<p>Hi. I've decided to go to Middlebry among WUSTL Olin, and BC Carrol, Vassar... and other good schools. But, still. I am so worried about life at Middlebury.</p>
<p>How hard is Middlebury? please give me realistic view point on it.
(I mean.. please say like "i got 4.0 GPA in high school and pretty good sat score
but i am getting below 3.5.." something like this..)</p>
<p>I am an international student,, so writing might be my weak point..</p>
<p>is it going to be harmful for me?</p>
<p>I want to take classes which might focus on Econ / International Relation or language..</p>
<p>does it require good english skills?</p>
<p>I am concerned about my future GPA...</p>
<p>Also, is it deadly cold?.. i don mind weather .. being cold or hot whatever,</p>
<p>does it affect life at middlebury at all?. how much?</p>
<p>and how is dorm? i know freshman cannot choose the dorm but</p>
<p>how does it look like? do students have their own restroom and kitchen?</p>
<p>or is it single room but connected each other sharing restroom and kitchen?</p>
<p>or there is just hall way sharing restroom?? please give me some information!!</p>
<p>And lastly,, what you don like about Middlebury..?</p>
<p>Thank you all</p>
<p>forSWAT, I’m afraid your question is flawed in its concept. The problem is, almost everyone who goes to Middlebury gets a 4.0 in high school, but not everyone gets the same grades once they arrive there. I was at the top of my class in high school, but only middle of the road at Middlebury. There were students who were the top of their class in high school filling all positions at Midd. The good news is that your grades, while important, will not be quite as important when applying to grad schools (which appears to be your concern). Because I was applying from an undergrad like Midd, I got accepted at top grad schools for both my grad degrees even though I wasn’t at the top of my graduating class (I did, however, do very well on my GRE’s). </p>
<p>Yes, weather definitely affects life at Middlebury, but I think it adds to it. There are great opportunities to enjoy the snow and when the weather is really nice everyone gets outside to enjoy it. </p>
<p>First years (all students, for that matter, as far as I know) do not have their own bathrooms or kitchens, but that’s the norm in the United States. In your first year you will share a room with someone and then share a large bathroom with several students (18?) on your hall. I don’t remember common kitchens at all for first years, but that may have changes since I graduated. </p>
<p>The thing I don’t like about Middlebury is that it has become so popular that my niece and nephew won’t be able to get in.</p>
<p>I, like everybody else here, had a 4.0 in high school. I’ve got something along the lines of a 3.4 right now, but amazingly, I’m not concerned. I’m working as hard as I possibly can and having the time of my life doing it. I went to Midd partially because I didn’t want to go to an ‘easy’ school. In last two midterms I’ve taken, for example, the class averages have been a 81% and a 70%. Not so hot, but after preparing for ridiculous amounts of time, I did better than the average on both and am pleased with the results, despite the percentage grade.</p>
<p>Do you have to have a 4.0 UW to get into Middlebury? S has 3.5 UW, 4.1 W, most rigorous courseload and 35 ACT.</p>
<p>That’s a kick butt ACT and my son was accepted with one slightly lower. I will say that my son was accepted and did not have a perfect 4.0 (although he does this year and only had one B+ last year). He always took the most rigorous courseload while also playing 3 sports (and was a starting player for three of the four years). There is more to getting into Midd (and staying there) than the grades. And that’s why UrbanSlaughter, your niece and nephew should not be dissuaded from applying. I am far older than you, and Midd was never a “get in, no problem” kind of school as I remember it.</p>
<p>Thank you guys!! I will just do my best. I know everyone get 4.0 and like 2200 SAT or 33~35 ACT. it is pretty scary. But I am sure that I will work very hard! Can’t wait to challenge myself… thank you!</p>
<p>Given grade inflation, and the use of different grading scales, GPA is nearly meaningless except to compare you with other kids from your school. At some schools, nearly half the students graduate with a 4.0. At my school, to the best of my knowledge, no one has ever graduated with an UW 4.0. The good news is that most admissions officers seem to understand this, cause the top 10% of the graduating class at my school usually gets into ivies, even with an unweighted 3.7 or so. (And yes, plenty of them had Bs, since my school will only give an A in an AP class to no more than two students in the class). It therefore doesn’t tell much to say that everyone at Midd had a 4.0, although I have no doubt that everyone at Midd had top notch grades according to the scale and practices used at their HS.</p>
<p>^^ Obviously you go to the best school in the US of A!</p>
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<p>That seems like something that would be published on your High School’s profile and so I question how accurate your knowledge is. For example, our HS doesn’t weight grades at all, but there have only been four 4.0 students in the past 20 years. No, it’s not never but from how you explain it, how can only two people qualify for an A in any class, AP or otherwise? Once they’re used up, there are no more available?</p>
<p>Modadunn:</p>
<p>Yeah, well, I’m proud of my school, but I’d never call it the best in the U.S.A.! I’m sure that there are plenty of better schools out there. Not sure how I’d measure that, though…</p>
<p>My “knowledge”, accurate or not, is that for as long as I’ve been here (11 years) the val’s UW GPA has been under 4.0. Sometimes as low as 3.7. Not sure what you mean by the school profile, but I assume that our grading system is explained in the transcripts.</p>
<p>I honestly don’t know what’s with the AP grading, except that they drill it into us that the policy of the school is to make As in AP classes “rare as hen’s teeth.” (We’re all sick of that phrase). Last year I had the highest grade in an AP class (my school gives awards for those things) and I had a 91. (Anything under 90 is considered a B). I’ve never heard of more than 2 As handed out in an AP class.</p>
<p>My point though, which I’m sure you understand if your son’s school uses no weighting system, is that comparing GPAs at different schools is comparing apples and oranges. I read posts saying that “everyone” admitted at ____ College had a 4.0 (or higher!) or where kids are freaking out cause they received one “B” and won’t be admitted, and I have to laugh. If that were the standard, no one from my school would be admitted to highly selective schools. And yet the top kids at my school do very well, even though none of them are an UW 4.0. Put another way, a 4.0 at your son’s school, which uses no weighting system, is obviously different than a 4.0 at a school that has a scale of 5.0. My belief, born out by the success of sub-4.0 graduates of my school, is that admissions officers undertand this.</p>
<p>Agreed. Grade point averages are very much a product of the school from which they came and is why standardized tests generally play some role in admissions.</p>
<p>High School Profile is usually a brochure or other descriptor of your high School. It will say what the requirements are for graduation, how many AP classes are offered, the average SAT/ACT, number of National Merit students, AP Scholars etc and the average GPA of the class as well.</p>
<p>Some schools are better known or have better reputations than others. And some college counselors are alumni who make the best of their relationships with their alma maters.</p>