<p>Hey guys, I'm into both and am having a really hard time deciding. I'm into the sciences (biology/ecology/chemistry) and all I know about Middlebury is basically that they have great language programs, but I don't know if their science programs are up to scratch. I enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere so carleton would probably be better. I feel bad about saying this but I do pay attention to the "prestige" of the school for future job opportunities. Does carleton have enough "umph"? It seems that people I've talked to know about middlebury but have never heard about carleton. Thanks for the input!</p>
<p>Middlebury will be more well known in the Eastern U.S. and Carleton more well known in the Midwest. Where do you plan to live after college? Sciences at Middlebury are excellent and are getting better every year (the college spent a lot of $$ on new facilities, profs, and equipment). Both are great choices. Have you visited both?</p>
<p>name recognition and prestige mean nothing when comparing LACs, especially when they’re closely matched in every other way. You may want to look into things like frequency of flights, connections, in and out of the nearest airports, that sort of thing.</p>
<p>I am a huge fan of Middlebury for a lot of reasons… some of it is the diversity, their international feel and it is one gorgeous campus. But while weather is a wash (the winter temps varying only by about 10 degrees), you are about the same distance from an airport and the twin cities probably has more options just because it’s larger. Plus, at Carleton you also have St Olaf right next door. I don’t really know Burlington, but I do know that Minneapolis isn’t called the mini-apple for nothing.</p>
<p>But Midds science building is amazing and the student spaces and views? To die for.</p>
<p>Middlebury’s also not that far from Montreal. My son spent his October break last fall there with nine other classmates. Montreal is a pretty cool city with a European feel (according to him).</p>
<p>At Middlebury, he’s going to major in International Politics and Economics. The school’s strength in foreign language studies and studying abroad is undeniable. I can’t provide any direct feedback on sciences at Middlebury - although I’ve heard from several sources that sciences are good there. Bi Hall is incredible and just down the hill from his dorm.</p>
<p>We really liked the administration, people, and students at Middlebury when we visited schools a year ago. So unlike some of the larger schools where we felt we were just a statistic.</p>
<p>He has enjoyed his first year - we have received only positive feedback from him.</p>
<p>If you’re into serious science academics, consider the two schools’ entries on this convenient list: [REED</a> COLLEGE PHD PRODUCTIVITY](<a href=“http://web.reed.edu/ir/phd.html]REED”>Doctoral Degree Productivity - Institutional Research - Reed College)</p>
<p>That’s great for Reed, Vossron. And I can attest Reed is a very academically oriented school. But phd undergrad origins does not exactly correlate with the sciences between the two schools proposed by the OP. </p>
<p>My niece went to Reed – and in fact, majored in Biology and Math. Brilliant girl. But I wouldn’t exactly peg her as outgoing, friendly or well-rounded. I love her dearly and Reed was a perfect fit for her, but she is now 28 years old and still in school – having just completed her masters in Architecture and landscape design at RISD. The thing is, she has now applied to some PHd program at Brown. As my sister says, she has the most money invested in her than anyone in our family for generations and yet… she still has no income. :-)</p>
<p>Sorry, my post had nothing to do with Reed; I am pointing out one difference between Carleton and Middlebury, in case it helps the OP decide about sciences at the two schools.</p>
<p>Carleton has a long tradition of excellence in the sciences. The vibe there is certainly a lot different than that of the NESCAC schools. It just seems such a warm and fun place to be for young intellectuals. (check out the student-made videos on youtube/ students’ blogs on the school’s website and you’ll know what I mean.) The students do have a quirky sense of humor, which is kinda cute. Twin-cities are great.</p>
<p>I agree with Modadunn, the PhD rankings have nothing to do with the quality of academics…there are two equally valid paths you can take (academia vs real world), and my impression is that the schools do have differing atmospheres and relative strengths in those respective areas
…but that’s the more relevant question, what atmosphere do you want? they are both such incredibly strong schools that discussion regarding prestige/academic strength seems like a waste of energy to me</p>
<p>It’s true that Carleton has a better track record for producing PhDs, but Middlebury has a better track record for placing grads at top medical, law, and business schools. One other thing to keep in mind–PhD rates are lagging indicators. In other words, the tables on Reed’s website are for PhDs awarded between 1992 and 2001. Since it takes (on average) around six years to get a doctoral degree, the students represented in those tables graduated from college between 1986 and 1995. Things have changed quite a bit since then.</p>
<p>I believe both have strong study abroad programs, however, I think Midd has a specific language requirement for study abroad. My d is interested in bio and wants to study abroad, but doesn’t want to have to learn a language in order to do that.<br>
Also, if study abroad is important to you, look into how easy it is to do. I don’t know about Midd, but over 70% of Carls study abroad and Carleton has lots of it’s own programs as well as connections with other programs. I’ve heard that getting study abroad credits approved is VERY easy at Carleton and I understand it can be difficult at other schools if you aren’t in a sponsored program</p>
<p>bingle - There’s no language requirement for studying abroad. A friend of mine is a bio major (with an interest in marine biology) and was in Australia scuba diving and whatnot. And your study abroad credits will get approved. Midd has great programs all over the place and can get you just about anywhere you want to go with some partnership or affiliation. If you really want to do another program, you might have some more paperwork but I doubt you wouldn’t get credit.</p>
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<p>Only if you study at a Middlebury-run program in a country where the native language is not English (the reason being that at Middlebury/C.V. Starr Schools, all courses are taught in the native language). There are plenty of non-Middlebury programs that have no language requirements.</p>
<p>[Study</a> Abroad Programs](<a href=“http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/ump/sap/]Study”>http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/ump/sap/)</p>
<p>I know Carleton is good with study abroad, I just can’t imagine it’s better than Midd. However, I agree that the twin cities rock.</p>
<p>“I just can’t imagine it’s better than Midd.”</p>
<p>That’s the problem with famous schools; it’s hard to imagine that they’re not better.</p>
<p>Carleton is a powerhouse when it comes to sending grads to get PhDs. Carleton is #6 overall in terms of PhDs earned by its graduates after Cal Tech, Harvey Mudd, Reed Swarthmore and MIT. For details see:</p>
<p>[REED</a> COLLEGE PHD PRODUCTIVITY](<a href=“http://www.reed.edu/ir/phd.html]REED”>Doctoral Degree Productivity - Institutional Research - Reed College)</p>
<p>Middlebury is not even listed as an undergraduate college which sends grads to get PhDs in significant numbers.</p>
<p>Check out the Forbes College list - Carleton is listed as number 15 and Middlebury is listed as number 40. Carleton is a major powerhouse in math and science. It also has a higher rate of graduates going on to graduate and professional school than Midd.</p>
<p>Um…you just resurrected a thread that had been quietly aging for the last two years. That being said, I found it an interesting read, as these are two of my D’s choices! I keep seeing that same Reed Ph.D. table linked, and I suppose it’s as good a metric as any, but I do get the impression sciences are on the upswing at Midd–their new building is indeed gorgeous, as Modadunn noted.</p>
<p>Not sure D’s going to be able to get in a revisit at Midd, and it may end up falling from consideration for that reason alone. Feels depressingly random, but the whole process is inevitably imperfect and it seems there’s no foolproof route to getting a “true” read on a school, no matter how hard one tries.</p>
<p>I THINK Carleton seems like a better fit for D, based on its strength in sciences and it’s friendly, quirky, midwestern vibe, but I’m really only guessing. The reality is she’d probably love either one. She’s also far less inclined to obsess about it than I am :)</p>
<p>I don’t know the exact process, but most kids seem to wander into the right college for them. Parents do obsess. In the job description.</p>