<p>Ah, but the kind of people who are all wrapped up in prestige aren’t, themselves, very prestigious or elite. The true elite wouldn’t sit there and parse out these meaningless differences. It’s only the wannabes who are sooooo concerned with these minute prestige distinctions.</p>
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<p>Nothing is unparalleled. Middlebury language department is at best mediocre compare to most universities. It might be top dog for LACs, but to suggest it’s unparalleled is almost provincial.</p>
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And Pizzagirl knows the true elite how? ;-). Perhaps the true elite is even more concerned about minute prestige distinctions.</p>
<p>middsmith, go do your homework.</p>
<p>LOL. I honestly don’t even remember the last time my mother told me to do my homework.</p>
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<p>Over the years, I studied foreign languages at 3 highly-regarded national universities, at Middlebury (summer programs), and abroad. The best academic program for me (including the foreign immersion experience) was at Middlebury. </p>
<p>YMMV.</p>
<p>I’m talking, now, about practical language instruction (for conversation and reading knowledge). Literature and linguistics (as well as instruction in less-commonly-taught languages) may be a different matter.</p>
<p>Having been involved peripherally with Midd admissions, I’ve found this thread very interesting. In my experience Midd doesn’t focus on these LACs for comparison, whether in the context of cross-admits, transfers or target institutions whom they consider to be their ‘competition.’ Instead, for varying reasons applicable to the particular institutions, I saw comparisons with Princeton, Georgetown and Yale among others. NO, I am not saying “Midd is the equivalent/superior/inferior” to these institutions. Rather, I am saying it’s interesting to see this thread focusing on Midd’s position relative to its NESCAC cousins when, in my experience, Midd is focused beyond NESCAC.</p>
<p>^^I think that’s probably true of most LACs, the top ones at least. Research unis are bigger, attract more applicants and therefore, produce far more cross-admits than any single LAC possibly can.</p>
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<p>Exactly my thoughts. </p>
<p>Too much of a variation on, “oh yeah! my dad is bigger than your dad!” with the tone of authority over imagined, nuanced differences. I’d expect much more from students at these schools.</p>
<p>Son never considered Williams - I don’t know why except that an upper classman who was a complete tool went there and son felt he was fake. That he achieved a certain BMOC reputation only sealed the deal further for S. Amherst: Son really liked the school, thought a lot of the kids were smart (maybe a little bit on the quirky side) but felt he could find his niche and be really happy there. As I’ve said elsewhere, it then happened that the proposed science improvements went on ice indefinitely. And then, as it turned out, he was actually waitlisted. Narrowed things down to staying on waitlist at Amherst, Colgate, Middlebury and Tufts. We went to Middlebury on a Thursday and did the tour et al and then that night he hung out in the main library to do his own homework while watching the comings and goings. </p>
<p>He might have really really liked Amherst, but he fell in love with Middlebury and didn’t even accept a place on Amherst’s waitlist. He felt the kids were happier at Middlebury. And if you have a thing for science – well, the view alone could convince me to major in it at Midd. </p>
<p>So now he’s been at Middlebury for not even three months and the kid is like a pig in slop. The work is hard for sure. But he L.O.V.E.S it. Everything about it. Not all has been perfect, but he really likes his classes, loves his professors and well, he’s also having a REALLY great time. He says he’s made friends with so many different kinds of kids, (and as a point of comparison) the same experience isn’t behing had by his friend at Amherst (again, it’s more a niche thing). Don’t get me wrong, his friend is really happy at Amherst, but it’s a much smaller circle in a much smaller school. They all have their pros and cons and really? Once you’re in the top 10 or so, it really is about getting as much as you can out of the experience. </p>
<p>Now… I will admit that before admission decisions came in, I was personally completely torn between Amherst and Middlebury. But part of my own issue was whether Amherst was the “better” school. Even when S said he wasn’t going to bother with staying on the wait list, I was a little perplexed. But he said he felt something click at Middlebury - both with the place and the people.</p>
<p>Having visited the school and the area myself now a few times, I get it. The people of Middlebury are truly wonderful. They are genuinely nice in a way that is not easy to describe. There is a reason we say kids fall in love with a school and if there is one thing I know to be true, you cannot help with whom you fall in love. Now I could have married a guy with a helluva lot more prestige than my H – but it wouldn’t have been love and I’d have missed out on the best time of my life.</p>
<p>With 2 sons, one who will start Midd as a Feb(from the waitlist), who was also waitlisted at Harvard, Dartmouth, Amherst, Tufts, and his younger brother applying ED to Midd this fall(recruited athlete), I have spent a lot of time with them visiting all 3 schools, talking to students, professors, coaches, on tours, etc. Both liked the Midd campus the best-fab facilities, great food, happy students. Williams is a similar vibe, but smaller size and the less expansive views contribute to it feeling tighter and smaller. Son 1 felt it was too small. Son 2 loved it but ended up deciding Midd, neither really had a great impression of Amherst. To us it felt the most preppy, the least organized(tour, admissions contacts), the most full-of -itself (I’m sure Kwu will be on me again), and route 9 to the school is an ugly traffic nightmare.
If you want prestige, it’s HYP . And of Midd, Amherst, Williams, I think Williams has the top slot for “prestige”. But you really can’t go wrong with any of them in terms of the excellence of the education, and the door they can open.
