<p>I am interested in Middlebury and have read great things about the school; however, I'd like a better of the setting of the school and the town. How isolated and "middle of nowhere" is Middelbury? Is it reasonable to say that all that one needs is located at Middlebury or is there a feeling that there is almost nothing.</p>
<p>Well it’s as isolated as most top LAC’s, perhaps less isolated than Williams, but more isolated than Wellesley. It’s somewhere in between “all that one needs is located at Middlebury” and “there is almost nothing”. Much of what you need is provided by the school itself, but you’re not going to find a big multiplex, or high end Manhattan boutiques either. I never found myself at a loss for activities. The isolation has its plusses though - for example, there’s much more attention devoted to academic pursuits, there’s a ski area within minutes of the campus, you can ride to local mountain biking trails, there are views of Vermont’s Green Mountains and NY’s Adirondacks. Having said that, however, I think in today’s society (with mass communications and internet linkages) there’s a greater advantage to being isolated with the ability to get to a city, rather than constantly being in a city environment and having to travel to get some isolation. Just my perspective.</p>
<p>The town of Middlebury is very quaint and picturesque; however, once a student leaves the town, there is just rolling farms and mountains for miles and miles. In Middlebury there are a number of restaurants and small stores for clothing and books. Most of the stores are not chains and are locally owned and most of the food is locally grown as well. You would not find a GAP or Barnes and Noble, for instance in Middlebury. There is a cinema, as well as a museum or two. As a Midd student, if you have a hankering for urbanity, your closest destination is Burlington, which is situated approximately 35 miles or 1 hour away.
Keep in mind that Middlebury has a small studentry in comparison to other schools, which can sometimes make one feel more isolated than the actual location of the school - in my opinion. Nevertheless, the academics make a college great, and from my visits to the school, I can surely say that Middlebury offers fantastic programs, especially in languages. It also helps to know that it has a beautiful campus and top-notch facilities! If you look up any photos of the school or the town on the internet, they are generally accurate portrayals.</p>
<p>It’s in the middle of bury. Sorry. Horrible pun. Can’t resist. </p>
<p>The school feels very modern and up-to-date.</p>
<p>I don’t find Williams more isolated: Within an easy ten minutes is North Adams and a movie theater (beyond the one in Williamstown.) Within an easy twenty minutes is a mall; within an easy half hour is Pittsfield, a large town, and within an easy hour is Albany. Montreal is somewhat within striking distance too.</p>
<p>Bennington is also about fifteen minutes away.</p>
<p>And Williamstown has just about as much as Middlebury, but it’s more compact.</p>
<p>The Middlebury campus feels large and spacious and I don’t get an isolated feeling there, but some might.</p>
<p>PS. It snows. A lot. And it is very cold. Usually, the first snowfall occurs around the end of October and early November and spring doesn’t arrive until May. Winters are long and drawn out, but the campus does look very pretty in the snow!</p>
<p>[Map</a> of 18 Hoxsey St Williamstown, MA by MapQuest](<a href=“http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Williamstown&state=MA&address=18+Hoxsey+Street#a/maps/l::18+Hoxsey+St:Williamstown:MA:01267-2680:US:42.712721:-73.206524:address:Berkshire+County:1/m:hyb:12:42.712721:-73.206524:0:::::1:1:1::/io:0:::::f:EN:M:/e]Map”>http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Williamstown&state=MA&address=18+Hoxsey+Street#a/maps/l::18+Hoxsey+St:Williamstown:MA:01267-2680:US:42.712721:-73.206524:address:Berkshire+County:1/m:hyb:12:42.712721:-73.206524:0:::::1:1:1::/io:0:::::f:EN:M:/e)</p>
