<p>I visited Middlebury a couple of weeks ago and I'm enamoured with it now. I'm not worried about the weather, I'm from chicago. But I'm wondering what current students other biggest complaints are. </p>
<p>I would also like to know more about the student body since the few kids on campus when I visited weren't speaking English.</p>
<p>I'll be a sophomore at Middlebury in the fall and like you, I absolutely love it. My only (very small and easily solved) issue is that students, myself included, can get into a bit of what we call a "Middlebury bubble," meaning that we become so involved with what's happening on campus that we tend to forget about the rest of the world. Personally, I combat this by reading the newspapers that are available in the dining halls, going to CNN online, and watching TV in the lounges or in McCullough. We also have quite a few speakers and events that keep us connected with what's going on "outside."
Student body-wise: Most of the student body is Caucasian, but Middlebury's fairly diverse for a school of its size and location. All fifty states are represented, as are over seventy other countries. International studies, languages, English, economics and biology tend to be the most popular majors. People aren't very cliquey, but everyone does find their tight group of friends. If you have any more questions, please contact me. I'm a Midd tour guide and I love answering questions! =)</p>
<p>if you went over the summer, they weren't speaking english because of the language schools. it transforms into an immersion-based language institute each summer, offering incredible learning opportunities for those willing to make the pledge to not speak english all summer. don't be freaked out, it's actually pretty cool.</p>
<p>Oh I knew why they couldn't talk to me, and I thought it was great. I walked behind two students having some difficulty trying to converse in Chinese, it was so cool. I'm amazed by middlebury's language program.</p>
<p>Doesn't change the fact that I couldn't really get to know the students. If only I were fluent in Chinese...</p>
<p>Lindy:</p>
<p>I'm a junior in high school and I am narrowing down my choices of schools to visit. This summer we toured Williams, Amherst and Wesleyan. I loved all three but was a bit concerned that Williamstown consisted of 1/2 of one street. Now I want to go to lac for all of the usual reasons. The top 15 rated schools all appeal to me. What in your opinion lead u to choose Middlebury? Don't the walls begin to close in after a few years in such a small place? Thanks, Dana</p>
<p>I really love Middlebury's programs, especially the foreign languages (I want to major in languages), but I'm afraid that it could be a little snobby. I'm not really justified in making this accusation b/c I haven't visited yet, but b/c I don't know the campus attitude I'm trying to find out more. I realize that there are tons of different kinds of people at every school, but I don't want to end up at a place where the majority of the student body has a very elitest attitude. I went to a school for two years where people had that kind of attitude and I've noticed it at a couple of colleges that I've visited. Based on the website and viewbook I really like Middlebury and I'm hoping that some current students can tell me more about the feel of the campus before I visit. Like I said I have almost no reason to believe that Middlebury is "snobby," and I really hope that it isn't cuz it seems like an awsome place! Any opinions would be really appreciated!!!!</p>
<p>i didn't notice that anyone was snobby at all when i visited...in fact i've noticed that everyone is very helpful/warm/welcoming. of course, that doesn't mean there aren't still a few snobby students. wherever you go, there will be some snobby people. but middlebury seems to me like a NICE school, personality wise.</p>
<p>of course, if i find anything different in the fall, i'll let you know.</p>
<p>Like you, I looked at a bunch of liberal arts colleges before settling on Middlebury, which I actually first saw my junior year of high school. In fact, I ended up doing ED 1, with no regrets whatsoever. Interestingly enough, the schools I looked at were either women's colleges or schools even smaller than Middlebury; I didn't look at Williams or Amherst. Come to think of it, I don't really know why--I think because I had so many other schools on my list that I needed to narrow it down and there wasn't enough of a draw for me at places like that. That (and this is rather addressing the posts made after yours and mine) and I didn't really want to go to a place that EVERYBODY knew about. So why Middlebury and not the other places I looked at? At the time I applied, I was thinking of being a French major and Middlebury has one of the best language and international studies programs in the country, I can safely say. It also has a fantastic writing program. As far as intellectual and academic snobbiness goes, I haven't encountered any of it. Nobody goes around and says, "Yes, I go to Middlebury College," and immediately assume that people will think they're brilliant (and I'm not saying that people at other places do, because I wouldn't know). What also made me choose Middlebury was the fact that I found that I wanted to work with their specific facilities, be taught by certain professors that I met and meet the type of people that I met there when I visited. In other words, if you step onto a campus, can imagine yourself there and cannot imagine yourself leaving, it's the place for you, regardless of whether it's Middlebury or not.</p>
<p>Oops, realized I hadn't answered your second question. I haven't found the walls closing in so far. Frankly, I can't wait to go back and I'm counting down the days until I fly out. I live very near a metropolitan city, and I welcome the chance to forget that the rest of the world exists and indulge in what my mother likes to call "me-time:" time to do what I want regarding my education, my friends and my growing into an adult. Sure, I do sometimes wonder what's going on outside the "Midd bubble," but that's very easily remedied.</p>
<p>Thanks so much Lindy that was very helpful and reassuring. It makes my search better informed and less frightening. It also reinforces my decision to apply to lacs. Dana</p>