So you should follow your heart.</p>
<p>I will just add one more thing: This past weekend I was with a group of very east coast blue bloods. Interestingly to me is that when I mentioned Amherst - they immediately thought I meant UMass-Amherst. Williams and Middlebury did not suffer the same confusion. Admittedly, once you hit the midwest, all three are a hit and miss in name recognition.</p>
<p>And oh. in re-reading my previous post I guess I should clarify that yes, S was waitlisted at Amherst but not the others. But given the year of admissions last year he did get a phone call encouraging him to stay on Amherst’s list (which as I say he did not). </p>
<p>Will relay one more thing (and this is probably not a positive from a parental point of view AND was probably told to me specifically as some sort of passive aggressive dig) BUT… A mom told me that her son was extremely happy at Amherst and that he had made some great friends that had a similarly serious interest in academics as he did. Long story short, she said that between that and his one all-consuming EC, he had very little time to have “as good a time as your son seems time to have.” It came off a little snarky to me, but seemed to point that kids at midd might make more time to party, but seriously? Son studies A LOT and plays a sport, so …whatever. I took it as snarky, said “I don’t know about that” in return and just smiled, albeit a little more tightly than I would have preferred. :)</p>
<p>And too… I think SOME of the rivalry between these schools is the NESCAC itself. They go up against one another in everything and so… there’s that as well. I will say that Amherst does seem to be a little higher on the athletic records in a very general way.</p>
<p>My son is at Amherst. His best friend is at Middlebury. They are both happy, happy, happy where they are and are both working hard, hard, hard. Both kids are from the west coast. Out here virtually no one (outside of small circles of people who pay attention to such things) recognizes any of these names. Any kid who can get into any one of them --Amherst, Williams, Middlebury-- is a LUCKY kid! I don’t think there’s any mileage in trying to rate them against each other. It’s just a matter of personal preference.</p>
<p>wow I am very impressed at the enormous response I got from this thread. Thank you all for your advice. I think what makes prestige such a complicated subject is that is very opinionated. There are some people out there who think Cornell is as great as the other Ivies, and some who think it should have been kicked out of the Ivy League years ago. Some people think AW better than HYP, some ignorant people think Amherst is equal to UMass and Williams a community college. I no longer care whether someone will think I am “dumber” or “less worthy” than him because he went to “Insert big name school here” and I went to an unknown LAC.</p>
<p>Touche 'tentof2…Very well said indeed. </p>
<p>Goodluck Pulverizer353 you will do great no matter where you go!!! =)</p>
<p>I agree with rentof2… I think of my son as very lucky to be where he is and to have had the choices he did. I think honing in on any particular school just because of it’s rank and file on some list would be underestimating your own contributions to any environment. Of the nine schools son applied to, we would have been equally proud of his attending any of them.</p>
<p>Modadunn,</p>
<p>I agree. My son is applying to a handful of great schools and we will be proud wherever he decides to go. Some may think he is dumb, because he is forgoing applying to the Ivies and some other larger research schools where he would be a shoe in. But he really feels the fit is better for him at a smaller LAC. He is excited about the smaller class sizes and close knit community feel at the schools he is applying to, and he feels it will be easier to perform in his EC’s there with less pressure. I also strongly believe it has so much more to do with what you do with yourself while you are at any school then the brand name.</p>
<p>This has been a great discussion and unlike most similar discussions, has, for the most part, avoided becoming overly heated. When I was applying to colleges I knew early on that I wanted a small LAC. I must have looked at every school in the Northeast. Each time as my parents and I drove up to the campus I’d be thinking, “this is the one”. I’d get there and be disappointed. The one campus I really seemed to like was Amherst. I was trying to narrow down my choice to find a school to apply ED. I was pretty sure Amherst was going to be the one. Then I went to Middlebury for my interview. I came out of my interview and told my mother, “This is where I’m going to school”. I just clicked. It was the best decision I could have made. I’m sure I would have been very happy at Amherst, but I’ll never know. The point is with these fine degrees of separation between schools, you really have to go with your heart. They are all equivalent when it comes to quality of education. </p>
<p>Of course, Middlebury is MUCH better than any other school though ;)</p>
<p>Williams parent here.</p>
<p>Williams was my S’s favorite so I am delighted he was admitted. However, prestige wasn’t the dominant feature. He just liked the campus vibe better than Amherst or Midd.</p>
<p>Speaking as his mom, I would be equally delighted to have him attend any of the three.</p>
<p>And I would also be thrilled had he attended Vassar, Wesleyan or even gasp! his safety, Bard.</p>
<p>Any school that gave him the opportunity to develop himself would be just fine in my book.</p>
<p>The kid is the cake; the school is just the icing.</p>
<p>And I think the reason he was admitted to such a variety of schools is that he composes classical music. I am only adding this to take away from the bragging feature that implies my son is such a genius he had his pick.</p>
<p>He has an unusual interest that piqued the interest of adcoms.</p>
<p>All these schools would have ample scope for him to become who he’s meant to be. He’s a quiet, laid back kind of a guy who didn’t want to attend a university.</p>
<p>My D went to Barnard in NYC and would have felt stilfed at any any of these schools, even though with the exception of Bard they all rank higher on the USWNR rankings. She wanted the advisement system of a LAC but required NYC and the expansiveness of Columbia to become who she wanted to be.</p>
<p>Again, the “prestige” of the school was the dominant feature.</p>
<p>Wes, Vassar, Bard, Amherst, Midd, Williams, Barnard – all schools that teach and inspire. What else could a student or her or his mom want?</p>
<p>Middlebury’s summer language program is not run by the college. They said that in the information session. </p>
<p>I think that when kids go to Williams, they hear alot of “oh you mean William and Mary? or Roger Williams?” or at least they did during my generation… maybe with USNWR that’s changed, but I tend to doubt it in the general world.</p>
<p>Mythmom, I think you forgot a “not” in your second to last sentence.</p>
<p>Yes, thank you, I did. I hate snobby silly way it reads now.</p>