Middlebury vs Bowdoin: Not Enough Time to Visit Both

<p>My daughter was accepted to Middlebury, Bowdoin, Carleton and some others in California and she is most grateful. However, we probably cannot visit them all before decision day. She might be able to visit just one and she is trying to decide which to visit. We have visited Carleton and Claremont, but never Bowdoin or Middlebury (and we have never even been to the northeast or New England for that matter, so it is all unfamiliar territory).<br>
Question:<br>
For those who chose Middlebury over Bowdoin, why did you make that choice or what are the pros and cons of each? I will post a similar query on the Bowdoin site. </p>

<p>Question:
How different are the climates in terms of snow or cold or cloud cover? Speaking of the weather, how different are the academic climates and student body attitudes and degree of diversity? In short, what are the key differences to consider in your opinion. </p>

<p>Thank you, in advance, for your opinion.</p>

<p>My kids both preferred Bowdoin. They did not respond well to the info. session at Mid. The alum giving the session stressed the qualities of VT: the lack of billboards etc, etc, which they were not interested in. They also didn't like how similar all the Mid buildings were. They didn't learn much about the academics on the tour or the session. Focus was just elsewhere.</p>

<p>I know there are kids who just adore Mid. I am just giving two kids' perspectives.</p>

<p>They both liked Bowdoin. They liked the campus and felt it was more casual. The session stressed the academics and atmosphere -- challenging and laid back at the same time -- and the student interviewer was quirky. They also loved the ocean and Brunswick.</p>

<p>Neither of them ended up attending either school, but neither of them applied to Mid.</p>

<p>This topic has been discussed numerous times on this board. Both are excellent schools. I was accepted early write to Bowdoin and RD to Middlebury and ended up at Midd. I've never regretted my decision. I'm sure folks who decided on Bowdoin would say the same.</p>

<p>What does your daughter want to study?</p>

<p>See this link: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/middlebury-college/250585-how-does-middlebury-compare-bowdoin.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/middlebury-college/250585-how-does-middlebury-compare-bowdoin.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Thank you for the sincere responses and for the additional links. I found the stately Rolls Royce Silver Shadow (Bowdoin) vs the new Bentley Continental (Middlebury) analogy entertaining.<br>
Well at this moment she is undecided as to the major, but she would like to minor in all of these colleges because she cannot decide--they all sound like wonderful life changing experiences in the making.</p>

<p>My daughter is truly absolutely undecided--she probably has too many interests and she wants to try as many different classes as is reasonable. I am sure she is not premed, and she does love languages and for fun she really enjoys music (piano and saxophone )and musical theater. I am sure she would like to do a year or at least a semester in France. Are you aware of semester exchange programs like Swartmore offers with other LACS? Do any of you know about the theater programs at either school? For language, Middlebury's focus is clear (and impressive).
You have all been most helpful so many thanks to all of you!</p>

<p>More than half of each Middlebury class studies abroad in the junior year, and some 65 percent of these students take courses in their discipline in the language of the host country and/or engage in advanced language study. Middlebury has programs in Bordeaux, Paris, and Poitiers.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Are you aware of semester exchange programs like Swartmore offers with other LACS?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Funny you should mention Swarthmore.</p>

<p>Middlebury maintains exchange programs with several colleges, including Berea College and St. Mary's College of California during winter term and Spelman College and Swarthmore College during fall and spring semesters. One-to-one exchanges may be arranged with other colleges during winter term as authorized by the Office of Off-Campus Study.</p>

<p>Selected students each year spend one semester in the national Washington Semester Program administered by American University.</p>

<p>As many as six Middlebury students a year may spend a semester studying the human relationship with the sea at the Williams College-Mystic Seaport Program in American Maritime Studies.</p>

<p>Students of biology and/or environmental studies with a science focus may elect to spend the fall semester at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory.</p>

<p>We spent exactly four-five hours on each campus which was criminally short but still great fun. Do you mind if I point out that the drive between them is not that bad? As long as you are coming..we flew for cheap into Burlington and drove to Dartmouth and then on to Brunswick and back to fly out of Burlington...not challenging really..we were never in a big city for one thing.</p>

<p>She can't go wrong with her choices. You shouldn't worry about study abroad as a factor..anyone with some initiative can hitch onto just about any foreign study program with other colleges...and Mid and Bowdoin have great options too.</p>

<p>hard to make choices on a gut level far far away. Mid has a spectacular campus and I was uber impressed with the amt of sunshine they get into each buildings to offset the gloom...of winter..ditto Bowdoin. Mid kids have more fun skiing and also some great facilities for sports indoors...Mid is closer to Montreal...and Bowdoin jaunts head to Boston...but they also have Portland and Burlington as closer in options to their home villages. Bowdoin does not get as much snow as you might guess. </p>

<p>Our son went forward with Bowdoin where he just liked the coastal fresh air feel of the place..not far from water really as we are landlocked where he grew up. Bowdoin seems very unpretentious to us...we are fans... </p>

<p>good luck with your choices...why don't you ask admissions in both schools for an upperclassman who might have been abroad to France to chat up...Bowdoin graduates actually called my son to chat in April a few years back..so nice..to have the chance to talk to graduates.</p>

<p>Thanks for the LAC exchange information and for your perspectives--we will see if we can visit both if it is a manageable drive!</p>

