Academics At Middlebury

Colleges and Universities A-Z Middlebury College
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<p>Since my sophmore year of high school, I have been in love with Williams College. For a while I liked other schools but Williams has always been one of my first choices. Recently, I visited both Williams and Midd and I loved Midd's campus more than Williams (it was much more beautiful). Why besides campus beauty and food should I convert? Are there academic and social reasons (personally, the tutorials and Williams/Exeter programs are great)?</p>

<p>I am athletic, outdoorsy, and want to study public health.</p>

<p>Thanks for helping with my self argument.</p>

2

<p>Hi! I just recently visited Midd too, and got to stay with a friend who is a current student there. I've never been to Williams, but I know that Midd is an amazing school socially and academically, on top of it's beautiful campus. Their foreign language programs are among the top in the nation, and are one of their strong points. Being from the south, when I went up there I thought everyone would be kid of aloof and rude as per the northern stereotype, but I don't think I met a single untoward person! The people on Midd campus are very nice and willing to help you out, and especially willing to convince you to go to Midd. I don't see why anyone would want to go anywhere else! Did that answer your question?</p>

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<p>My suspicion is that someone interested in studying public health at an LAC would study some combination of Biology and Poli Sci. Both of those programs are quite strong at Middlebury (although I'm pretty sure the Poli Sci focus would be more international). The Science building, finished in 2000, is one of the best facilities on any campus in the country. Williams and Midd are very similar schools, but Williams is actually even more isolated (if you can believe it). The academics are probably the same, but Williams may have a slightly better reputation, based solely on US News.</p>

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<p>I think midd has an exchange program with Lincoln College of Oxford. Its probably not quite as established as the Williams/Exeter program, but at least the opportunity is there.</p>

5

<p>biology91:</p>

<p>We have found the books published by College P r o w l e r to be particularly insightful when comparing colleges. I tried linking the publisher's website here, but when I clicked "preview" it replaced the second word with asterisks. I don't quite understand this. However, if you go to the publisher's website, you may notice toward the top of the page there's an option to compare schools. </p>

<p>Here's a link to the Midd. book on Amazon.com. (I link it so you can check the "search inside this book" option for various info.)<br>
Amazon.com:</a> Middlebury College VT 2006 (Off the Record): Abbie Beane, Jon Skindzier, Meryl Sustarsic: Books</p>

<p>We purchased books by the publisher that have been written about our daughter's favorite two schools. Both she and I found them very informative.</p>

<p>One interesting tidbit about Midd.--the dining hall serves Ben & Jerry's ice cream. :)</p>

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<p>They serve Ben and Jerry's? REALLY!?
OMG.</p>

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<p>saaammie:</p>

<p>Yes, indeed. Midd.'s food has been ranked as some of the very best college food.</p>

<p>Because we live in a small town, one thing I love about Midd. is that they support many of the local businesses... check out this link: Dining</a> Services Supports Local Economy...</p>

<p>Personal opinion here, but another very cool business in the town of Midd. is the Danforth Pewter Co. When we visited, it was so neat to see the local artisans working in the shop.
Danforth</a> Pewter - Fine Pewter Gifts, Home Decor, Wedding Gifts, Engraved Baby Gifts & Pewter Giftware.</p>

<p>And, finally, we were so impressed with the town as a whole in being very kind to the college students and visitors. We have a small college in our town and notice things here like cars not stopping for students at the crosswalks, etc. This was NOT the case when we were in Midd. Every time we were out, the cars always stopped for the students and pedestrians. It seemed very, very friendly.</p>

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<p>Actually, the dining halls stopped serving Ben and Jerry's regularly a few years ago in order to support an even more local producer (which is also deliccciouss)</p>

<p>You can still find it special events like school-wide picnics, however.</p>

9

<p>Umm.. I think OP said beyond food and beauty... </p>

<p>So. Language Schools notwithstanding, as we know the reputation broadly there, how is the science dept? Humanities in general? Can you learn Italian and still major in Biochemistry?</p>

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<p>I was set to apply to Williams, but was not impressed with the campus. Loved Middlebury and after getting and EA decision in December, it was the only other school to which I applied.</p>

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<p>Yeah, the food is awesome. I am a very healthy person, but I had to have the maple walnut ice cream when I was there and it was awesome!</p>

<p>Any more comments on the science/public health programs would be appreciated. I know the language programs are great, but I would like to hear more about science at Midd.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

12

<p>Sorry about getting the discussion off-track with the ice cream comment (which seems to be outdated)! ;)</p>

<p>When we visited the campus (October of 2007), I had my daughter pre-arrange to sit in on two classes. When making the arrangements, one of the professors offered (his own initiative) to sit down and chat with her before class if she wanted to do so. One of the comments he made that completely shocked me was that TAs do not teach classes, but are used in other ways. I'm looking at the viewbook right now--w/a copyright date of 2007 (p. 1)--and it says "all courses taught by faculty members (rather than graduate assistants)".</p>

<p>In addition to the information, I was amazed that a college professor with a Ph.D., his own schedule, etc. would take the time to sit down with a high school junior and discuss the strengths of Middlebury College and answer her questions. (I was going to sit in the waiting room, but he also invited me into his office for the Q&A). He then walked my daughter to his class, chatting so comfortably with a high school student that he had never met before and had no way of knowing if she would even want to apply!</p>

<p>An additional bit of info. from the viewbook called Curriculum Close-Up (p. 64): to graduate 36 course credits, including requirements for the major, distribution requirements as described in "Breadth" and "Global Context", a first-year seminar, a college writing course, and 2 units of physical education.</p>

<p>Under "Breadth" it says: 1 course in 7 of these 8 fields--literature, the arts, philosophical and religious studies, pysical and life sciences, deductive reasoning and analytical processes, social analysis, and foreign languages.</p>

