<p>I’d like to know some stuff, so if you alums can reply…</p>
<li><p>how do you like the campus? can be suites, dining, class atmosphere, lecture halls (small hopefully?), professors…</p></li>
<li><p>any comments about its science programs?</p></li>
<li><p>is it safe/ is the surrounding city or town safe? and how far is it from the nearest airport?</p></li>
<li><p>is there a foreign language requirement? is it liberal?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>thanks.</p>
<p>The campus is (IMHO) the most beautiful in New England, if not the country. Set amid rolling hills and huge expanses of lawns, several of the granite, marble, and limestone buildings are modeled after old New England mills. Many campus buildings are on the National Register and the oldest dates to 1815 (and remains the oldest existing college building in Vermont). These older architectural gems and interspersed with modern, highly functional, and more imposing facilities (e.g., the new library, Bicentennial Hall, Ross Dining). The campus sits on a hill overlooking a valley between two mountain ranges. Just spectacular (can you tell that I like the campus?). Midd has 5 dining halls and several smaller cafes. The food across the board is excellent. You'll find vegan options, a Mongolian Grill, stone hearth pizza ovens, and all you can eat Ben & Jerry's ice cream at every meal. Classrooms of every size dot campus, from 200-person lecture halls to classrooms that fit 5-10 students. Professors are accessible, passionate about teaching, and experts in their fields.</p>
<p>Science programs are excellent, especially biology, geology, and environmental studies. Bicentennial Hall is a first rate science center, with the most modern equipment (some of which rivals the resources at much larger institutions). The fact that there are no grad students means that undergrads have exclusive access to this high end equip.</p>
<p>Middlebury is one of the safest college campuses (come on--it's in rural Vermont!). There are petty thefts, but one can avoid crime by locking their doors and not leaving expensive items in public places. Middlebury is a 45-minute drive from Burlington International Airport (daily direct flights to/from Chicago, New York City, Boston, and Washington DC).</p>
<p>Students must take at least one course in seven of eight academic categories. Single courses can be listed with two distribution categories. A student may count a single course in no more than one academic category requirement. One of the categories is foreign languages. Courses in this category include those taught in a foreign language or which focus on texts in a foreign language. So no, you do not have to take a foreign language course at Middlebury, and some language courses are taught in English (e.g., Ancient Epic Poetry).</p>
<p>Middlebury is a liberal campus, but you'll find a fair share of conservative opinions. It's not as liberal as Wesleyan or Vassar, and not as conservative as Davidson or W&L--somewhere in the middle, like Williams and Bowdoin.</p>
<p>There are some downsides. The town has everything you'll need, but youre in a remote New England town that's an hour from a small city and 2.5 hours from a metro area (Montreal). It's cold and snowy from late October through late March--great if you like that, not so great if you don't. If you don't like outdoor activities, you may feel out of place. Most students are white, and diversity is somewhat lacking, although the college is really trying to improve that. </p>
<p>All in all, I think it's a wonderful college that will give you a top-notch education.</p>
<p>See my comment in Colgate. Middlebury was my ED college...was deferred and then rejected. Gorgeous campus and great athletic facilities. Not much outside the campus - it's teeny town. Loved all of the outdoors activities. Dorms were great. The science library was the best I have EVER seen...it blew me away. I loved Midd and was terribly saddened when rejected. But that's life. I think Midd values liberal arts more than some of the other colleges you're looking at. Oh yeah, it's liberal, but most colleges are.</p>
<p>wow, thanks guys for your breath-taking illustrations! arcadia, are you an alum?</p>
<p>yes (can you tell?)</p>
<p>LOL, I guess. do you think I have a chance as an intel who will be asking for great FA?</p>
<p>Middlebury is need blind for international students, so they won't take the fact that you need a lot of money into consideration when reviewing your application.</p>
<p>What country are you from?</p>
<p>need-blind? no way. I thought only HYP Williams MIT are need-blind, as stated in their website. I'm a Korean <em>frown</em> and there are many other krns out there for admissions competition. I hope Middlebury is not well known enough.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.rjc.edu.sg/usapps/faq/money.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.rjc.edu.sg/usapps/faq/money.htm</a></p>
<p>thanks for clearing that up ;)</p>
<p>I'm putting together a HS graduation present for a Midd freshman. What are the "college hangouts" (late night food, pizza, burgers) in town where I could get gift certificates? Thanks in advance for your help....</p>
<p>Forth 'N Goal is a cool little sports clothing shop just a few blocks from campus. They have all sorts of great Midd stuff (like sweatshirts, hats, jackets, etc.). </p>
<p><a href="http://www.middleburyshop.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.middleburyshop.com/</a></p>
<p>Some popular restaurants: Mister Up's, Fire & Ice, Noonie's Deli.</p>
<p>I'm considering applying to Middlebury next year. Can anyone tell me what the social scene is like at Midd? I know there's a lot of drinking, but does it dominate the social scene or are there other things to do? Thanks.</p>