This is my first post so I’m not sure if it’s in the right location. However, I’m torn between these two schools. I should say that I don’t think I’d apply ED to Midd, but rather this is me deciding if ED to Brown should happen or not (and thus no ED).
Basically, I like both, but they each have huge pros and cons.
Brown Pros:
-open curriculum
-diverse students
-quirky/nerdy
-from jocks to hipsters–> not homogenous
-nice medium size
Brown Cons:
-can’t minor
-campus
-location
-facilities
-maybe even students? I’ve never been out of a homogenous town/school and I’m nervous in some ways
Midd Pros:
-nice academics
can double major and minor
-beautiful campus
-my kind of location (rural)
-facilities
-a little smaller
Midd Cons:
-not diverse/homogenous instead
-very sports-oriented
-environmental focus (not necessarily bad, but I don’t really focus on this issue as much and don’t like things dominating campus culture like that)
-preppy white kids?
I’ve talked to others from my school who got into Brown through ED, and I talked to my counselor. I apparently have a pretty decent chance of getting in ED. This terrifies me. Should I go for it even with these cons and hesitations?
No. According to what I’ve seen on CC, wisdom has it that at Brown, ED is only advantageous if you’re a recruit or a legacy. Otherwise, there isn’t a boost; the kids who get in ED would get in RD. (You can check out the Brown forum for more on this; apparently this comes from admissions officers, and it’s been brought up in several threads.)
Even if that weren’t the case, I still wouldn’t advise it. The campus and the location are major parts of your college experience, and if you’re not sure that you would like something, you shouldn’t commit to it. As a current Brown student who toured Middlebury, the settings couldn’t be more different. Brown has a lovely campus, but if you want to be around nature, I wouldn’t suggest it.
Sounds like you need more time to think. Why not skip the ED and just apply RD - especially if there isn’t a significant boost. In the meantime, your thinking may evolve along with your interests and objectives. Use the time to look into the academics a bit more: How do the course offerings compare between the two schools in your areas of interest? What are the faculty in those areas researching and how does that align with your interests? Read some of the student newspapers for each school - what kind of vibe do you get? If you are still undecided and you get admitted to both, you can always go up for admit weekend and check out the campuses a second time.
I agree with above posts, don’t pull the ED trigger if you are still conflicted. As a side note, my daughter just started her freshman year at Midd and hasn’t run into issues with not being part of the sport scene. She is very outdoorsy and has taken huge advantage of the outdoor club. And she is crazy busy with other activities as well. While sports can be an important part of many Middkids’ experience there are plenty of students who aren’t on a team. She was wondering how the “not playing a sport” aspect would play out once she got to campus and so far it has absolutely been a non issue.
You have another month to think this through, and possibly visit some other rural campuses that are more along the line of Middlebury’s. Brown is a wonderful school, but if something about Middlebury’s environment speaks to you, then ED’ing at Brown seems like a wrong turn.
My son chose Williams and really enjoyed and benefited from his four years in a beautiful rural setting. If you’re drawn to outdoorsy activities, the combination of close to nature and rigorous academics can be hugely invigorating.
I’m more familiar with Williams than Midd, but the overall ambience is similar. The schools themselves do a fairly good job of attracting a wide range of diverse students, but the surrounding areas are mostly White, middle class – quite different from an urban environment.
Prep school kids from all sorts of backgrounds and White kids from all sorts of backgrounds are well represented at all east coast schools (including Brown) but the stereotypical “preppy White kids” are actually less prevalent than rumored. Sports culture is a factor, but it’s not exclusive. Plenty of kids like to be physically active – often in outdoorsy pursuits – but are not involved in team sports.
I don’t know that environmental issues dominate the culture at Middlebury, though I think you’d find a strong advocacy culture at all east coast colleges. Some, especially those in rural settings, lean toward a environmental/sustainability focus, and some, especially those in urban settings, lean toward social issues. But there’s a good deal of involvement everywhere.
Some other ideas would be Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, Bates, Colby. Smith and Holyoke if you are female. You might look at Dartmouth too if you like a medium sized school.
What is your academic area of interest? What do you like to do when you’re not in class?