those who like the outdoors. It's one of only two colleges in the country that has its own ski mountain (the other being Dartmouth).
I don't get "the outdoors" when we visited, was ok, odd location and not much around. Seemed like any old LAC, nothing "outdoorsy." On tour the tour guide said there are contests during winter term for who cannot go outside for the entire term! And kids don't...due to connected buildings.
Anonymous
10/20/2025 21:57
Subject: How can you tell how rigorous/intense a school is?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I currently have a sophomore at Midd and would say it’s quite rigorous and the students seem to work harder than they play. It was almost 80 degrees over parents weekend and we were surprised that most kids seemed to be in the library and other study spots instead of hanging out on Battell Beach. From what we’ve heard from our kid it’s not where fun goes to die but it’s not wild either and students seem to take academics very seriously. It doesn’t seem super competitive between students except for with the finance related clubs.
Thank you for chiming in! Can you tell me more about competitiveness for the finance related clubs? He would probably be interested in those.
Woah! Is he a striver or not? Did you not read that article? You don’t seem the wealthy type (or you would know nobody in those circles deems Midd to be rigorous), so be careful: Midd can be a very economically cliquey school. A lot of finance job networks are through pre-existing wealth/connections or through sports teams. Anyone else who may slip in is a serious hustler. This does not seem like your kid, from your description…
Anonymous
10/20/2025 21:47
Subject: How can you tell how rigorous/intense a school is?
Anonymous wrote:OP--I'm the Midd grad. Most students study hard during the week and let off steam on weekends. Humanities classes are generally known for being less work than STEM classes (as is likely the case everywhere).
It's a paradise for those who like the outdoors. It's one of only two colleges in the country that has its own ski mountain (the other being Dartmouth).
To add, the ski mountain is not on campus. But it does attract a certain…wealth demographic.
OP, Midd has increased enrollment 10-15% in only the past five years (this was intentional but administration prevaricated about “unanticipated over-enrollment” several years running). Only in the past 4-5 months — after the last admissions season - have they acknowledged that the increased enrollment is permanent. During this same time, 2-3 years ago they increased ED admits so that, now, 70%+ of the class is admitted ED. If your kid wants to go, an ED is an absolute necessity. Be aware that Midd has had financial deficits several years running (the cause of the increase in ED, which means more full-pay kids). A few years back they were paying kids 10k - in hard cash - to take a semester off.
All this is to say that Midd is a far easier admit than CMC these days and, if you don’t think Midd is on a downturn - even a modest downward slope like its ski hill - I question what DCUM island you have been living on.
Anonymous
10/20/2025 20:47
Subject: How can you tell how rigorous/intense a school is?
It also depends on how well he was prepared in HS. have other students from his HS gone to this school? How was it for them?
Just because he takes the highest rigor at his HS doesn't mean he is well prepared. Public schools with notorious grade inflation don't do their students any favors freshman year of college. This is why private HS tend to send more kids to rigorous colleges, the colleges know they can actually handle the work load.
Just because he takes the highest rigor at his HS doesn't mean he is well prepared. Public schools with notorious grade inflation don't do their students any favors freshman year of college. This is why private HS tend to send more kids to rigorous colleges, the colleges know they can actually handle the work load.
Anonymous
10/20/2025 20:42
Subject: How can you tell how rigorous/intense a school is?
Anonymous wrote:OP--I'm the Midd grad. Most students study hard during the week and let off steam on weekends. Humanities classes are generally known for being less work than STEM classes (as is likely the case everywhere).
It's a paradise for those who like the outdoors. It's one of only two colleges in the country that has its own ski mountain (the other being Dartmouth).
thank you!
Anonymous
10/20/2025 18:17
Subject: How can you tell how rigorous/intense a school is?
OP--I'm the Midd grad. Most students study hard during the week and let off steam on weekends. Humanities classes are generally known for being less work than STEM classes (as is likely the case everywhere).
It's a paradise for those who like the outdoors. It's one of only two colleges in the country that has its own ski mountain (the other being Dartmouth).
It's a paradise for those who like the outdoors. It's one of only two colleges in the country that has its own ski mountain (the other being Dartmouth).
Anonymous
10/20/2025 17:48
Subject: How can you tell how rigorous/intense a school is?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This Princeton Review survey-based ranking, "Colleges Where Students Study the Most," includes the NESCACs Williams, Colby, Bowdoin, Amherst and Hamilton, but not Middlebury:
Colleges Where Students Study the Most | The Princeton Review https://share.google/ZOGyj9S9XiiXLmeiW
I am pleasantly surprised Chicago isn't on this list. DC is applying ED and the intensity concerns me.
Are you really gonna take seriously a ranking that puts university of puget sound as a school for the most time spent studying?