<p>[Map</a> of Middlebury, VT by MapQuest](<a href=“http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Middlebury&state=VT#a/maps/l:::Middlebury:VT::US:44.015301:-73.167801:city:Addison+County:1/m:hyb:7:44.015301:-73.167801:0:::::1:1:1::/io:0:::::f:EN:M:/e]Map”>http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Middlebury&state=VT#a/maps/l:::Middlebury:VT::US:44.015301:-73.167801:city:Addison+County:1/m:hyb:7:44.015301:-73.167801:0:::::1:1:1::/io:0:::::f:EN:M:/e)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.mapquest.com/maps?name=Trinity+College&city=Hartford&state=CT&address=300+Summit+St&zipcode=06106&country=US&latitude=41.750298&longitude=-72.6931&geocode=ADDRESS&id=21134588#a/maps/l:Trinity+College:300+Summit+St:Hartford:CT:06106:US:41.750298:-72.6931:address::1/m:hyb:12:41.750298:-72.6931:0:::::1:1:1::/io:0:::::f:EN:M:/e[/url]”>http://www.mapquest.com/maps?name=Trinity+College&city=Hartford&state=CT&address=300+Summit+St&zipcode=06106&country=US&latitude=41.750298&longitude=-72.6931&geocode=ADDRESS&id=21134588#a/maps/l:Trinity+College:300+Summit+St:Hartford:CT:06106:US:41.750298:-72.6931:address::1/m:hyb:12:41.750298:-72.6931:0:::::1:1:1::/io:0:::::f:EN:M:/e</a></p>
<p>Good one, Wes!</p>
<p>I don’t get it. (?)</p>
<p>And just a disclaimer… I was there last April and spring was definitely springing. Then again, I live in the midwest and we make the cold of vermont feel downright balmy. It’s all relative.</p>
<p>Modadunn: where in the midwest? You might be shocked to know that Burlington’s climagraph (I have not seen one for Middlebury) is similar to Minneapolis’; Burlington’s climate is a bit milder in January by a few degrees, but spring comes earlier to Minneapolis than to Burlington (and Middlebury’s climate is not much different from Burlington’s). March, and April avg temps in Minny are higher than in Burlington (and Feb’s avg lows are lower in Burlington). I think you caught an unusal mild spell…</p>
<p>See: [Annual</a> Climatology: Burlington, VT (BTV)](<a href=“http://drought.unl.edu/whatis/climographs/BurlingtonANC.htm]Annual”>http://drought.unl.edu/whatis/climographs/BurlingtonANC.htm) vs. [Annual</a> Climatology: Minneapolis, MN (MSP)](<a href=“http://drought.unl.edu/whatis/climographs/MinneapolisANC.htm]Annual”>http://drought.unl.edu/whatis/climographs/MinneapolisANC.htm)</p>
<p>Forgot to ask: Modadunn — how is S doing so far in what has been one of Vermont’s nicest Septembers…?</p>
<p>In case this was lost on anyone, johnwesley’s map for Williamstown was zoomed in about five steps more than his map for Middlebury - just didn’t want to confuse any young and impressionable applicants.</p>
<p>Not shocked at all NorthCountryCat… and I would guess VT gets a lot more snow, even though we are dumped on. Personally, the biggest different I have found between the cold of the east coast and the cold of the midwest isn’t necessarily the temps; it’s the wind. There is nothing to stop it out here because we’re pretty flat. But then too… we’re a little bit drier (horrible for the sinus) whereas a wet cold keeps you cold - a chill as they say. This said, while the views aren’t the same by a long shot, because we’re a fairly flat typography we get a lot more sunshine. But also true… the sunnier it is in the winter, the colder it is. Personally, I think there are tradeoffs no matter where you are in the country, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I missed the east.</p>
<p>I will also admit however, that I didn’t realize that VT would get into the -30’s, a temperature I didn’t realize one could survive until I moved here. :)</p>
<p>PS… been one of the nicest septembers here as well… and hoping it lasts through the first weekend of October for parents weekend! And thank you for asking: Son is enjoying everything the school has to offer. LOVES LOVES his classes, has made some good friends and is having a great time. That we don’t hear from him except by request is a good indicator that what we felt would be a good fit definitely is.</p>
<p>PS. maybe I felt spring was springing because it’s the only kind of spring I’ve known for over 20 years unless on vacation.</p>
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<p>I did try to adjust that zoom thingie on the left to exactly midway for all of them before “closing” the site, but, the defaults appear to be different for each. You have to admit they’re fun to play with, though. :D</p>
<p><a href=“Google Maps”>Google Maps;
<p><a href=“bowdoin - Bing Maps”>bowdoin - Bing Maps;
<p>Oops. This is Bowdoin:[bowdoin</a> college map - Google Maps](<a href=“Google Maps”>Google Maps)</p>
<p>and, Amherst:
<a href=“Google Maps”>Google Maps;