<p>my dad asks me to reconsider applying for midd because:
it's rural location(bad? maybe no...), cold weather(how cold can it be??), away from anywhere (is it???), especially its being far from NYC (does it really matter??), and because he said i would not be comforable when everyone's "richer" than i was...(im apply for finaid)</p>
<p>i like midd and i didn't think any of those matter to me, but they all worried my parents.
how do midd kids think?</p>
<p>thank you!!!</p>
<p>i'm not a "kid" ;) but one of mine had a very good friend go there and graduate. he, though unusual, was miserable there. as he was an avid skier, we were surprised how disconnected he felt. he studied abroad for long periods of time to avoid his time there. yes, cold, isolated, yet beautiful. do you ski? gorgeous dorms i hear, too. i don't know about the "rich" part, but it's up to you and your needs as far as the cold, rural, isolated parts go. hope some of midd's kids say more. good luck.</p>
<p>thank you
i go all the way to study in america, so it's ridiculous that i have to go abroad again to avoid anything...
i never skii...a nightmare for a midd kid??
then i better give up///
very helpful to me thanks a lot!!
anyone else here?</p>
<p>The kids I know who go to MIDD love it. Not everyone skis. There is an emphasis on languages and environmentalism, but within those parameters the school is welcoming and inclusive. VT is almost cultlike in its environmental commitment (the MIDD spiel included the lack of billboards in VT), but for most kids although the countryside is cold, the environment is warm.</p>
<p>S chose Williams over MIDD (guess he likes billboards, hehe, well he doesn't like PCness of any kind, just him), but he doesn't ski. There is even less to do in Williamstown, and it's just as cold, and many of the kids choose to be junior advisors rather than miss a year at Williams. MIDD may stress going to new environment more because of its emphasis on internationalism. </p>
<p>To OP: You may well love MIDD, but many go abroad, at least part of junior year, because all their friends are.</p>
<p>Think carefully. If you love MIDD, it's probably for a reason. What would you replace it with as your dream school?</p>
<p>isa~ i certainly didn't mean to be discouraging, ESPECIALLY if you love the school! choosing a college, in the end, comes down to that certain "feeling", usually when you visit! what do YOU want out of college? some kids don't see the isolation, others will "lose it " with it! i said skiing, because most people in general in northern New England, and certainly at those schools depend on skiing during the winter months. i've heard both Dartmouth and Middlebury have their own mountains, which is a huge draw for those who ski. Dartmouth, too, is in a GORGEOUS NH town, though also very isolated. they have their own theater, where various artists/performers come to them! this cuts down on their isolation. and yes, Williams and others up there all share a beautiful, snowy northern feel. my kids and a lot of their friends chose settings with more activity,oh, and equally good education!;)<br>
just thought of another friend who got into Willianms ED and left after one year...too "jock" for her and isolated. so, isa, you gotta go where your heart is, or it won't work. nothing of what ANY of us says matters if you know what you want. hope this helps! did you mean you aren't from america? you MUST plan on visitng your schools!</p>
<p>sorry, isa, but i remembered something, and i'm trying to be complete. the kid i talked about in my first post studied abroad a LOT, i mean over 1 year. he told my d he did that rather than transfer out. most kids here study abroad routinely, in all colleges, but usually for a semester. study abroad may or may not have to do with your major, some with language requirements, others not.</p>
<p>happycollegemom: Don't mean to get into a dueling match, so sorry. Not the way I mean it, but in the interests of "full disclosure" my son is at Williams and he is very arty, not jocky at all, not preppy at all. He never met a sport or polo shirt he liked. He is very, very happy at Williams. Williams offers wonderful opportunities for fine artists, musicians, actors and now dancers. It also has its own theater which hosts The Williamstown Theatre Festival in the summer, but always has things going in the winter. Williams also hosts the Williamstown Film Festival, which is happening next week. DS is a film geek, so this is heaven for him. The town has an art cinema that hosts the festival, although some movies are shown at nearby Mass Moca. Williamstown has two major art museums right in the town and Mass Moca five minutes away in the next town.</p>
<p>DS has not felt an overwhelming presence of athletics at all. His friends are jazz musicians, playwrights, budding historians etc. as well as biologists and econ majors.</p>
<p>He performed in a contemporary cantata whose lyrics were taken from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and written by a South African composer. Just this weekend a professional troupe performed Julius Caesar for two nights on campus. Theater and music events are attended by students and surrounding community, much like Dartmouth.</p>
