Attending Middlebury

I applied ED 1 to Middlebury this past fall and was denied and I’m trying to figure out what I could do. I still have my heart set on the school as it was really the only school that I was sold on so I’m weighing my options. I Currently have a 3.4 GPA and will likely graduate at that or with a 3.5 from a rural high school. I have a 30 composite on my ACT (34 reading, 28 science, 28 math, and 29 English). Contrasting those numbers I will have completed 4 courses at Kenyon college by my graduation. Earning a B and C+ my junior year courses, and then B+ this semester. I plan on getting a similar grade spring semester. On top of that, this past semester I conducted original undergraduate research at Kenyon. At the highschool I am currently taking AP Biology and will be taking the test for that in the spring but I’ve gotten consistant A’s all semester so I feel confident in what my AP score could be. I am also taking KAP English which is similar to AP but run through Kenyon college. For extracurriculars, I’m a 4 year track athlete (have gone to districts every year), 3 year debate member, 3 year robotics team, 3 year Key club (community service), 2 year cross country, as well as working 2 jobs for the past 2 years. I will also most likely have an internship either in local government or state legislature for this coming summer.

The way I’m seeing it I could either attend another college for a year and try to transfer or I could take a gap year and re-apply. My concern with transferring is that I can’t guarantee that I will have pristine grades my freshmen year as well as Middlebury having very low acceptance rate for transfer students. But, the issue with a gap year is that at the same time it does not guarantee I could be accepted next year either. As well as there is the risk that I take a gap year and it turns into 2 or 3 gap years. If I were to try and transfer it would be from a GLCA or another NESCAC school (I have submitted my ED 2 application to Hamilton. Any advice?

To clarify, this semesters course was a 291 level course so it was a more difficult class than those I took my junior year

This was so difficult to follow.

  1. You’re GPA and ACT are pretty low for Middlebury. A 30 ACT is at the 25th percentile. Also the fact that you were rejected and not even deferred is not a good sign. Taking a gap year just to apply for freshman admission would be a huge gamble.
  2. Middlebury’s transfer acceptance rate fluctuates a lot between 5% - 15%. One year, they accepted one person. Again not great chances.
  3. At this point, your best bet is ED2 to Hamilton, which is also a great school and still a reach. I would focus on trying to get into Hamilton at this point and have some solid targets and safeties as backups.

Totally agree with #2.

I’d look for some other schools like Middlebury where your stats would make you a solid applicant. St. Lawrence? Skidmore? Hobart William smith? UVM? Hopefully Hamilton will work out for you, but you need a solid back up plan.

I’d second some of the suggestions above, particularly St. Lawrence. You might also want to think about Denison.

I agree with posts above especially with St Lawrence, Denison, UVM even might also consider Allegheny and/or St Michaels if you like an LAC in Burlington area.

If you are taking classes at Kenyon, are you in Ohio? Have you considered Ohio State?

Are you still applying? What about Kenyon itself? If you like Middlebury, you might like Connecticut College or Skidmore or Wheaton (MA) or St. Lawrence or Hobart-William Smith or Bard. I did not look up the admissions deadlines; the 1/1 deadline schools are now no longer options, but hopefully some colleges you might like have deadlines still ahead of us.

There is not only one perfect school for anyone. If I were you, I would let go of the Middlebury dream and start falling in love with several other colleges. Have you applied elsewhere besides Hamilton?

And if you are lucky enough to get into Hamilton, go in planning to love it, not planning to transfer. That should be true of whichever college you decide to attend. The sure way not to have a great time at college is not to let yourself enjoy it and get attached to people there. Do not make that mistake. Live your first year like you will be there all four years! If you don’t like it, transfer is an option, but odds are, you will be happy wherever you end up.

well, op, i’m not sure if you’re still active, but i suggest looking into rhodes, kenyon (since you’ve done undergraduate research there), oberlin, macalester, skidmore, lafayette, franklin and marshall, denison, and dickinson. all have january fifteenth deadlines.