<p>Hi all, i'm an international (asian) high school junior considering applying to Middlebury, particularly because Ive liked what Ive seen and read about its programs in Economics, Japanese and English (which Im interested in). I have a few questions, though, if you have any answers or opinions that would be great :)</p>
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<li>Any suggestions on how I can tell if I could fit in at a rural school environment, apart from visiting? So far I really like the atmosphere at schools like Williams, possibly Dartmouth, and Bowdoin as well, but my major qualm would be the location for instance, does one get bored easily? What do people usually do on weekends? Does location limit access to internships? </li>
<li>On a side note, Im concerned about the insular nature of small, rural schools, particularly because I come from a high school with 1000+ kids per class. What is the social scene like being stuck with such a small number of students without much to do off campus? Of course, Im loving the idea of not being a face in the crowd, and actually having a small, closer and more personal environment. </li>
<li>How is Middlebury with international FA? </li>
<li>Any opinions on the areas of study Ive listed above? Particularly in terms of rigor, class quality and faculty quality?</li>
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I personally had to visit to know that I could actually like it, since its rural nature was a big turn off to me. But it’s insanely beautiful, for one. I actually don’t find myself getting that restless on campus, but it definitely helps to know somebody who has a car, which I do. Around sophomore year almost everybody has a good friend who gets a car on campus though. There is a lot to do around campus, and I usually don’t leave on the weekends, though sometimes I like to go to the tea house in town and do some work. There can be some frustrating things, like how limited the food selection is compared to that of a big city-- some days I crave halal food so bad and there’s nothing I can do about it. My roommate last year was an international student and she was so frustrated by how rural it was that she almost transferred. Your mileage may vary.</p>
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<li><p>It’s the perfect size for me. I see familiar faces every day, but I always meet someone new, especially with people coming back from being abroad all the time. </p></li>
<li><p>Not sure, but the international students I know come from a variety of backgrounds</p></li>
<li><p>Pretty sure they are strong departments, though Econ is considered of the easier majors because it’s full of jocks.</p></li>
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<p>Re: internships. Job opportunities come in a variety of ways at Midd. Summer internships are def good with Midd connections, that’s how I found mine this summer. During Winter Term, you have the possibility of leaving campus and doing an internship for a month, and there were some cool possibilities this year ,including an internship with Animal Planet in NYC. Throughout the year there are some chances to work on campus that might be related to a field you’re interested in-- like working in the costume shop, or the campus museum, or working at the children’s daycares near by. So it’s not the same opportunities that a student in NYC might have, for example.</p>