Social Life at Middlebury

  1. is it a big deal if you don't play a varsity sport? 2.would you say that the vibe is more competitive/cut throat or relaxed and collaborative?
  2. what are the most popular clubs?
  3. what do people normally do on weekends?
  1. No, there's plenty of life outside of sports at Midd.
  2. Competitive but not cut throat. Work hard, play hard. Many collaborative classes and activities.
  3. Couldn't say - it's been a while.
  4. Midd is fairly isolated, so students tend to stay on campus all weekend. That said, outdoor activities abound, and Burlington (lovely gem of a small city) is just 40 minutes away and an easy drive.

No, plenty of people don’t play sports. Both my sons went to Midd-one played a sport, the other didn’t. Both loved their time at Midd.
Not cut-throat at all.
Most popular clubs-well, the newspaper, outing club, campus political organizations and intramural sports are popular, as are the many A Capella groups.
Most people stay on campus or go hiking or skiing. There’s plenty to do. The town is tiny but cute and there are lots of social activities on campus every weekend.

Current Midd Student (Senior) here!

  1. Absolutely not. There is a minor divide between athletes and non-athletes freshman year, but its basically gone by your junior year as you expand your friend group.
  2. The atmosphere is definitely not cut-throat. I’ve generally found that there’s a big taboo around talking about grades, but people love to talk about what projects and papers they’re writing and particularly their theses and independent studies. There is a lot of lifting up of others and celebrating achievements. Also, basically every professor I have ever had strongly encourages working together on homework.
  3. Mountain Club is the most popular club on campus, but there is a club for everything and they all have a dedicated members. you’ll be able to find what you’re interested in.
  4. Hike, ski, bike, party go to burlington, attend concerts, events and plays on campus, take part in workshops, do homework, get medical certifications, work in town or for the college, drive to Boston… the list goes on. Last Saturday I swung by two small parties, one that was cereal themed and one that was “ski and surf” themed. Then my boyfriend and I drove across the bridge into new york (20 minutes away) and bought milkshakes.

@withoutausername that sounds so fun!! what would you say has been your least favorite part aboht middlebury