I’ve applied regular decision to both Middlebury and Colgate, and I was wondering if anyone had any insight on the differences between the two in terms of athletics, academics, student body, social atmosphere, etc? Thanks!
Colgate or Hamilton?
Hamilton! So sorry! Middlebury and Hamilton!
Don’t mean to take up all the bandwidth on these threads but since no one else has jumped in…
The only feedback I have heard specifically from someone who has attended both is from a friend of mine’s daughter who transferred from Hamilton to Middlebury. Hamilton was much more Greek/frat oriented than she was expecting. Also she felt a significant portion of students left on weekends- not every weekend but certainly more than a few- so it made an impact on campus with fewer students around on quite a few weekends. She felt the academics were comparable work load wise but that getting As at Middlebury was generally harder than at Hamilton.
Take that for what it’s worth- there are thousands of people more in the know than myself regarding both schools- but I do think Hamilton has a more Greek oriented reputation.
Hamilton is on the Princeton Review list of heavy drinking schools, and there is a lot less to do in the town. I’d never say Midd was sa LARGE college town, but there are some decent stores and restaurants.Midd is well known as a lower grade inflation institution, so while the work may be comparable, you might see a bit higher point on the curve than at Midd.
Both schools are beautiful and have great faculty and facilities.
On the greek life thing, from talking to other people and doing some reading online, it seems as though Hamilton’s greek life doesn’t necessarily have as big of an impact because they don’t have housing and throw all-campus parties. That was one thing that impressed me about the campus was the non-exclusive nature of the social scene. I can’t speak for Middlebury, but it seems that Hamilton is definitely out there in terms of location. I recommend visiting to see if it is right for you. We passed some bison on the way there and it is likely gets cold during the wintertime, being in upstate new york. Hamilton also has an open curriculum which may be attractive to some students. The comment on the drinking thing may stem from the fact (if I remember correctly) that there is a bar on campus, they just expect students to be responsible about it. I was surprised as they were very open about this during their information session
By conventional metrics these schools are difficult to distinguish (For example, SAT scores. Hamilton: 1960-2210; Middlebury: 1940-2200).
Hamilton’s distinction, I think, lies in its interesting history. At a time when other colleges were rigid or monastic, Hamilton was creating a progressively-oriented women’s college under its auspices. Although this was a long time ago, and Hamilton is now one unified institution, I think the legacy of a curriculum balanced with elements of the classical and the innovative has been maintained. And the architecture of this period provides an expansivess to the campus that works to counteract what might otherwise be small-college-claustrophobia.
If, however, the above has little resonance for you, then Middlebury may be a fine, if more conventional, choice.
Good luck.
(Sources for SAT scores: respective college websites, class of 2018 freshman profiles.)
“We passed some bison on the way . . .”
If I were truly undecided, I would choose the college with the most bison.
Are you referring to Kirkland College (1968-1978)? Perhaps even more innovative and unconventional was Middlebury’s decision to become co-ed back in 1883.
I was referring comprehensively to Kirkland’s curriculum, architecture, and progressive philosophy, which included, but was not limited to, a dedication to women’s education – and to the legacy of this innovative period in the current Hamilton.
I do respect Middlebury’s early adoption of coeducation, which prevents the School from being a historical exemplar of “rigid and monastic” within the NESCAC. So those particular adjectives can, rightfully, be directed elsewhere.
Usage: “the School” should be “the College.”
Sort of 
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1954/5/21/middlebury-college-myth-of-coeducation-pup/?page=single
Crimson article from 1954. Guess the Cantabs were envious of Midd’s Snow Bowl back then, too. My son’s a freshman, seems to have something new to like each time we chat. 77 Midd athletes were NESCAC All Academic this Fall; 35 of whom are Women. So whatever male/female academic gap the Crimson was seeking to highlight in 1954 doesn’t exist in the 21st century. Also @ rangers19, 16 were football players; Hamilton had 6 gridders with that distinction.
I posted the article for the humor value. No need to get defensive. 
And the article was in reference to gender social inequality. There’s no mention of sports, so I’m at loss as to why you felt it necessary to post Midd’s very admirable athlete academic accomplishments.
I can also assure you the Harvard alumni I’m familiar with are not only not envious of the Snow Bowl, some didn’t know it existed. 
Please don’t mistake my bragging for being defensive. The only way that position attaches to my family is that my son is a frosh linebacker and well on his way to being all-academic when he becomes eligible next year. Re. no mention of sports, though it was a snapshot (or perhaps a daguerreotype considering some of the attitudes and practices it portrayed), implicit in that article is that Middlebury had only good time Charlies and no Charlenes or Charlottes, at least in public view. I don’t think it a stretch to opine that quite often, to the present day, that profile attaches to male athletes. In fact the football team’s academic adviser made a point to discuss that attitude when addressing the incoming players and parents last Fall. And he was talking to boys who’d come from Hotchkiss, Lawrenceville, PhiIlips (Exeter & Andover), Deerfield, Milton Academy, Brunswick, etc, etc. His point was that, de facto as a football player, you will have to earn the academic respect of your schoolmates, not least from the distaff side, an ironic reversal of the gender social inequality you reference. These boys like to compete in any number of arenas and know how to; they respond admirably. I was up for the final home game when they introduced the senior players and their majors: Economics, Classical Literature, Math, Physics, Political Science. Not a basket weaver among them