<p>Help!My son is trying to pick Williams vs. Middlebury for early decision. He obviously doesn't mind the cold. He is planning premed/bio. He also likes film. He will be playing a sport, which I don't want to mention, and is being recruited by both.Such riches...</p>
<p>Both are amazing schools, which your son would probably be very happy at. But I think they have slightly different atmospheres. I’ve visited both (and live practically in the middle of one), and can say that Williams seems to have more of a competitive, athletic, (sometimes considered “preppy”) vibe than Middlebury if that is what your son wants. Middlebury students also seem very athletic, but in a more personal, less-flashy way. (If that makes sense?) Certainly this is not true for everyone, only observations of the athletic population among each. </p>
<p>What kind of town does he want? Although beautiful and in the middle of some great resources, Williamstown is definitely smaller. </p>
<p>Good Luck! :)</p>
<p>Williams is the better choice in nearly every respect.</p>
<p>He is so torn, and realizes he is so lucky to (unless the coaches are full of nonsense) have a choice. He has fabulous academics too, but his athletic abilities are helping a lot.I have very mixed feelings about the entire thing.
He says the town doesn’t matter to him…he is a vegetarian, and Middlebury seems to have more “food he can eat”.
He liked both coaches and team members a lot, the Williams people seem more “laid-back” to him.</p>
<p>How about Williams vs. Midd for the non-athlete? I like the outdoors, hiking and camping and such, but honestly I couldn’t care less about sports and would take poison before setting foot in a “fitness center”. Since the academics at Williams and Midd are so great, I’d hate to write them off simply because I’m not into sports. Would I find a place at either of these schools?</p>
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In general, Williams is significantly more science-focused, Midd more humanities-focused. For example, the respective biology dept. webpages list 22 biology staff at Williams (including 15 tenure-track profs) vs. 15 at Midd (including 9 active tenure-track professors). So Williams has a significantly larger biology program, even though Midd is about 20% larger overall. </p>
<p>This doesn’t necessarily mean that Williams is automatically better for a prospective science major, or that Midd is automatically better for humanities. However, Williams would probably offer more fellow biology majors, and a greater variety of biology courses and research opportunities, and this is one factor for a prospective bio major to consider. Midd would offer comparable advantages in other fields, such as foreign languages.</p>
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Williamstown may not be an ideal choice for cinema fans. The town offers only a small one-screen theater that shows art films; there is no way to see a first-run movie, unless you have access to a vehicle. Middlebury is slightly more cosmopolitan; it has a theater with multiple screens that actually shows current releases. </p>
<p>Disclaimer: “cosmopolitan” is not a word that is routinely applied to the town of Middlebury, but it may be a justifiable usage in comparison to Williamstown.</p>
<p>^^^ Nice post, Corbett.
You might want to take a look at the “Similar Threads” that are listed at the bottom of the page, OldbatesieDoc. Or did you already?</p>
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Williams and Midd are located in very small towns in beautiful natural settings The opportunities for indoor recreation are relatively limited. However, the opportunities for outdoor recreation are excellent. </p>
<p>As long as you can find ways to entertain yourself outdoors, you will have plenty to do at Williams or Midd. Sports are certainly an obvious, and popular option. But hiking, camping, and skiing are popular too; Williams is within walking distance of the mountains and forests; Midd has its own ski area.</p>
<p>^^^^I thought Williams has a ski area as well, or is it nearby?</p>
<p>Williams operated its own ski area at one time, but not since the 1970s. They now have an arrangement with Jiminy Peak, a commercial ski area about ~ 14 miles south.</p>
<p>Having seen both schools I don’t think you could choose based on academics and sports alone. Since he is a vegetarian athlete, I can’t help but feel that Middlebury and Vermont would have more options for him, especially the town, restaurants and cafes. The musical theatre dept at Middlebury was quite impressive. Would looking at the “film” study courses at each school help him in his decision since both schools have great sciences? The hockey rink and new athletic facilities at Middlebury were very nice too.</p>
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2 cafes, 3 restaurants and a town 1/4 the size of Star Hollow.
Saying Midd has more options than Williams is like saying Williams has more snow.</p>
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<p>I think purplegirl is looking beyond a one-block radius from the college. How about this–you name the 2 cafes and 3 restaurants you’re thinking of, and I’ll add the rest that you’re conveniently neglecting.</p>
<p>There are 2 cafes in town. Definitely more than 2 blocks away from campus. Btw, the last time a Middlebury student ventured farther than 1 block, he ended up dead. Williams’ 1 cafe is on campus.</p>
<p>I did look at the related posts, thanks. Another question: have people had good, or bad experiences with DIII coaches’ assurances of being “very likely” to be accepted?</p>
<p>OOO, that isn’t very nice…We ate out in both towns, and without a car, Middlebury seemed much better for vegetarians…There were AT LEAST 4 restaurants in each town…Does any one know if the premeds are evil at either place?</p>
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Neither school has that kind of reputation. On the contrary, the students at both schools tend to be close-knit and mutually supportive. Both have high med school placement rates. </p>
<p>It is likely that premeds are noticeably more numerous at Williams, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of the entire student body. This could be perceived as either positive or negative, depending on your perspective.</p>
<p>Corbett, thanks for the posts, especially the bio stats. That is a big help.He is leaning Williams, but his bro is at Midd, and we are trying to let him make his own decision. I am just worried about insincere coaches and if he goes ED at one and doesn’t get in, will he lose his chance for the other. He has a 4.0 in IB, team captain, newspaper editor, student gov, great recom but not a great test taker with a 31 ACT and 1990 SAT</p>
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<p>Places to eat in Middlebury, Vermont (all off campus):</p>
<p>Restaurants:
Fire & Ice
Green Peppers
Doria’s
Steve’s Park Diner
Tully & Marie’s
Taste of India
Mister Ups
Rosie’s
Two Brother’s Tavern
China House
Neil & Ottos Pizza Cellar
Middlebury Inn
Waybury Inn
Swift House Inn
Eat Good Food
Top Spice
Woody’s</p>
<p>Cafes/Delis:
Costello’s
American Flatbread
Noonies
Storm Cafe
Otter Creek Bakery
Middlebury Market & Cafe
Cabot Creamery
Downhome Deli
Middlebury Bagel
Hungry Mind Cafe
Stone Leaf Teahouse
51 Main</p>
<p>Fast Food/Chains:
A&W
McDonalds
Subway
Dunkin’ Donuts </p>
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<p>Tasteless (no pun intended), but we’ve all come to expect as much from you.</p>
<p>Small towns in rural New England are not always known for vegetarian dining options. I strongly suspect that the most popular vegetarian foods in both Middlebury and Williamstown come from Dunkin’ Donuts.</p>