<p>My daughter and I visited and loved Middlebury in April. Since then, we have seen several postings on another website about rascism at Middlebury. If this had been only one person mentioning this problem, we could discount it, but it does give us pause. Could someeone at Middlebury address this directly and honestly?</p>
<p>there was one particularly awful situation where a student of color was victimized last spring, but since i am shaky on the details (especially the end outcome) i do not feel comfortable recounting what happened. what i will say, however, is that the diversity at middlebury is as bad as advertised. coming from a background of being surrounded by diversity, i have felt that too many middlebury students who fit the billing of your typical upper class white east-coast stereotype. a few of these students feel particularly "within" their comfort zones, being surrounded by so many people who are just like them, if that makes sense. sometimes these students are racist: sadly, this kind of thing can't be avoided anywhere. that being said, i think that the incident last spring was a freak and unfortunate occurence that was based moreso on one student's personal racism causing a giant uproar than on a general campus feeling or leaning. the attitude of the student body seemed to one of great disappointment and sadness, seeing a fellow student be singled out because of their race.</p>
<p>middlebury is obviously trying to improve this situation, as i'm sure you saw that posting on another thread about the chances of getting in as an african american applicant. the matriculation rate is still pretty low, though, and i'm not surprised. quite frankly, if i were anything other than caucasian i'm not sure i would want to be at middlebury. i imagine it must be quite isolating.</p>
<p>i happen to be strongly opinionated on this matter, though, and so i've obviously failed to mention the extreme popularity and strength of minority led/organized/based student organizations, etc. compared to other comparable LACs/NESCAC schools, though, such as amherst or williams, i think middlebury has a long way to go before it's in the same league in terms of minority presence.</p>
<p>i hope that your daughter still considers and loves middlebury!</p>
<p>what happened...youre starting to scare me</p>
<p>no, don't be. excuse me then. there was just one incident that i'm sure is why she mentioned the thought of racism on campus. but i assure you that it was an isolated incident and not theme at middlebury. it is a campus full of great, interesting, smart, active students who love to be there. it's a place where you can get an amazing education and feel safe and happy and have every tons of opportunities at your fingertips.</p>
<p>i recall sometime in the last few years, another well known LAC had an incident where a professor's car was defaced with anti-semitic and/or homophobic messages. the whole campus banded together since it was an eye opening experience that those kinds of things could happen on their idyllic campus. when the police got involved, they discovered that it was the professor who did it to their own car, questionably as a publicity stunt. these kinds of freak things can happen anywhere, and they do not stand as representations of the college at all.</p>
<p>Thanks, ohsobored, for your very informative and thoughtful response. My daughter does still love and is considering Middlebury, but her concerns about diversity are a factor. Middlebury has so much of what she wants in a school-- strong writing program, languages, astounding surroundings and outdoor activities. There are several wonderful schools she is considering that have similar challenges in terms of diversity, not unlike the challenges the independent high school she attends faces. Through eighth grade, she attended a Quaker school, and she does yearn for a community that engages with diversity. How did the Middlebury administration deal with the incident last year? Are there new discussion groups on campus, or renewed efforts at understanding diversity issues in light of what happened-- or only a sense of dissapointment?</p>
<p>I certainly do understand isolated incidents, and don't want to focus overly on one individual's behavior. The only references I had seen to this had been quite vague, and I thought the issue merited a question. The campus attitude toward whatever happened should be more important.</p>
<p>yes, i agree. so please understand that middlebury is not a racist campus; it is unfortunate that you had to hear otherwise.</p>
<p>just to clarify: i'm afraid that my first comment might have mixed up my views on middlebury's general diversity and the issue of racism. middlebury lacks tons of diversity, yes, but that has nothing to do with racism or racists on campus. the student body in general is an extremely accepting one.</p>
<p>I know the incident to which you are referring. Unfortunately, I doubt you're going to be able to get any more detailed information than you already have because most people's information is second or third-hand, and we all know how events can be exaggerated as they are passed on person to person. Of course, that is not to discount the serious nature of the incident. Diversity is an issue at Middlebury, that's true, but it's an issue that all higher education institutions consider. Unfortunately, racism and intolerance will be present at virtually any college or university one looks at. I do feel that I am correct in saying that the reason that this incident was such a big deal at Midd was because such incidents are so rare and that most people there, whether or not they were in a minority group, were surprised and grieved that something like that had happened. For my part, everybody I have encountered at Midd is open, welcoming and non-prejudiced, and I would be terribly sad if this event swayed anybody to not consider Middlebury, as I love it so much.</p>
<p>I think it's worth mentioning, in response to one poster, that in my experience every time there has been an issue of someone feeling victimized on the base of race or a group on campus is being racially insensitive, these sorts of things--there has usually been discussions of the incidents and issues. These discussions were always, or at least seemed to be, led by students or called for by students, or hosted by students, with faculty more than willing to help organize.</p>