<p>My name's Courtney and I was accepted to Middlebury. I'm having an extremely hard time deciding on a college, because I'm probably one of the most indecisive people ever...but I think I've narrowed it down to Midd, Brown, or Cornell (possibly Hamilton or Syracuse...but probably not). I've heard a lot of awesome things about Middlebury's, but I have a few concerns. If anyone could give me any kind of feedback, I'd really appreciate it.
1--size--my class at HS has only 150 kids in it, and I know everyone...I'm worried that Midd's too small and that it will be like hs all over again...any current student or someone else that would know, are you finding that you are recognizing a large percentage of people, or that you do keep finding new faces?
2--I'm kinda interested in nutrition and food science...but that's only a possibility. Problem is, Cornell and Syracuse are the only schools that offer nutrition as a major. Do you think that by going to Midd, I'd be basically ruling out nutrition as a career?
3--Some of the other posts talked about alcohol and stuff being really prevalent (as it basically is everywhere)...I'm not a real partier at all, and with Midd being so small, I'm sorta worried that not wanting to drink every weekend limits options/people to hang out with...thoughts?
4--J-Term...I've heard that kids love it, but having such a short winter break sorta worries me. Also, does having only 4 classes during fall/spring semesters make it easier to manage than the typical 5 at most colleges, or does that just mean the workload is heavier?
5--I've heard that Middlebury isn't really diverse, and that a lot of the kids are preppy northeastern rich kids...does anyone know how true that is? While I myself am a somewhat preppy, northeastern, middle-class kid, I really want my college experience to be as diverse as possible...along with that...does anyone have any feelings on how tolerant midd kids are about others? My hometown isn't very open/tolerant, which usually bothers me.
Thanks so much! Also, if anyone has anything positive to say about Cornell or Brown, please tell me too, even though if you're on here, you probably would still say Midd's better.
email- <a href="mailto:courtney81787@yahoo.com">courtney81787@yahoo.com</a>, AIM SN: Courtney81787</p>
<p>Okay, I'm speaking as a mom whose D got waitlisted at Mid--and thank goodness. </p>
<p>Reasons she applied: Just barely big enough (she, too, goes to a small high school--wanted more variety and critical mass for fun.) Good foreign language programs. Respected name. Pretty campus (when not covered in ice). Far away from her dad and me. </p>
<p>Reasons I'm glad she'll probably end up at Berkeley instead: </p>
<ol>
<li> At a big school, if she loses interest in French, she can easily switch to almost anything else (lately Journalism is looking good to my daughter.) </li>
<li> Middlebury is REALLY remote (so is Cornell, but at least Cornell is bigger.)<br></li>
<li> The rich preppy white kid thing has some truth to it. That would be OK if Mid were located nearer to a city of some sort, but to be isolated AND non-diverse? boring, boring.</li>
<li> Price/performance. At $43K a year, I want it all--sports, looks, reputation, academics, and fame. People have heard of Cornell. Middlebury is not that well known outside New England.<br></li>
</ol>
<p>Just my opinion. Congratulations on having a wonderful problem: choosing among a bunch of excellent colleges that all want you! You will probably enjoy any of them once you make up your mind.</p>
<p>Here is just some food for thought. (I will divulge that my H is a Midd grad and our D will be class of '09). </p>
<p>I understand your concerns and they are valid. Is the reason you are still considering Middlebury is because you are interested in a wonderful liberal arts education or is food science more a pre-professional direction for you? If its the former, Middlebury is one the most highly regarded liberal arts colleges in the country. Do not be fooled, Middlebury is well know on the west coast. If food science is your profession of choice, don't you need a MS? If so, a AB (yes, AB) from Middlebury will not hinder you in the least when you apply to grad schools.</p>
<p>As to remoteness, Cornell IS remote. Everything is very accessible in NE. Burlington is 45 minutes away. Great restaurants, great live music is there for the taking. Montreal is less than 2 hours away and Boston is less than 3 hours. There is a ride board and if you want to leave campus, it's pretty easy to do it. </p>
<p>One last thought, Midd is more diverse than most of the other colleges around. Whether your child goes to a large or small school, she will have about the same number of friends. As I said, I'm very biased. </p>
<p>Good luck with your decision</p>
<p>Okay, one thing: MIDDLEBURY IS GOOD FOR ALL LANGUAGES, ENGLISH INCLUDED.
