One of my children has been accepted to both, Boston College and Middlebury. She is very interested in pursuing International Relations. I know that Middlebury is highly ranked, but so is BC, which perhaps can have more internship opportunities due to its locations. I would appreciate input about the pros and cons of choosing one of these college over the other. Thank you!
Has she visited both? Would she rather be in a small-ish town or a major city? I really don’t think she can go wrong either way.
International Relations tends to have an interdisciplinary basis which can make it difficult to compare programs. Between these schools, I would look at them in terms of which offers the better overall fit. In terms of internships, would your daughter realistically be pursuing one during the academic year in either event? If not, then discount that as a factor. Middlebury is very strong in economics – among the best in the country – should this particular facet of IR be a consideration.
Both excellent choices. Congrats. But differences in the feel and community of the schools. Midd is a true LAC, with a distinct community feel and more intellectual vibe, with a tighter range of abilities. BC has a lot of spirit, but due to the size, less ‘community’ and more opportunity to be anonymous in classes and on campus. Which can be either a pro or con. BC overall, more conservative and there is the religious aspect.
It really comes down to the style difference and which type your triplet would prefer, vs coming down to an academic difference.
How would your daughter react if all the girls on her floor decided to paint their faces marroon and gold for the game against Notre Dame?
She will want to join them!
I know kids at both schools. From what they tell their parents, Middlebury is more academically challenging. The classes are smaller, there is more writing, and the professors give individual attention to the students. It is very international in focus. It is also cold and isolated.
The kid who goes to BC likes it, but for different reasons. He likes the big time sports, the social life and the access to Boston. It is a private school, but with the size (and sometimes class size) of a public university. BC has been very easy for him so far. In his view, it’s a good school, but he doesn’t think many of the students are there to challenge themselves academically. Apparently the alumni network is strong, which can be a help.
If the small size and rural location is not a problem, I would choose Middlebury, but other people may have differing opinions.
Two excellent schools – congratulations. But the schools do offer pretty different environments and experiences. Honestly, I’d let her go to whichever school she prefers. If she is unsure try to go to accepted student day at both schools. There is no one right answer for everyone. My D is at a LAC and loves it but my S felt that LACs were too small and he thrived at a mid-sized Jesuit university. Both kids got great educations and had great college experiences.