<p>How would you compare these schools
A. academically
B. life-style wise?</p>
<p>Thanks bunches!</p>
<p>Over on the Bowdoin message board Middlebury is getting bashed pretty hard. Doesn't anyone want to advocate for Middlebury?</p>
<p>I think that says alot, ecape. I guess the Middkids are too busy with school and other activities to hang around this board. Perhaps the Bowdoin students are pretty bored. (btw, I'm not in school anymore, so I'm here cause I'm bored with work)</p>
<p>I can tell you this--I was accepted early write to Bowdoin (found out on March 1), and accepted RD to Middlebury, and chose Midd in a heartbeat. I've visited Bowdoin several times, have some friends who went there, and have NEVER been terribly impressed with the school. In my mind, there's just no comparison. But I'm not going to bash Bowdoin to make Midd look better in your eyes. Visit both (if you're lucky enough to get accepted) and make a decision based on your experience and gut feeling.</p>
<p>Hmm... what were you looking for in a school, exactly? Because Bowdoin academics are very reputable and I have heard wonderful things from at least two older graduates who went on to grad school and stuff.</p>
<p>I think Bowdoin academics are outstanding, and the students are very accomplished. But so are the students at Middlebury. Middlebury excels in international studies, environmental studies, foreign language instruction, and English/creative writing. Bowdoin's strongest departments are government and the sciences. </p>
<p>What are your interests? Have you visited both schools?</p>
<p>I have not yet visited either school, no. I will be doing so (hopefully) in February, before I apply as a transfer student. I'm interested in environmental science AND international environmental policy, and I'm still sort of exploring, so either Bowdoin or Middlebury would be great fits academically. Out of curiosity, how many acres is Middlebury's campus?</p>
<p>I'll say this much...it says a lot for Midd's integrity that Bowdoin is bashing Midd and Midd isn't bashing Bowdoin.</p>
<p>Middlebury's main campus is approximately 350 acres, and there are 93 buildings on campus. The Bread Loaf Mountain campus (which is a short drive from main campus) is 1,500 acres of mostly forested land with a small cluster of dorms, a dining hall, library, classrooms, and a social space.</p>
<p>Well silly lindy, Bowdoin just got bashed a little above, so now you're even. Swing dancing rocks, btw... Is there some sort of regular transportation to the Breadloaf school? Like a bus?</p>
<p>The Breadloaf campus is mainly used during the summer months for the Bread Loaf School of English and the Writers' Conference. It's also used for orientation, reunion, special college events, and as the home base for the Carroll and Jane Rikert Ski Touring Center in the winter months. Not sure about bus service up there, although I'm pretty sure there's a bus that heads up to the snow bowl in the winter.</p>
<p>Here's a couple photos of the mountain campus:</p>
<p>I am a current student at Bowdoin, but my mom went to Midd. Honestly, the schools are so similar that it is hard to judge objectively. It all depends on what you want from a college. The main reason I chose Bowdoin over Midd (I was accepted RD at both) was that I was thoroughly unimpressed with Midd's poli sci and history offerings. However, Midd does have superb foriegn language and English departments. I would say visit (or, if thats not an option, read up) and go with your gut.</p>
<p>I stayed at the Bread Loaf Inn as a guest at Middlebury College for an Astronomy consortium. We took a hike, but it rained, and then there was dinner at the actual campus, so not much exploring took place.</p>
<p>"I'll say this much...it says a lot for Midd's integrity that Bowdoin is bashing Midd and Midd isn't bashing Bowdoin."</p>
<p>Oh please, you can't judge the integrity of an entire college based on what is said by a VERY small handful of students posting here. And I'd say the comment about Middlebury students being so busy right now is poorly timed, considering the students at Club Midd are in the middle of J-term and most likely spending most of their time drinking and skiing right now.</p>
<p>ANYWAY as a Bowdoin student who got into both schools RD, I'd say it comes down to intangibles, like how "at home" you felt on campus, and things like food and dorms. You can't rival Bowdoin's food, and the dorms in general seemed roomier and more comfortable at Bowdoin. A potential English/foreign languages major might want to pick Midd, but a gov/science major would probably lean towards Bowdoin. Making these universal, overarching judgements like "Midd is better than Bowdoin" or vice versa is inappropriate and a bit foolish considering the schools are so similar.</p>
<p>Being a person who neither drinks nor skiis, I am extremely busy. I have a three-hour class three times a week, a job, homework, clubs in which I am actively involved, lectures, hockey games, and other events put on by the college that I like to attend. Any assumption that J-term is a college-wide excuse to party and relax for a month is misled.</p>
<p>As for my previous comment, I was only defending a school that I love. I have nothing against Bowdoin, I happen to know people who have gone there and loved it. I apologize if I gave any offense.</p>
<p>Hey,</p>
<p>No offense taken (personally) and I apologize for being a bit blunt in my defense. I'm glad you love Midd, because loving a college doesn't come easily to most people.</p>
<p>This is an interesting thread for me, because I applied ED to Bowdoin, but was deferred (and eventually rejected). I am now at Wellesley College. Even though I love it, I know I'd "fit" in more at Bowdoin.</p>
<p>If you are a very outdoorsy person, and can't live without an outing club, Wellesley is not for you.</p>
<p>However, Wellesley is a great school-academically and socially. Private message me, I'll give you my screenname, and I'll answer all your questions about Wellesley.</p>
<p>bowdoin is getting new dorms =D
and the girls are pretty cute...
but i must say the cutest girls ive seen on a campus are at dartmouth</p>
<p>hoorah for big D haha</p>
<p>Middlebury is known as "the home of the beautiful people" while I've never thought of Dartmouth as having the reputation of being anything more than average. Maybe, this has changed more recently.</p>