<p>Wow, this sounds like a fantastic opportunity. It does mean a lot of change for you from the sounds of it,but that is what college is all about! You will probably find it challenging but really grow hugely from the experience. </p>
<p>From everything I’ve read the Posse program provides a ton of support and services to ensure its chosen students are succcessful. That is the whole point of it, and their overall success rate in the past 15 years speaks volumes:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Definitely take the opportunity. Period. It is well worth it.</p>
<p>Cobra, go to Middlebury on Posse if you have the chance. It’s not even a close call.
Don’t worry about the journalism major. I was a philosophy major and went directly to work at a major urban daily newspaper in the early 80s. I parlayed summer internships into that; was accepted at Columbia J-school but turned it down for the newspaper job. About the location - you will have the rest of your life to live in cities if you so choose. A budding journalist should be open to different life experiences, and this is one of them - get out of your comfort zone, even though it may take some adjustment. Also, about one-quarter of the students are non-white; 10% are black or hispanic. You will hardly be the “only one,” though it may take some adjustment to being, in fact, a minority on a daily basis, which may not now be the case for you.
Being successful in the world is often a matter of stretching your limits. At a college like Middlebury, you will meet a broad array of people who can help open your eyes to things you may not have experience before. Also, the academics are first-rate, and the alumni network in terrific. Please, do not pass up this opportunity.</p>
<p>I was raised in the ghetto of a large midwestern city. I ended up attending Bowdoin college along with ~40 other inner city kids. Initially it was tough adjusting to rural coastal Maine. What is important we received an amazing level of support from both the college and our classmates. Four years later 95% of us graduated. Many of us went on to professional and graduate programs and successful careers medicine, law, business and science. Middlebury is an amazing school capable of providing a level of support, academic & social, that should assure your success.</p>
<p>You haven’t been given the opportunity yet! Get out there and sell! sell!! sell! yourself. To a certain extent, whether you are accepted will depend on how enthused you seem to be. So, go into the interview with the idea that you want this. It’s okay if you decide half way through that you don’t. MUCH better than deciding half way through that you DO–and realize you seemed hesitant at the start. </p>
<p>As for the journalism thing…I have a college classmate who was a very successful journalist and is now a prof of journalism at a flagship state U. He majored in poli sci in college. I know that at least of the 3 writers whose by-lines regularly appear in the NY Times majored in something else. </p>
<p>If you’re a NYC kid it WILL be tough at times. (I live in NYC. ) But seriously, for 4 years, you really, really need to concentrate on college. It’s going to be tough. It will be a bit of an advantage to be away from a lot of distractions–including the chance to play your music in clubs. I’m not saying that you can’t do that AFTER you get your degree, if that’s what you want. I AM saying that not many people can spend a lot of time performing live music and do well academically in college at the same time, especially if they aren’t studying music. </p>
<p>The extra help you’ll get from Posse may really make the difference in terms of whether you make it through and get the degree. </p>
<p>I’d say “Go for it!!” If you aren’t one of the lucky chosen, check out HEOP too, since you’re a NYer. But for right now, think positive. Good luck!</p>
<p>A search of my past posts will clearly show that I’m one of Middlebury’s biggest proponents, and I think this is a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for you. </p>
<p>That being said, I’m concerned about the degree of your reservations. The sort of student who would be a good fit at Northeastern and Boston University (both academically and socially) might not be a good fit at Middlebury. As Middsmith says (and I can’t believe we’re agreeing on something ;-)) the workload at Middlebury is quite strenuous, and you’ll be surrounded by kids who were considering Ivy League schools and top LACs when making a decision about where to matriculate. It’s true that Middlebury offers an outstanding support network for Posse students, but only if they’re willing to accept the help and push themselves. You’ll be challenged every single day at Middlebury, and that’s the best way to grow as a person, a scholar, and a budding journalist. What I haven’t seen from your posts is a sense of enthusiasm that will be critical to your success. Do you really want this? If the answer isn’t overwhelmingly affirmative, then maybe you’d be happier at Northeastern or BU. I think your visit will help with your decision. Either you’ll feel the love or you won’t. Good luck in making your decision. Be sure to let us know what you decide.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You can travel to internships. I had an internship in Switzerland as an undergrad. Heck, the summer can be your time for being back in an urban environment. As far as opportunities go, I would expect a prestigious LAC to have a good career center that can assist students in internship search and placement.</p>
