<p>Yes, I have written a fairly strong first paragraph, but I would love some feedback.</p>
<p>I’m undecided, pretty much. I do have a strong interest in language/linguistics, which of course Middlebury is good for, and Pomona, Pitzer, and Reed offer linguistics, while Bates and Bowdoin do not (though Bates does have Rhetoric). But then again, I haven’t really ruled out a lot of other majors (because I’ve never taken classes in most of them).</p>
<p>Firstly, thanks for recommending Oberlin because I’m actually really interested in the school now 
It seems like we have a lot in common- I want to major in linguistics/something language related if possible. But very few schools offer it as a major (I did a collegeboard search for schools under 15,000, 4-year, private, non-religious, with a linguistics major, and there were only 30 schools). Originally I crossed off every school without a linguistics major but then I was left with a bunch of schools I didn’t like. All the schools without a linguistics major that I’m applying to (like Colorado, Vassar, Grinnell, etc) either have a linguistics minor/concentration and/or an independent major (so if I really want to major in it I can make my own major for it) and a strong anthro department/many linguistic related courses available. Also most of the schools that you and I are both applying to have very few requirements/a very flexible curriculum. (If you want to double major, I’ve read that it’s very difficult at Reed because you’d have to write two theses. But they’re one of the few schools that have a linguistics major).
I visited Middlebury and I liked it a lot although it seems like the middle of nowhere (not as bad as Dartmouth though). I don’t know why I’m not applying there.
If you have time you might want to consider Brown (but there are a lot of supplement essays/questions and it’s due very soon). You also might like Hamilton (which I don’t know a lot about). It’d be a safety for you though. Either way, you have a lot of good schools on your list and you’ll get into many of them I’m sure so everything should work out in the end. Sorry this was so long.</p>
<p>Yes, I have heard the same about double-majoring at Reed, so that’s a bit of a disadvantage. </p>
<p>But it’s reassuring to know that there are other people out there like me! And I’m very glad to hear that you like Oberlin. You’ve got two weeks to cook up a good supplement, I say go for it, and as I’ve already applied, I would be glad to help you out/let you read mine if you like.</p>
<p>Middlebury has no supplement… How did I not know this?! I considered it long ago, and I guess I just forgot about it. And I had thought I was being thorough in my college search.</p>
<p>Midd is about 2400 undergrad versus Bowdoin 1800; food for thought if you’re now thinking 19. Pomona and 20. Middlebury OR Bowdoin</p>
<p>You think Middlebury is in the middle of nowhere, yet you’re applying to Grinnell? Have you ever been to Iowa? Lol.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if you’re speaking to me, arcadia, but I don’t mind being in rural areas, and I did visit Grinnell and loved it… I also don’t think I said anything about Middlebury being in the middle of nowhere, so maybe you aren’t talking to me.</p>
<p>Is that size difference really that significant, trekslxchick?</p>
<p>I think Arcadia meant that for me. I have visited Grinnell and that’s in the middle of nowhere too. It’s not a problem. I just figured it was worth mentioning that Middlebury is in the middle of nowhere for those who haven’t been there.</p>
<p>Well, it’s about 600 in your class versus 450. So think about your high school as a frame of reference. </p>
<p>Consider too the number of faculty in your departments of interest. Generally, you may find a few more professors in your department at Midd than at Bowdoin. This may be significant if you prefer a wider range of research interests to choose from.</p>
<p>I mentioned Hamilton earlier but I meant Hampshire College. Oops.</p>
<p>Gosh, I don’t find Middlebury to be too isolated. It’s located in a great little town with nice shops and restaurants, and Burlington - a fantastic college town of about 40,000 that is right on Lake Champlain - is about a 40 minute drive when you want more. Of course, someone who wants to be in an urban area would not be satisfied, but it is by no means isolated.</p>
<p>Middlebury is definitely a viable option.</p>
<p>Okay, so let’s recap:</p>
<p>Pitzer: Good location, access to consortium, awesome atmosphere. Not the strongest FA, otherwise I’d like it. Maybe not as rigorous as my other choices. </p>
<p>Reed: Great location, highly intellectual atmosphere, very strong academically. Decent FA? Possibly elitist social environment, difficult to double major.</p>
<p>Bates: Pretty nice location, generally good school, i liked the campus and food. Decent FA (maybe), doable supplement. The town isn’t that great. I don’t really know what distinguishes this school from the rest.</p>
<p>Bowdoin: Pretty similar to Bates, but closer to the coast, nicer town. Best FA, but the supplement is hard.</p>
<p>Middlebury: Beautiful location, mountains, strong language programs, good FA. Probably the most isolated/worst weather. Maybe more of a rich kid school? But I’ve read that Bowdoin is more traditional and preppy, while Midd is more “egalitarian.” Also, NO SUPPLEMENT.</p>
<p>Boy, this is tough. How I wish I hadn’t applied to WUSTL, Rice, Kenyon, etc…</p>
