<p>It looks like I will be able to go ahead and visit them during this month and see which campus and students I like better. Thanks for all the input, everyone.</p>
<p>Middlebury's a better school.</p>
<p>The student body is more liberal at Middlebury than at Colby...that's one difference.</p>
<p>That's good--I'm about as liberal as they come.</p>
<p>"This difference is due to the fact that Middlebury is SAT 1 optional. Middlebury's reported scores are for all students, regardless of whether they were used in admissions or not."</p>
<p>It just doesn't seem accuarate to me to accept lower scoring students and then pretend they aren't low scorers, which is exactly what Midd is doing; although at least now they're admitting they're doing it. This is still better than Bowdoin's practice of reporting a 1400 SAT avg, when if all students were included the average would at least 30 points lower. The last SAT avg I have seen had Middlebury at 1349 and Colby at 1352. However, Middlebury does seem to do better in both job and grad school placement. You can still do well out of Colby; just a lower percentage do. If you are good enough to go to either, it probably is the case already that you are likely to be one of these people. So, I would agree to some extent on one of the poster's concerns about fit; however, I would contend that a 40 point SAT difference spread among a 550 student class is a real difference.</p>
<p>Well considering that Middlebury is SAT I optional and you can't compare apples to apples, I'd look at percentage of students in the top 10% of their high school class. At Colby, the number is 60%. At Middlebury, the number is 82%. I'd say that's a significant difference.</p>
<p>Also, as someone else noted, it appears as though only 76% of Colby matriculants submitted SAT I scores, while 88% of Middlebury students did. </p>
<p>Is Colby reporting all scores? According to Colby's 2007-2008 CDS, SAT I 25%-75% numbers were:
Critical Reading: 640-720
Math: 640-720
Writing: 630-710</p>
<p>Middlebury's 2007-2008 CDS reports the following:
Critical Reading: 650-750
Math: 650-740
Writing: 650-730</p>
<p>Also, take a look at things like 6 year grad rate (Midd=94%, Colby=87%), endowment (Midd=$1 billion, Colby=$599 million), alumni giving rate (Midd=59%, Colby=51%), etc.</p>
<p>I think Colby is an excellent school that is well deserving of this student's interest, but let's not skew facts to prove a point.</p>
<p>BigP, the "other factors" would include things like:
closeness to other cities, beaches or sports (skiing, whatever) that you would enjoy.
the architecture (has a big impact on some people's morale).
the geographic makeup of the students.
academic programs offered and specialized in.
financial aid.
surrounding area.</p>
<p>I still don't think you can pretend Middlebury has a higher avg SAT because they choose to ignore low scorers in their criteria. They're still part of the class. That being said, 88% reporting SAT at Midd seems like a higher % than it has been in recent years (I seem to remember numbers more in the 60-75% range). Also, from what I can tell the 76% submitting SAT at Colby is because 27% supposedly submitted the ACT (which seems like an awfully high number for a northeast school), while at Middlebury one doesn't have to take any aptitude test for admission and can submit SAT IIs instead if I understand how their policy works. </p>
<p>Either way, I think overall I would prefer Middlebury more, but it still depends a lot on what you're looking to do, the environment you're seeking and where you're coming from.</p>