<p>Forty years ago I was in a somewhat similar position, from a relatively poor family, and ended up going to Williams. I can’t say that I ever particularly liked it. Being surrounded on four sides by mountains, in a town with only two bookstores (now there are essentially none but the college bookstore), etc., etc. made me feel quite foreign, as did the well-heeled student body. (anyone who tells you that you won’t notice the social class differences once you are there is likely so “entitled” that they wouldn’t notice. I have a huge number of stories.) I never grew to like it, or even feel comfortable.</p>
<p>But I also got a great education, one that I am grateful for to this day. I became an academic “star”, outperforming most of my better “bred” and prepared classmates. And much of my learning came from processing my discomfort. (and, yes, I did have some few other inner-city friends there, most with thinner skins than me, and quite a few left. While they talked a good game, there really wasn’t much support for us - perhaps it is different today.) In retrospect, I just don’t know - the feeling in the pit of my stomach says I probably wouldn’t do it again, but it was a difficult time (late 60s) for everyone going to college.</p>
<p>So it’s a tough decision. Remember, though, that if you go and do well, but just can’t really make it work, you can always transfer. If you are in demand as a POSSE student, your attractiveness as a candidate is not likely to go away.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, go sell yourself wholeheartedly. It is better to have options than not to.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Williams and Middlebury are quite different today than they were 40 years ago.</p>
<p>Actually, I know Williams today pretty well (and my d… was recruited there.) And in many respects, it ISN’T much different than it was then. About the same percentage of applicants get in. The number of students from lower-income brackets is actually smaller than it was then. The wealthy part of the student body is likely wealthier (simply on the basis of what it takes to be a full-freight student today.) The sense of entitlement is very much the same. There is signfiicantly more drinking (probably less drug use), and much more emphasis on athletics. And you still can get a fabulous education.</p>
<p>I do think Middlebury is much more different. (In those days, my high school guidance counselor used to threaten us that if we didn’t buckle down, we would end up at Middlebury. None of us knew where it was, but it was used as a fate to be avoided.)</p>
<p>I think that all these posters really made great arguments, both for and against, that only you can decide, but IMO, the least important factor in your decision should be your choice of major, particularly if you want a career in journalism. Learning how to write, think and seek out information is the best education you can get, and you can always get the practical training through the college’s own media outlets and in summer work. Many employers prefer to see someone with a liberal arts background, because they know that the person has a well-trained mind and can learn job skills on the job!</p>
<p>Besides, you might even learn about new career paths by exposing yourself to a broad education!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Why are you including Hispanic enrollment with African-American enrollment? Do you think the applicant self-identifies with Hispanic candidates? Or is it merely a sad and transparent attempt to cover up that African-Americans make up only about 3 percent of the school? Why has a peer school like Amherst done such a better job of enrolling black candidates (approximately 10 percent of the class)? </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>cobra1418,</p>
<p>Ignore the blowhards who self-congratulate themselves on their lofty opinions of their college while doing the ‘backward slap’ to other schools. There is a real difference between some colleges. At Middlebury, you will walk into a class and kids will wonder how you got into MIddlebury. At Northeastern, kids will see you walking into class as one of them. </p>
<p>That said, you get your points across easily so I’m guessing that you will be successful anywhere you choose to go. I agree with wtidad, someone that can write well can be successful in journalism without needing a journalism degree. Also, intended majors come and go but ‘learning how to learn’ and communicating effectively last a lifetime. </p>
<p>As jonri mentioned, do ‘sell yourself’ well. Look them in the eye and share what you are passionate about and how you welcome the challenge of college. Be enthusiastic. But also, take the chance to get ‘off tour’ and talk to students. You can learn a lot from someone’s body language how they are feeling about a school much more than you may get from their words. </p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>you’ve gotten a lot of great advice here. my two cents: if you’ve made it this far in the highly selective Posse program, you’ve obviously got a lot of potential as a leader and a scholar. don’t sell yourself short. when you are on campus, make sure you talk to other Posse students, many of whom probably had similar concerns.</p>
<p>good luck - this is a tremendous honor and opportunity!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>There are several reasons, but the most significant is location. Vermont (and the town of Middlebury) is far more rural than Massachusetts (and the 5-college area), and far more “white.” In looking at the town statistics, more than 5% of Amherst residents are African American, compared to just over 1% of Middlebury residents. Indeed, the fact that Middlebury is perceived of as being “in the middle of nowhere” doesn’t bode well for attracting minority students, many of whom come from urban areas. </p>
