Middlebury vs. Cornell

<p>I have to say as a student living in another country, it is so hard to choose between these two schools with very limited resources. Cornell is the ivy league school I dreamed about for years while Midd is the place I do love. Talking with the alumni from Middlebury, I knew that Midd is the place that will help me grow up and become the person I want to be. But I know Cornell has its world renowned academic programs and is highly recognized in my country while few people in my country know anything about Midd.
I do not have a very specific future plan right now. I wanna go to grad school, maybe law school, after college but I can't let my family pay for this anymore. So maybe I will work for a couple of years and save money for law school, and maybe when I finally get my JD diploma i'll become over 30. Or maybe I will go investment banking after graduating from college. People keep telling me that Cornell, like other ivy league schools do, has stronger network and legacy that will help my career a lot, and it is true that if I want to go back to my country after college, I have to choose Cornell because people here barely know Middlebury. But I do know Midd has very great career services too and I believe there are also great opportunities at Midd. And Cornell seems more expensive than midd, which is also an important thing that I have to consider.
I know it may be ridiculous to make a decision without visiting the schools knowing them by myself but it is very inconvenient sometimes for international students to visit schools. It is much harder than I thought to choose between them. I really hope that someone can give me some advice and help me make a decision before the deadline. Thanks!</p>

<p>Well, in the US, if that is where you are applying to grad school, Midd is as well known as Cornell.
I live near Cornell, and several of my S’s friends attend-it’s a great school BUT for undergrad, I would recommend Midd. At Midd, you will be one out of a few.</p>

<p>At Cornell, you will for at least the first year be in giant lecture halls. You can not easily take classes out of the college you are accepted into. You will be at a large institution that may at times seem impersonal. Maybe you will get the help you need. But at Midd, you absolutely will have people who know you as an individual and can help you meet your goals.</p>

<p>I second what Oldbatesiedoc says. I attended Cornell for Grad school and Midd for undergrad. I am so glad I didn’t attend a school like Cornell for undergrad. I would have been lost there. Some may thrive there, but I think it would be difficult. Even as a grad student I found the administration to be difficult to work with. I also taught undergrad students as a student teacher at Cornell. That’s what you can expect at a school that size.
Where are you from? In the US, overall, more people probably recognize the Cornell name, but those who know tend to be more impressed with Middlebury. When I went to job interviews and the interviewer looked at my resume they would always remark, “oh good, I see you went to Cornell . . . WOW, Middlebury, that’s such a tough school to get into.” Also, while the two schools are similar in grad school placement, Middlebury does rank higher as a feeder school. Just some things to consider. Either one is a great school, but I think I’d definitely pick Midd for undergrad with the possibility of going to Cornell for grad school.</p>

<p>Endventure has a similar post in the parent’s forum, with one child at Cornell, feeling a bit lost, and one thrilled to be at Beloit. Sometimes small is better.</p>