Cornell vs Middlebury?

College Search & Selection
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I know it is kind of an odd comparison because the schools are very different, but they are currently my top two choices and definitely the two highest ranked schools I was admitted to.

Background: Probably going to double major in something like History + Econ, with the intention of going to work in finance. I got into Arts and Sciences at Cornell. Didn’t apply for aid, cost is not an issue at either school. I live a similar distance (~5 hours) from each and am fine with that distance.

I loved both campuses when I visited, as I love rural areas, both campuses are gorgeous, and both are strong academically.

I have a few fears with both schools:

Middlebury Pros: Small classes, access to professors (no TAs), tightly knit community (all three are a huge plus for me). Small but definitely strong alumni network that really cares about its school. Very intellectual student body.

Cons: Slightly less name recognition than Cornell, especially in places like the west coast. I’m a little worried about the social scene on campus- heard the athletes run the show, and it sucks to be a non-athlete guy if you want to have a social life (no frats, so team houses are really the only ones who have parties).

Cornell Pros: Ivy/name recognition- no matter what job I’m interviewing for, who I’m talking to, etc, everyone knows that Cornell is a great school. Great social scene- easy to join a frat and have fun.

Cons: Huge classes, especially for intros. Lots of TAs. Hard to connect with professors. Lots of pressure academically, hard grading curve. A&S, the engineering school, and a few others are great schools, but there are definitely a lot of less selective schools on campus too- call me a snob, but I’m a little worried that there are a lot of kids there who aren’t very bright/intellectual.

Anyway, that’s my list. I think I like the ‘feel’ of Middlebury, especially the size, better, but I’m worried about the social scene and can’t decide if I’m crazy to turn down the Cornell name. Any help is appreciated.

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Congratulations on two wonderful options!

Spend some time on Middlebury’s campus or speaking with Middlebury students to find out if that jock-centric thing is a myth. I went to Williams and am always surprised when I hear similar comments about Williams, because that was not my experience at all. I am a complete non-athlete/ nerd. Everyone got along and interacted across groups; it did not even feel like there WERE groups (unlike in high school). I never once was forbidden access to any party/event at Williams (although I admit I was not a party animal and not looking for one every weekend).

Middlebury and Cornell have equally wonderful reputations. If you care that some random cashier or salesperson somewhere might not recognize the name of your college, then Cornell definitely will be more widely recognized. Otherwise, in terms of graduate schools and job placement, the people who need to know your college’s name will know either name.

Pick where you feel most at home. Both schools are fabulous and you will find friends at either.

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@TheGreyKing Thanks! I’m leaning towards Midd for the reasons you mentioned, as I agree that any job recruiter or grad school would understand that Middlebury is a great school too, and I really shouldn’t care what the average Joe thinks.

The athlete thing I heard from one kid I talked to, while the other students I talked to said it wasn’t an issue at all. I guess it just totally depends on the person. That being said, your Williams experience is probably going to be pretty similar (Williams was my first choice school and I got rejected, and I’m leaning Midd because I feel like it’s pretty similar to Williams). Anyway, thanks for the help!

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Congratulations on having 2 great choices!

I’m a Cornell grad, and my daughter just graduated there too, and I think very highly of the school. I’ve also visited Middlebury 3 times on campus tours with my daughters and I’ve always felt great vibes there, the students seem very happy, the food is good, people are friendly, etc… I can see the appeal of both places, and i think the students at both campuses are very similar.

I do think the social scene at Cornell will be broader and there will be more to do simply because there’s a larger town nearby. Also, your comment about the “less selective” schools at Cornell needs some thought. Look at the SAT/etc stats of the overall university, and factor in how strong the selective schools have to be to balance the less selective schools. But the reality is that the less selective schools are still very selective! In fact, I think that diversity of the majors and the students is one of the strong points of Cornell over other top schools.

I think you have 2 great choices. Best of luck.
Ken

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Are you outdoorsy? Because more than sporty, Middlebury students are very into all things outdoors, skiing, hiking, outdoor excursions. This is more of a social factor than the sports.

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I attended Middlebury for undergrad and Cornell for grad. Yes, there is wide name recognition with Cornell, but those who matter all know Middlebury. I was a TA at Cornell and even in the grad school I had other TAs teaching me (I attended a grad school at Cornell that is considered one of the top two in the country). I think Cornell is a fine school, but there is simply no comparison between the two in terms of undergrad education. I felt that Cornell is great for grad school, but Middlebury is as good as it gets for undergrad.

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Oh, Middlebury hands down, especially since you are leaning towards it anyway. There’s nothing quite like the quiet prestige of a NESCAC college and you only get one opportunity to attend one and that’s as an undergraduate.

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Sounds like you are better suited to Middlebury than Cornell.

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Cross name recognition of your list of concerns. As said previously, those who matter know Middlebury as well as Cornell. Don’t worry about the average Joe who only knows Ivies and universities with top sports teams. Graduate programs and those hiring will know that Middlebury is quality.

1 Like
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Echoing what others have said, if you prefer the LAC environment at Middlebury then go there. Keep in mind that people tend to do their best when they are in a happy and comfortable place. And as noted above, anyone who matters (employers, grad schools etc.) will know that Middlebury is an outstanding college.

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I always find it odd that this comes up at this late date, but it does. I would have assumed that by this time people would have decided on their preferred environment, LAC vs. university.

Anyway since this has come up before you might try search, eg,
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/903590-cornell-vs-middlebury-p1.html

And since in some ways it follows generic LAC vs. university, you might look at some of those threads too. Eg,
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/11720168#Comment_11720168

I was pointing out those links in part to avoid having to repeat myself here, but since those old posts I’ve had another
brief personal data point. My D2 transferred (for a number of reasons,) from an LAC (also not Middlebury) to Cornell. She graduated a few years ago now. She loved Cornell.

For Pros you left out humongous portfolio of course offerings. Every area, every subarea you wind up becoming interested in, advanced level courses- you are much better covered, as your interests may evolve. In ways that you do not even know right now.

I, for one, only had TAs in labs and recitation sections, save for two freshman seminars. I thought they were fine, for what they did. I personally think too much is made of this. At their LACs, D1 had a number of newly-minted PhDs, this being their first “real” job. IIRC D2 had intro writing seminar teachers who were adjuncts, weren’t even professors.

There’s course material, and you have to learn it. If the course is conducive to lecture format, the prof lectures. There are more people sitting there listening to him lecture at the U.

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But to be clear, I think an LAC can be great, particularly if you : fit well with the prevailing campus culture, are not too advanced in your studies coming in, and they have your areas of (eventual) interest very well covered. You can always study abroad should you get sick of the campus.

It’s just that sadly I have two kids who tried them and they didn’t work out well for them. And I learned why along the way, issues that came up with them that I did not anticipate before they went there. YMMV.

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FWIW the LAC route worked exceptionally well for my D who thrived in that close-knit type of environment, felt she benefited from the smaller classes, was involved in multiple research projects working directly with professors (one of which was published in a peer reviewed journal), was actively involved on campus etc. As they say, different strokes for different folks! It is a matter of the OP determining the best fit for the next four years.

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Thank you everyone for all of the input. As you probably could tell from my post, I’m leaning towards Middlebury and plan to visit in the near future, and will visit Cornell afterwards. Assuming all goes well, I will probably end up at Midd assuming I enjoy the visit!

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Good luck with the visits! Nice choice to have and you can’t make a bad decision no matter which school you choose!