Hi, I’m a junior looking at mainly east coast schools and wondering if I should apply to Midd.
I have good stats and involvement so I have at least a shot of getting in, but I’m worried that it may not be the best option for what I want to go into. I’m looking at majoring in Econ/Math with a side of history, and absolutely love the campus and atmosphere of the school, but I’m worried that its english/ language focus won’t help me on the business career path I want. Is this perception of Midd correct? Should I focus more on some place like Williams?
Midd, Amherst, Bowdoin, and Williams will all be solid for econ. If anything you could use the language aspect of Midd to your advantage in international business.
If you are looking at LACs, which it seems you are, look at the requirements to graduate with a degree is econ and math as well as the general distribution requirements. If you want to study abroad, consider that. This is generally available on the website under academics. This is homework you should do.
My guess is that you will see quite a bit of variability. Some schools require a lot more math for econ, some less. Some schools require FL at a certain level (which an AP score may allow you to avoid.) Some don’t require English but designate certain classes as "writing " classes, and many history classes fall into that.
You can block out a mock schedule for 4 years at each and see if it leaves room for the other things that interest you, like history. Given your interests, you might end up really liking political science.
For me, a school that supports dabbling (through distribution requirements ) is a plus because there are so many things available at the college level that aren’t in high school, and often, those profs are trying to get you excited about their department. It’s a great way to figure out where you want to be academically. For others, especially those with a more narrow vocational focus, it can feel like a waste of time. That’s why there are many schools out there.
We have two sons who both were/are Econ majors at Midd.Both are hoping to have their career paths take them to NYC. The oldest who graduated from Midd was fortunate enough to land a job and lives in Manhatten. The younger one is taking finals now and hopes to follow in his brothers footsteps in a few years when he graduates. Many of my sons friends went into either finance or consulting in both NYC and Boston. I believe that you will have the opportunity to have a very productive career upon graduating so long as you put the time in and get good grades.
I want to add that I am absolutely rubbish at languages and although can manage a year of it at college level, I don’t want that to be a major focus
Ironically there is no specific foreign language requirement at Midd (or Bowdoin), There are distribution requirements in 8 academic categories that including language but you get to skip one of your choice.
So you can fulfill a requirement with a language but there are other options if you prefer not to. Just because Midd is known for languages does not mean that it pushes them or is only good at them.
I think Midd is definitely worth looking at. Econ is the largest major and the school’s language reputation is mostly attributable to the excellent summer language school programs, which don’t have much to do with the undergraduate college.
Midd under Peter Matthews has built one of the strongest Econ Depts in any LAC in the country - it’s absolutely outstanding.
Middlebury would be superb for economics, here placing fourth when compared to 196 other LACs when considered by faculty publishing: https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.uslacecon.html.
FWIW, Hamilton and Bowdoin represent the NESCACs in a Princeton Review sampling, “Great Schools for Mathematics Majors.”