<p>ella, since you visited Middlebury and Reed, I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about them. I can only apply to one now… and I feel like they’re pretty equal academically. I know it’s like rural Vermont vs. urban Oregon, kind of a strange comparison. I imagine Middlebury would provide better FA, but I feel like I’m pretty quirky and like that about Reed, though maybe not to the extent of some students. Also, I’m worried about Middlebury not being alternative enough. Will I be able to find likeminded people there?</p>
<p>Well, you didn’t ask me, but I’ll chime in yet again…</p>
<p>We visited Bates, Bowdoin, Middlebury and Pomona (among many others.) </p>
<p>My D did not even want to apply to Bowdoin because the vibe she got was uptight and somewhat pretentious. Seemed like the most “rich kid school” of the many many schools that we visited. </p>
<p>My D liked Bates very much for the reasons I’ve already discussed on this board. She loved Middlebury. I would call it “Bates on steroids” - all the good things about Bates…but more of it, and better. Majestic campus, sweet town, amazing food, unparallelled academics, friendly and deliriously happy students. Her ED1 choice.</p>
<p>I don’t know how much I can tell you about Middlebury; my parents decided trying to visit 8 schools in 4 days so I wasn’t there too long. At Reed, I stayed overnight.</p>
<p>I felt that Middlebury was pretty and the people seemed friendly. Less of the alternative type of people (more “mainstream” haha) it seems but I think there are probably enough for you to feel comfortable. They’re apparently quite proud of their quidditch team. They have their own ski mountain which sounds cool. I believe there’s a tendency for outdoorsy people and people interested in being environmentally sustainable. Their J-term (January term where you focus on one thing for a month between semesters) seems neat. I don’t know how well the Midd kid video on youtube portrays the students but it’s interesting to watch. I’ve heard that people at Middlebury complain about how there are so many privileged white students. Don’t know too much about that. </p>
<p>I think Reed also has their own ski place (not 100% sure about that). When I stayed overnight, my host barely said anything. She took me to dinner and talked with her friends the whole time and then when we got back to the dorm she just disappeared in her part of the room for the rest of the night. She hosts people all throughout the year and has a special room with extra beds so I would’ve thought she’d be more willing to share why Reed is a good place or something but maybe she was busy with schoolwork. Other Reedies were more open to talking to prospies however. The school seemed small even though it’s not too different from other LACs size wise. There’s a room where some people play pool at night. There were supposed to be some cool fire shows (like poi) but that didn’t happen because of the rain. It rains a lot. I got to go to a class (psycholinguistics) which had 8 students. Lots of discussion sort of stuff, they seemed smart, that particular class was only 50 minutes and not that exciting. The people in charge at Reed specifically ask prospies not to participate in classes. Wouldn’t have either way, but some classes I’ve sat in on at other places have tried to get me to participate. Co-ed bathrooms and dorms. Lots of art in some of the bathrooms and walls. I don’t know if there’s much else you’d like to know. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Your input is very much appreciated, trek and ella! Well, it seems like Middlebury is a fantastic choice. If it’s like Bates, which I actually preferred to Bowdoin when I visited but felt like I should like Bowdoin more b/c it’s more prestigious (instinctive CC mentality), then I’d probably love it.</p>
<p>trek, is your D a 2013er like me and ella?</p>
<p>Reed still seems pretty cool to me, so I have emailed my counselor to ask if I can do a paper application… Bates/Bowdoin have been dethroned by Middlebury, and Reed is probably a better fit for me than Pitzer, though I’ll probably wish that I hadn’t applied to one of my safeties in March when I see the Pitzer ED threads. I guess the FA probably wouldn’t have been good enough anyways.</p>
<p>Instead of a double major, some schools (eg Reed) let you design your own “hybrid” major of two combined distinct disciplines.</p>
<p>yes, hs class of 2013, midd class of 2017!!</p>
<p>are those your superscored act scores?</p>
<p>I would send only your sat II us history and maybe spanish to midd. Let your 32 ACT math subsection score stand alone.</p>
<p>Reed is an excellent school, but certainly not for everyone. Consider this–
Of the 333 students who enrolled as freshmen in 2004, only 197 (59%) graduated in four years. That’s one of the lowest four-year graduation rates among top colleges. The six year graduation rate is 79%, so more students do eventually graduate, but many end up taking some time off. I’m sure the reasons are varied, but you may want to look into this a bit more.</p>
<p>I improved or stayed the same in every section, but I didn’t have the writing test with my 33, so I just sent both (the other one was a 32, so it’s not a big difference). </p>
<p>On Midd’s site, their testing policy doesn’t say that they require SAT Subject tests, but you can send three instead of the ACT/SAT. My 5 on the AP Spanish test makes up for the SAT Subject test, I would think, considering that that test involves speaking, writing, and listening in addition to reading.</p>
<p>In that case, vonlost, I would probably do that.</p>
<p>Those grad rates are pretty disappointing…</p>