<ol>
<li><p>If I'm not into snow sports at all would the winter be too dreary and depressing?</p></li>
<li><p>Is there an overwhelming athletic culture/athletes cliques? </p></li>
<li><p>Are there a lot of race/class interactions? Is it really an upper-class white-dominated elitist racist place as it is described on Students Review?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Son will be a freshman and is very much looking forward to attending the school. He isn’t necessarily into “snow sports” although he can ski. I am sure he will get a lot better in four years of college that has it’s own mountain, however.</p>
<p>And let’s just say a thing about student’s review. I have no ideal how accurate those 38 messages are, but I do know dated information when I see it. Hard to say that an opinion formed in 2003 would be even relevant today, especially as it pertains to diversity and inclusion. Half a decade and more is a lot of time to change perceptions, stereotypes etc. Add to this that there are far more positive reviews than negative, why do only the negative seem to convince you? The most recent review was in 2008, but most were from 2003-2005. There are a lot of other websites that have opinion based reviews far more up to date. While you can search many threads here, you can also go to other more recent review pages over college review, such as u n i g o and college p r o w l e r.</p>
<p>Consider also the fact that students who had a negative experience are a lot more likely to try to get their voice heard anywhere possible than those who had an excellent one.</p>
<p>Also consider that anyone can write and post reviews on Students Review. I’ve seen at least a couple of posts by a single person claiming to be an undergrad at several schools.</p>
<p>During my time at Middlebury, I skied exactly once. And I wouldn’t call what I did skiing. More like falling. I was, however, a frequent participant in snowball fights, sled races, snow hikes, and broomball games.</p>
<p>1) There are other things to do
2) If you want there to be, it can; if you don’t, there won’t be
3) There’s a lot of interaction if you want</p>
<p>In short, it depends what you want. If you want to find it, it’ll be there. If you don’t wan’t it, it won’t. Simple as that.</p>
<p>Just to add a related question, how health-conscious is everyone?</p>
<p>For the most part, Middlebury attracts students who enjoy sports, outdoor recreation (e.g. hiking) etcetera. Because of their lifestyle, students more often than not are concerned about healthy eating/living and their general well-being.</p>
<p>Do many eat pizza, ice cream, ciasto and drink to excess from time to time? You betcha. It’s a NE LAC, not Liberty U.</p>
<p>Hi… besides the outdoorsy culture, is there a preppy mentality at Middlebury? No offense meant but people tell me its a great school with smart people and wonderful teachers but very ‘whitebread.’ Is that a true stereotype.</p>
<p>Eugene91:</p>
<p>WhiteBread?</p>
<p>What does this stereotype mean?</p>
<p>Why is this stereotype important to you, specifically, and if so, why?</p>
<p>BlackBread</p>
<p>horseradish: i think when people describe midd as whitebread they are saying to me that it has a rep as homogenous, not just racially but also as a state of mind and maybe culture… kind of establishment-oriented. i am looking for a place that’s open to edgy ideas and has cultural as well as racial diversity. i haven’t visited yet so i’m just wondering if there’s truth in it.</p>
<p>I’m a pretty “whitebread” person, so it’s hard for me to say. Before Midd I had lived half my life on the East Coast of the US, and half on the West Coast. I had attended a Catholic school for elementary, but a mid-sized public high school. My family had lived in Belgium for three years. Every place I had lived I was considered “rich”, even though I wasn’t brought up to think that way. When I arrived at Middlebury I was nearly overwhelmed with opportunities. I met all sorts of fascinating people from completely different lifestyles. I learned about things that caused me to completely change my “life plan”. I was exposed to different points of view on a daily basis. </p>
<p>After graduation I lived in a small town in upstate NY, the Virgin Islands, a Colorado ski town, Portland OR, a small city in Oregon, Washington DC, Ithaca NY, Rochester NY, Albany NY and a small resort community in the Adirondacks. Not one of my post-Midd graduation communities has been as open, as culturally diverse, or as interesting as Midd. I’m not sure what this says, but I’m confident you won’t find Midd to be closed minded. I can promise you that you won’t get a better education anyplace else.</p>