Middlebury or other LAC (for Econ)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Middlebury College
1

<p>Hey CC,</p>

<p>First a little about myself. I'm intellectual, liberal, very politically aware (and somewhat active), outdoorsy (hiking, biking, skiing, etc) but not active in competitive team sports. I want to attend a college with an intellectually curious student body, as I enjoy engaging in stimulating conversations ranging from politics to philosophy. I want to major in economics and eventually get a PhD at a strong econ grad program. I want a lot of social options--not just drinking. Maybe a school with some parties, as well as some films, concerts, etc. Also, I want to have a wide array of GenEd/Distribution requirements because I love learning. </p>

<p>After a ton of research on Amherst, Williams, Middlebury, Reed, Oberlin, Swarthmore, Haverford, Grinnell, Wesleyan, and other similar schools, I've narrowed my search down to Oberlin, Wes, and Midd. I'm leaning towards Midd. </p>

<p>I like Midd because of its size, location, distribution requirements, emphasis on global studies, the outdoorsy student body, and for so many other reasons. </p>

<p>Some things that concern me--
Is Midd politically active enough for me? Oberlin and Wesleyan are more politically active, but not as outdoorsy and beautiful. There's just something very stately about Midd. </p>

<p>I want to get a PhD in Economics after undergrad, and although Midd's Econ department is great, I don't know if many students go for PhDs. Seems like a lot of investment bankers. Oberlin, Wesleyan, and similar schools produce much more PhDs than Midd. But does this even matter? Midd is still a great school. </p>

<p>Here are the reasons why other schools didn't sound as appealing---Williams (tons of jocks and preppy drinkers), Amherst (similar to Williams; also dislike the open curriculum), Bowdoin (see Williams). </p>

<p>Do I sound more like a potential MiddKid, an Obie, or a Wes student? Unless you think of other schools. Key points--varied social scene, not an overwhelming amount of jocks, not interested in crazy drinking, an intellectual school, outdoorsy, and a good Econ department to prepare me for a PhD program. </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Also–
Reed and Swarthmore seem too overwhelming. Haverford is too small, Vassar and Bard are too close to home (NY Metro Area).
Of course I’ll apply to a bunch of these schools because I need options–safety schools, good choices, and reaches.</p>

3

<p>Honestly, you’re going to find all these schools are extremely similar. If you don’t like Williams, Amherst, or Bowdoin, you’ll probably dislike Midd too . . . but, you’ll probably find that you don’t like Wesleyan or Oberlin either. </p>

<p>Yes, Wesleyan and Oberlin could fairly be characterized as MORE liberal and MORE politically active than the other options you’ve described, but Midd, Williams, Amherst and Bowdoin are more liberal and more politically active than most schools in the country. Even though one might characterize Middlebury as a jock school (they’re extremely successful at sports) the athletes and other groups interact amazingly well. No group is left feeling like outsiders. Also, any of these schools will prepare you well for applying to Econ. PhD programs. As someone who changed his mind about his future, several times, I’m not sure I’d pick where I was going to spend the next four years of my life based solely on what I hope to do five years from now - that’s bound to change. My advice is to go where you feel the most comfortable. All of these are great schools and you’re going to get a great education at any of them. You’ll also, likely, be happy at any of them (including some of those you’ve already taken off the list. The rest is up to you.</p>

4

<p>This expresses my my feelings on the subject more than mere statistics can:
[Adrien</a> feat. William - Ain’t Tryna Say Good Night - YouTube](<a href=“Adrien feat. William - Ain't Tryna Say Good Night - YouTube”>Adrien feat. William - Ain't Tryna Say Good Night - YouTube)</p>

5

<p>Vermont Politics is relatively easy to break in to, and a student can have a real impact. My S took a course(J term) from the former governor, and many students get important internships, staffer jobs, etc.
Liberal, Outdoorsy, and Intellectual(plus a gifted writer and a fanatic skier)describes #1 son to a tee-he is now a very happy Midd Feb Junior.</p>

<p>Oh and he is an Econ major as well…</p>

6

<p>Thank you! I’ll take everything into consideration.</p>

7

<p>One more thing I’ll say–Middlebury has David Colander. He’s the MAN when it comes to econ. He wrote a few econ textbooks that are used at colleges throughout the country.</p>

<p>[David</a> Colander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Colander]David”>David Colander - Wikipedia)</p>

8

<p>He didn’t like Amherst, Bowdoin, or Welsleyan either…</p>

9

<p>^^This one’s for you OBD!:
[What</a> Makes You Beautiful | One Direction (Being Silly) - YouTube](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>

10

<p>Those are cute, jw. But of course the standard against which all others are measured is MIDDKID, at <a href=“MIDD KID (Official Music Video) - YouTube”>MIDD KID (Official Music Video) - YouTube. Enjoy.</p>

11

<p>Absolutely^^^^^</p>