<p>mythmom~ HAHA! no, we're not dueling! thanks for the info! i work a lot with kids, and continually learn on CC about various schools. i really DIDN'T know the strong arts of Williams. happy for your son. as i said to isa, he/she needs to know himself/herself to know where the right fit is. my kids wouldn't apply above MA, as they hate the cold!(i don't know where they came from, as I'M from New England!) we actually visited Williams and Dartmouth, and it was snowing(in April) at Williams! so, you guessed it, my d chose to apply to neither! best to you and yours.</p>
<p>Well, my D is in NYC and wouldn't dream of ever applying to Williams. She doesn't even like to visit; claims she's afraid of getting lost in rural places. Hehe.</p>
<p>Her study abroad next semester will be London. From one metropolis to the next, that's my girl.</p>
<p>So, I am not a Williams apologist, and understand, yes, it's not for everyone.</p>
<p>And I second the good wishes. (PS I wouldn't even encourage someone to apply to Williams over Middlebury or gasp! Amherst. Match is a weird chemical process.)</p>
<p>Nice to meet you.</p>
<p>one of mine is in DC...an urban environment defines her! and one is done, working in the DC area. yup, we saw Amherst, too! nice meeting you, too!</p>
<p>ISA--Midd is indeed a beautiful place, but it is COLD and the winter is LONG. If aren't athletically inclined, you will spend most of your time indoors December--mid April. </p>
<p>Because the school is so isolated, road trips are not a big part of the culture. </p>
<p>I have heard from several sources (including current students and some in the administration) that there is some unhappiness with the social life (or lack thereof) at Middlebury. If you read a few back issues of the Middlebury Campus, you'll see this. </p>
<p>On the rich kid thing--really depends on what your other options are. I don't think Middlebury student body is appreciably more affluent than at Williams, Amherst or any of the Ivy's. </p>
<p>The dorms are not all nice, if that's important to you, make sure you see Battell on your tour. It is the biggest freshman dorm. </p>
<p>All that said, it is a great school and you will get a first class undergraduate education there.</p>
<p>Rural location - bad in the sense it limits your social options, but good in the sense the campus is extremely safe and there are lots of outdoorsy activities offered.</p>
<p>Cold weather - does get pretty cold and you will need a good jacket</p>
<p>Far from NYC - I don't think it's that far (4 to 5 hours is not bad at all) and during Fall Break, Thanksgiving break, etc... the school organizes shuttles to NYC and Boston for a decent price.</p>
<p>Rich kids - I feel like a lot of students get financial aid here (I do, my roommate does, person in the room next to me does, etc...). There are a couple of rich kids here, but they really aren't ostentatious. In fact, some of them tell me they feel "guilty" for being rich while some people depend on financial aid. Furthermore, a good deal of students come from United World Colleges and they have a wide range of financial backgrounds. A lot are also POSSE scholars (inner-city NYC schools program) and they seem to enjoy the school)</p>
<p>You can't change the location or weather of Midd. That said, they're not all that bad. Rural location makes for incredible drives up to Burlington (45 min, not that for and an amazing little city!) and runs on back-roads around town (anyone who has gone down South street or up Sheep Farm Road knows what I'm talking about...). Sunsets from the top of BiHall over the lake and mountains are incredible, and the mountains in foliage season show you the beauty of Vermont without being a tourist. As far as people being richer than you... you'll find a lot of affluent students at ANY upper-tier school. It's just a fact of expensive private colleges that they rely on the support of wealthy alums and families. But not everyone is rich, and many are far from it. Lots and lots of people get financial aid, and it's not like people go around talking about whether or not their family can afford Midd or need a little help to do so. The post above me mentions UWC, which are great sources of int'l students who are often coming from much different backgrounds financially (there's a scholarship program that pays for the entire undergraduate tuition of UWC grads who get into certain schools, including Midd). So... what should you take from my little ramble? Midd is rural, but incredibly beautiful and not too removed from civilization (it IS in the northeast after all, distances are small here). Also, not everyone's rich, and the college is actively trying to raise socio-economic diversity and promote awareness of socio-economic issues (this week is "privilege week" that's focusing on the effects of poverty and wealth, with events raising awareness about all sorts of things related to that).</p>