@Publisher: It appears that Northwestern’s graduate school of management was rated separately (at #95). Northwestern’s placement at #14 may include its undergraduate and graduate economics faculty. Note that similar distinctions were made for Columbia, et al.
When I scanned the list, I only noticed such a distinction forJHU, Michigan, Northwestern & Columbia. Columbia was broken out as Columbia University and as Barnard College of Columbia University.
Did you notice any other schools which were divided / broken out as were Michigan, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern & Columbia ?
Both Columbia and Northwestern (and others — like UPenn and NYU) have an Econ department in Arts & Sciences and in the business school. These usually don’t have too much interaction across (though that varies), so it probably makes sense to rank them separately for the purposes of an undergrad’s experience. By contrast, it would be more reasonable to combine them for a PhD program evaluation.
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NYU provides another example (#9 and #35).
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Agree. My point is that most universities did not break out graduate programs from the ratings & rankings.
These are 4 great schools. Gaining admission to any of them is a challenge even for top students, so I’d celebrate the opportunity if accepted at even just one.
They all offer good economics departments, so maybe the environmental piece could be the tiebreaker. Both Colby and Middlebury have gained recognition for their environmental studies programs and what they have done to create a green campus. You also said that community is important to you, and Colby has done things to help with development in the local community. That might be a plus for them. Hamilton has Greek life, which you said you’re not interested in, so you might want to consider that.
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Nevertheless, the income disparity between Waterville and the other locations under consideration appears quite distinct:
Median Annual Household Income
Clinton, NY: $62,772
Middlebury, VT: $58,150
Brunswick, ME: $55,833
Waterville, ME: $31,995
Source: bestplaces.net
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(Omitting Midd and Bowdoin for a minute, as the former is almost a small Burlington suburb, while Brunswick is the biggest of the four and a major summer tourist destination.)
Clinton is well off, but TINY. And many of the surrounding towns (e.g., Utica, Rome, New York’s Waterville) have average incomes like Waterville, ME. I’d guess that 90% of the reason for Clinton’s relative wealth is faculty and senior admins living in town.
I’m guessing many Colby faculty live in Augusta or farther. Plus Waterville (ME) is ~10x the size of Clinton, so even if faculty lived in town it wouldn’t affect average income that much.
I wonder which is more of a “bubble” for students? For better and for worse. FWIW, I think Bowdoin’s setup is perfect — good sized town and amenities a short drive away, with a classic college town Main Street (or Maine Street) right next to campus.
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I’ll throw in a good word for Hamilton. It has the nicest balance of old and modern construction of the four, IMO. It’s so easy for some of these old New England colleges to come off as museum pieces.
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Hamilton College and the village of Clinton are part of the greater town of Kirkland. Among Kirkland’s over 10,000 residents, literally zero violent crime was reported in the most recent calendar year, making it one of the safest locations in America. As a parent, this is the type of college environment I would want for my children. As one local store owner phrased it, “Everybody loves Clinton, it’s like living in Mayberry.” If the OP would like more of a feel for the village, this short NBC video would be worth watching:
https://www.nbcsports.com/video/clinton-arena-2018-kraft-hockeyville-has-long-ice-hockey-history
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Perhaps I’m wrong, but for most applicants who have already created a short list, the town is unlikely to be the tie-breaker. It’s more likely to knock a school off the list early on or create a general favorable impression. Not that posters aren’t trying to be helpful!
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I agree to this extent: I don’t see a huge difference between Clinton/Kirkland, Middlebury, Brunswick or even Waterville. They could all credibly be described as “Mayberry”-like, IMO.
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yes I agree, I like all of the schools a lot. I am just really struggling to decide if I am ready to commit to any. Middlebury is really the perfect fit, but from a school like mine is harder to get into than a place like colby or Hamilton.
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Since you seem decisive in your preference, I’d hesitate in recommending any school other than Middlebury for an ED selection.
Irrespective of your particular circumstances, I believe Middlebury has had the highest overall acceptance rate from this group over the last few years.
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If Middlebury is a “perfect fit” I think the answer is self evident. You never want to look back if you choose something that winds up being “close to perfect” wondering what if I had pursued the “perfect” school.
All of the schools you are considering have a lot in common and some aspects that are unique. Please make your decision based on where you perceive yourself to fit best based on those differences.
Trying to “game theory” an acceptance from schools with similar acceptance profiles may yield short term certainty and comfort at the expense of long term questions of “what if”.
Given I suspect you have access to strong guidance counselors at your HS please ignore my comments if you are being advised of a materially greater likelihood of acceptance at schools other then Middlebury. They are all great schools!!
Good luck and stay deservedly confident!!
FYI This photo was taken in early December several years back as we left our visit at Middlebury heading north to visit Bowdoin. Never before had Duke or Vandy seemed so attractive 
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It sounds like you have a preference. In that case, go with it for ED2. Run it by your CC at your school first, but I don’t think it makes sense to try to game the system.
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My granddaughter got into Middlebury a few years ago. She believes that her interview with an alum in her area made all the difference. I encourage you to request an interview.
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Situations differ. The strongest correlation among ultra-selective colleges’ & universities’ admission decisions after a great alumni interview seems to be a rejection unless the alum interviewer currently sits on the school’s board of directors.
@Bill_Marsh: My thought is that your granddaughter was going to be admitted regardless of the alumni interview recommendation. Of course, this is just a guess as you certainly would know better than I regarding your family member.
I’d pay extra for snow like that.