My friend actually wanted to go to Midd FOR journalism.
Breadloaf Writer's Conference, anyone?</p>
<p>Also, Middlebury has forty majors (and is working on making some of their heavy minors into majors as we speak). You CAN switch to almost anything else. Easily.</p>
<p>I just wanted to defend Midd from the oh-so-wrong assumption that it is only a foreign language school. Actually, some of the most popular majors are biology, english, and economics. The international studies (which are also quite popular) majors are amazing evidence of how an interest in foreign languages can actually be integrated into an interest in...almost anything else. That is something that will be hard to come by at another school. </p>
<p>Basically, unless you're looking for an Ivy League diploma or a huge research university (or both), there isn't much Midd can't offer.</p>
<p>Susu, I'm confused by your post. You compare Midd to Cornell in your bullets but you say that your daughter will probably end up in Berkeley. I'm sort of making the same decision between Midd and Berkeley so I'm curious about your opinions about these two schools.</p>
<p>Anyone else is welcome to respond as well.</p>
<p>whoah. albywalby, are you albert? this is diana! thanks for the ride!</p>
<p>If you want diversity, Midd has about 40 nationalities represented in a single class. For a small "remote" school, it is quite outstanding.</p>
<p>Unless you're on a team at Berkeley it will be hard to graduate in four years as athletes get preferential treatment. Also, there is no guaranteed housing and with the housing shortage in Berkeley, the rents are absurdly high. Middlebury has some of the best housing of any college and since it's included in the comprehensive fee, you are guaranteed a place to live for four years. Also the food is included. You can eat in any of the dining halls, including Dolce the white table cloth restaurant, without worrying about points or meal plan. It is not a pre-professional school, but a liberal arts college where you will learn to think and be qualified to either go on to grad school or go on to a profession with a wide base of knowledge. It is large enough to always meet new people and small enough not to get lost, whereas at Berkeley you can be invisible.</p>
<p>lol. Hi Diana! PM me! It was funny we actually met and talked on CC before we went to Midd! What a coincidence!</p>
<p>Seventhguest, thanks for your comments. Unfortunately, Midd is a bit expensive for me. I have a feeling I'll end up at Berkeley, but after having visited Midd, I must say I'm still having conflicting feelings about LAC or UC. <em>Shrug</em> It's going to be a hard decision.</p>
<p>Try appealing to Midd, they are generous if you can prove your need. Just make sure your parents aren't leasing new luxury cars! Add up the costs of Berkeley and housing, both on and off campus, and food expenses. With financial aid from Midd it might end up being close. Wherever you end up, good luck and be happy, they're both great schools, just different approaches. Also, take into consideration the monetary cost of the possibility of an extra year at Berkeley. You might end up spending more!</p>
<p>Thanks again for the input. Berkeley is really appealing for a california student though. But I'll keep what you said in mind.</p>
<p>Dear Alby</p>
<p>My daughter will probably end up at Berkeley for the following reasons:</p>
<ol>
<li> #1 public U in the world by MANY polls. (Middlebury virtually unknown outside New England and a few college-philes like the people who subscribe to this board.)<br></li>
<li> Most socially responsible (admits more poor people, etc.)</li>
<li> WAY cheaper than Middlebury.</li>
<li> Great college town (SF a train ride away vs. Burlington a 40-minute drive)</li>
<li> Variety of courses (at 17, how sure are you of what you want to be or study? How's Middlebury's Journalism program? Business school?)</li>
<li> PE variety (sailing, judo, yoga, lots of SUMMER sports--as well as skiing two hours away)</li>
</ol>
<p>Middlebury's a fine school (we wouldn't have applied if it weren't) but the price/performance ratio is overwhelmingly in Berkeley's favor.</p>
<p>susu, was your daugther accepted to both Middlebury and Berkeley?</p>
<p>obviously so arcadia! I was too, and it's a tough choice. Both schools offer me something great, but for now I'm pretty sure Berkeley will be where I will be attending in the fall.</p>
<p>albywalby,
I just reread the entire thread and found the answer in the second post. Her daughter was waitlisted at Midd, so she really didn't have the choice, although it's clear from her what her choice would have been...</p>
<p>oh. whoops!</p>