<p>I know that the most significant info. in this post can be found in the viewbook, but in case some reading here don't have a viewbook, I thought it may be helpful.</p>

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<p>specifically related to chemistry and biochemistry, I found this part of Midd.'s website
Chemistry</a> & Biochemistry. I don't know too much about their sciences b/c my daughter wants to study international studies.</p>

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<p>On Middlebury Sciences:</p>

<p>Biology: very good, and excellent in environmental sub-specialties (ecology)</p>

<p>Geology: among the very best among LACs, both in teaching and collaborative research</p>

<p>Chemistry: most geared toward producing students who wish to go on to the most competitive Ph.D. programs. Excellent opportunities for research with faculty.</p>

<p>Physics: most diverse in terms of philosophy regarding collaborative research. Most unified dept with daily afternoon teas available for faculty and students (endowed through a gift, so financial downturn will not threaten the cookie breaks)</p>

<p>Neuroscience: most popular/fastest-growing interdisciplinary program. Strong on the psychology side; missing a philosopher (after a faculty member did not get tenure).</p>

<p>Environmental Studies: although the program includes social sciences, humanities and natural sciences, the science component is excellent (especially in Geology). The program itself is recognized as the model program for undergraduate programs in the country, and was the first one established in the country (1965).</p>

<p>A global health program, probably in conjunction with Middlebury's west coast graduate affiliate the Monterey Institute for International Affairs, is just in its development phase.</p>

<p>Facilities among the best in the country, and instrumentation equally impressive. The GIS lab is remarkable, too.</p>

<p>Williams' sciences are probably the best in the country among liberal arts college (when you include all the disciplines, facilities, research programs in the summer, etc), but Middlebury's strength in the sciences is recent (since the early 1990s), and underrated.</p>

15

<p>NorthCountryCat: Thanks for the info! How well does Midd prepare students for medical school? I would assume well, considering they have sent grads to Harvard Med School. Do many students go to such prestigious medical schools?</p>

<p>Hjnmom: Thanks for all the information. So do you feel the TA's at Midd are an advantage as aids to the class?</p>

16

<p>biology91:</p>

<p>I don't know exactly how Middlebury uses the TAs, though I am sure they are a help to the professors in whatever role the profs. use them. (My daughter is a HS senior, accepted early to Midd. in RD, not ED...not yet attending college). The general thought, though, is that classes taught by professors/faculty are better than TAs. I don't mean to be critical of TAs, but is seems probable, that someone who has a Ph.D. in a subject and has taught for many years will be more knowledgeable...and a better teacher.</p>

<p>A friend of our family is attending a college in the Washington DC area. Last semester he had a class that was taught by a TA--not sure if it was all the time or just on occasion. Our friend was frustrated with the TA b/c of things like when students asked questions, he wouldn't know what to say...perhaps presented the lesson well enough, but anything beyond the lesson seemed to fluster him. Apparently the prof. was not present the days the TA taught.</p>

<p>Anyway, IMHO the fact that at Midd. all classes are taught by profs/faculty members shows Midd's commitment to quality education...no feelings that anyone is "too good" to teach even the most "basic" classes...</p>

<p>For what it's worth...</p>

17

<p>my daughter is a sophomore and a biochemistry major at Midd. To say that there are research opportunities in the chemistry department is an understatement. She has worked in a lab since her second semester freshman year. The teachers are all extremely helpful. She is a pre-med major and meets regularly with the pre-med advisor to make sure she is on track. She is currently writing for a grant from Midd to spend the January term working at a hospital in Uganda started by a Midd grad (and harvard med school grad). she has never had a TA in a class. there are review sessions sometimes that maybe the TAs run, but I don't know. My youngest daughter took a class at a large university (she is a high school senior). The class was taught entirely by the TA. When she asked me when she would see her professor, I told her the TA was her prof. for this class. when this same daughter went to sit in on an intro science class at Midd (with about 60 students), the minute she entered the room the teacher started teasing her about where her homework was. He knew in an instant that she was a visiting student as he knew everyone's name in the large lecture.</p>

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<p>Neither Midd nor Williams relies on grad student TAs, in the way that larger universities typically do. They couldn't, even if they wanted to, simply because they don't have the grad students.</p>

<p>Williams co-sponsors two small specialized MA programs (in art history and developmental economics), but I believe the MA programs are run separately from the undergraduate programs, with no use of grad students as TAs. </p>

<p>Midd apparently does employ some [url=<a href="http://www.middlebury.edu/campuslife/diversity/isss/teaching_assistants/%5DTAs%5B/url"&gt;http://www.middlebury.edu/campuslife/diversity/isss/teaching_assistants/]TAs[/url&lt;/a&gt;], but only to help with language instruction, presumably as native speakers.</p>

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<p>Teaching Assistants are grad students who typically are teaching as part of their financial aid or other such "package." My sister in law, now a professor, had to teach intro classes at Ohio University, but found it really bothersome in conjunction with her own classes. While she loves being a professor, she had about as much interest in teaching as cats do about taking a bath. Her disinterest convinced me that a large university that uses a lot of TA's would not be the ideal place for S. Life, however, is not always ideal.</p>

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<p>I took classes at both Williams and Midd before deciding on Midd. The campus, though beautiful, was not a factor for me. The only reason I chose Midd was that the faculty seemed much more accessible and the atmosphere was co-operative. Williams is an amazing school but the overt competition (comparing grades over meals) and faculty aloofness (Please do realize that these are personal impressions developed over a few days) made me feel a little cold. </p>

<p>Your education is really what you make of it and both Williams and MIddlebury will give you the resources to make the most of it. Middlebury is just a more friendly place to do this.</p>