<p>Just a overview of the differences between the two---</p>

<p>Obviously they are both very selective. Midd has more of a work hard play harder reputation than Bowdoin does. Midd is in rather rural VT near mountains while Bowdoin in in a small city on the coast of Maine. Midd probably has more notable foreign relations and language programs than Bowdoin does, although I'm sure some Bowdoin student would dispute that. Bowdoin students, in my limited experience, tend to be more stressed by classes than their Midd counterparts. If you like skiing a lot Midd might pick up a couple points.</p>

<p>I loved both, and along with Colgate they were my top three choices, but I ultimately went with Midd ED.
Personally, I am completely and totally undecided, so because the two were on almost the exact same academic level, it came down to mostly non-academic factors.
A big part of my decision making process came down to the campuses themselves. I would actually say that that's one of the biggest diffeneces between the two. Bowdoin is a little more worn-in, more mismatched, flatter. Middlebury is composed of very matched grey stone buildings, and seated between two mountain ranges. The campus is much more open, with wide open spaces. Both campuses are beautiful, but most applicants respond better to one than the other. For this reason, I recommend looking at as many pictures as you can find. Both schools have photos on their websites, and facebook groups tend to be a good source.</p>

<p>Another key differences is that Bowdoin has a much smaller student body. This has a number of effects on the school as a whole, but one that mattered to me was that it meant that Bowdoin had a higher number of athletes and athletic recruits. They have roughly the same number of teams to fill as Midd (slightly more, in fact), and obviously, that means that a higher percentage of students and needed to fill those teams. It felt very much like a "jock school" to me. I have nothing against athletes, but as someone with strong interests in acting and painting, I was definitely looking for a place with a student body that was less athletic, and more artistic. </p>

<p>That said, both are incredible schools, and your daughter has a tough choice in front of her.</p>

<p>*If it comes down to it, keep in mind that Midd is the founder of quidditch!</p>

<p>There were a few reasons I chose Midd over Bowdoin... The biggest reason was Middlebury's strength in languages. I also liked the campus better, knew more people who had gone to Midd and liked it, and other small little things. I liked both of them, but when I got both acceptances I just knew I would rather go to Middlebury. Without a visit to both, it'll be hard to be sure about a choice between the two... and you may always wonder what going to other schools would have been like, but with Midd and Bowdoin you can't really go wrong.</p>

<p>Since you & your family have never been to New England or to the Northeast, you are in for a very pleasant awakening regardless of the season when you visit. There is no wrong choice between Bowdoin College & Middlebury College academically, socially or location-wise as they are fairly similiar schools. Too bad your daughter didn't apply to Dartmouth College as a visit to all three on one trip is recommended (and very worthwhile). In my opinion, Vermont--the entire state--and the coast of Maine are two of nature's greatest gifts to us. All four seasons are spectacular in both locations. If you must choose without visiting, then--without knowing any more than what is posted on this thread about your daughter--Middlebury College is the safer choice since it is larger and the village is charming with outstanding accomodations for visiting parents (especially the Middlebury Inn). In your situation, if your daughter wants a larger environment after two years, then she might be able to transfer to UCal @ Berkeley as Berkeley accepts a lot of junior transfers & since she has already been accepted. Middlebury College has nearby skiing facilities that keep students active outdoors during the snow months. Hope this helps.</p>

<p>Even though we now see that this type of question is asked frequently (College A vs College B or C), each of your opinions unfolds a new wrinkle or subtlety.
My daughter was, and perhaps still is, fearful of what we have heard of New England weather. I guess it all depends on attitude. The description of Vermont and coastal Maine as "two of nature's greates gifts" was helpful, too. I hope that both Midd and Bowdoin provide a sense of comeraderie, shared purpose, and accomplishment. So she is off to visit Midd (this weekend), then Bowdoin.
Again, many thanks to all of you, including those who sent private messages.</p>

<p>Student:</p>

<p>My SoCal son (cargo shorts year round, even in the rain) is attending college in the NE and loves the weather and change of seasons.</p>

<p>Update: My daughter and I just returned from Middlebury's admit preview event this weekend, including an overnight stay for her. We both enjoyed the location and the people we met. Vermont is truly beautiful (as icy9ff8 said), Middlebury's curriculum seems progressive and the facilities top notch. For those of you thinking about the sciences, they have a state-of-the art science building (Bicentennial Hall) and quality science program, which tends to get overshadowed by the International Studies and Language fame Midd enjoys. It certainly does get cold, and we had a light snow shower while we were there, but there is a ton of stuff to do on campus and the mountains are, well, right there for outdoor adventure. In short, Middlebury seems to have a lot of positive momentum on many fronts.
We met many cross admits to Bowdoin. It really does come down to the intangible (Vermont's mountains vesus the coast of Maine). Unfortunatey we were not able to visit Bowdoin.<br>
We were short of time so we could not meet with every department, but if there are any theatre students reading this, we would appreciate your feedback on how lively the drama and theatre scene is at Middlbury.
We appreciate all of your help.</p>

<p>I am reading this long after your post, but in answer to your question about theater, my daughter was directed to Midd specifically for the theater department. She is currently on the wait list and if a space is offered, she will be passing on conservatory programs to to be at Midd. She visited in the dead of winter to see a play on a Saturday night and spent the remainder of the evening running from activity to activity until about 2 AM. She loved it.</p>

<p>Researching Mom - </p>

<p>I hope your daughter gets in. My son has enrolled at Middlebury but is on a wait list somewhere else. Wait lists can be akin to a slow death if you really want to go to a school where you're wait listed.</p>

<p>Where has your daughter enrolled in the meantime?</p>