<p>Amherst also participates in the QuestBridge Scholar program, which accounts for a fair percentage of Amherst’s matriculating minority students. Critical mass also plays a big role. Once a college has established a large enough African American population, it’s easier to attract (and keep) African American students to the college. Amherst has reached that critical mass, while Middlebury struggles to achieve it (mainly for the reasons I’m mentioning).</p>
<p>Lastly, it comes down to rankings, prestige, and financial aid. An overachieving African American student applying to LACs often finds him or herself with an abundance of options when acceptance letters arrive in May. Amherst has no loans, while Middlebury does. Amherst also is (often) the top-ranked LAC in the country in U.S. News. It’s hard for a rural college in the middle of cold, snowy Vermont to compete with that.</p>
<p>Middlebury is making a significant effort to attract more minority students. The Posse affiliation is one of them.</p>
<p>One of the best journalists whom I ever worked with went to Middlebury for undergrad and then went to U Missouri for a masters in journalism. Middlebury’s excellent liberal arts curriculum would help you become an excellent critical thinker and writer – the foundations of being a good journalist.</p>
<p>Another journalist friend of mine – this one a black male – went to Bowdin, another isolated LAC where there aren’t those many black students. He was first generation college from a big city so being there was a big culture shock. Afterward, he got his masters from Columbia’s journalism school and now is an award-winning editorial writer for a very large, highly respected newspaper.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Your points regarding the differences between Amherst and Middlebury are fair. Nor do we need to dwell on it - as, if a school is trying (and certainly Middlebury is trying) that goes a long way. </p>
<p>Perhaps there is no perfect apples-to-apples comparison. However, last I checked Brunswick, Maine was rural, cold and snowy and Middlebury generally is rated a higher-ranked LAC compared to Bowdoin College. Bowdoin does appear to be in a better position to help with financial aid (a big factor). That said, I note that both colleges enroll virtually the same number of Hispanic students yet Bowdoin enrolls double the number of African-American students as Middlebury. So, why are Hispanic students drawn to Middlebury when African-Americans are not?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Brunswick is hardly rural. More suburban:</p>
<p>Brunswick (town) population: 21,172
Middlebury (town) population: 8,183</p>
<p>Brunswick is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine, Metropolitan Statistical Area (population 513,102). Middlebury is part of, well, Addison County (population 35,974).</p>
<p>Bowdoin (like Amherst and Williams) is part of the QuestBridge program, and like Amherst and Williams, has a no loan policy. </p>
<p>It should be noted that Bowdoin’s large increase in African American students is a recent occurrence. According to JBHE:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>^ Brunswick is also about 2 hours from Boston along the generally well populated I-95 corridor. It feels like the northern extension of the Washington-Boston corridor. Which it basically is. Middlebury feels like . . . well, let’s just say it feels as rural as it is. Some people love that environment; it’s gorgeous, and apart from outdoor recreation there’s not much to distract from your studies and on-campus life. Others—like my D who basically grew up in NYC—react with horror. Having grown up in a small town at the edge of civilization myself, I find the bucolic setting of a place like Middlebury charming and, well, liberating in a way. My D felt something like claustrophobia—hemmed in by the vast nothingness surrounding it. The OP should visit and gauge for himself.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Different strokes for different folks. I grew up in and around New York City and found the wilds of Vermont to be quite refreshing for three years (most Midd students spend all or part of junior year abroad). I’ve lived in some of the world’s largest cities ever since graduation, and often reflect on my time in Vermont with a nostalgic sense of longing, especially when trudging down city streets choked with traffic, blaring horns, and black snow.</p>
<p>Cobra, have you talked to your GC about your concerns? Have the two of you explored any opportunities for flexibility in the deadlines and decisions? Maybe there’s a chance that Posse and Middlebury could give you a little more time, that Northeastern (or BU) could move up their decision, and everyone meet in the middle by early-mid December. Just a suggestion (I don’t know much about the Posse process.)</p>
<p>If Northeastern and BU really are as dicey as you suggest, and if Friday really is a hard deadline, then you could do a whole lot worse than to accept an offer from Middlebury. You are sure to have a mix of emotions there, from boredom to sheer terror on your first downhill ski run, but it’s all good. Ride the wave. It would be a great experience for you even if you decide to transfer after a year. </p>
<p>Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft” ? Well, everyone should live in northern New England once, just so you appreciate how good it feels not to be freezing your butt off.</p>