I’m seriously considering applying Middlebury ED2. I’m somewhat hesitant on moving from a large global city to a very rural campus. Could anyone with a similar background tell me what their experience at Middlebury was like, especially in regards to adjusting to living in a small town?
If Middlebury College appeals to you, but the location is too remote, then consider the University of Vermont Honors College in Burlington, Vermont. Great city. Beautiful setting on a major lake. Easy access to great ski slopes. Rated as having the cleanest air of any US city. Liberal environment politically & socially.
middlebury is quaint but quiet. it might not be for you…maybe look at Haverford and Swarthmore, which have easy access to Philly?
Thanks for these options, I’ve already considered them and somehow neither seem to fit perfectly either. Swarthmore, for example, is a bit too selective in terms of what I’m looking for (since I’d prefer something where I have a greater statistical chance of getting in) whereas Haverford doesn’t really resonate with me as a school. I did also consider schools such as Tufts, but competition at my school for Tufts is very steep and therefore wouldn’t be a wise decision.
What do you want to study ?
Any career plans ?
What activities do you enjoy ?
Google tells me that Tufts has an admissions rate of 14% and Middlebury of 17% That’s pretty much an equivalent admissions rate, and your chances aren’t appreciably better at one vs the other.
@LongLiveNipsey I went to Midd from a global city on the Pacific Rim, and it was both brilliant and at times in my first year the loneliest place on earth, and I was wondering what on earth I’d done. If you can, go visit, but preferably not in J-Term which has a very different, much more relaxed vibe; Midd is intense, demanding and absolutely not for everyone.
On whether you’d get in, all of the schools you’ve mentioned admit less than 1-in-5 applicants, when probably 9-in-10 could do well enough to comfortably graduate; the same is true at the most selective schools worldwide, so this is hardly a US phenomenon.
I’ll say to you what I say to all those I interview: you need to demonstrate to Midd that you should be there instead of someone else. This is a range of things: assuming you can do the work, have you demonstrated real intellectual curiosity and commitment to your chosen field? Are you going to contribute something special to a small and relatively isolated community, or are you going to glide through and not touch the sides? In 10 years after graduation, who will remember you and why? Why are you choosing Midd and not Williams/Amherst/Bates/Bowdin/Colby/Yale/Harvard/Princeton/Tufts?
Answer these credibly, and you’ll have a much better application.
It’s more of an issue of in-school competition. There are objectively better candidates applying to Tufts from my school than to Middlebury.
I’d like to study Economics and enter investment banking (which NESCAC schools are quite good for). I enjoy all sorts of activities but am particularly interested in club soccer. That said, I would like to live on the west coast once I’ve graduated.
Thank you for such an in-depth and thought inciting comment! I have to say, it is slightly disadvantageous that Middlebury does not require any essays to be written. That said, I believe my overall application and who I am shows that I’m someone capable of creating change in an environment, which is particularly apparent with my extracurriculars.
I’m still hesitant on committing myself to Middlebury due to the isolation and loneliness that you described, but I believe it would be a great school to apply to as an RD candidate since I’m not yet sure whether or not I’d commit just yet (especially compared to the other schools I’ve applied to in large global cities).
OP: You should consider Claremont McKenna College & Pomona College on the West Coast.
My impression is that those who apply to Middlebury College are seeking much of what you are trying to avoid.
Agree if OP wants to live on the West Coast after graduation that CMC and Pomona make more sense than Mid. Although not a small liberal arts college, you might also consider USC. (UCB and UCLA would be on the list, but their deadline has passed). Note there are relatively fewer IB jobs on the West Coast than East Coast regardless.
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First rule, @LongLiveNipsey : the only way you can be sure you won’t get in is if you don’t apply. Second rule: your assessment of “objectively better” may or may not be the Midd admission’s office’s view. Third rule: unless a ridiculous number (like a third) of your senior class applies ED1 to Midd and they all get in, I don’t think that there is a binding rule on the number of students coming from any one high school.
On Econ, Midd has arguably the strongest NLAC Econ Dept in the country, and you should reach out to them if you have a particular area of interest.