<p>So, I'm somewhat foolishly pretending that I will get into these schools come April 1 and feel that I have a good grasp on their comparable academics and locations and such...but not on their social atmospheres. Any thoughts? Or are the three that difficult to differentiate?</p>
<p>Those are my daughter's top three choices as well. Her sister goes to Midd and is involved in a variety of things. I think the three schools are very similar. my Midd daughter does some Spanish volunteer work (it seems like everyone at Midd volunteers in some way), plays a club sport, goes to the international movies, and supports her theater major friends by attending their productions.</p>
<p>yeah, id like to know more about the differences between william and midd's social life too</p>
<p>^ At both schools, nighttime cow-tipping is popular. Midd cows are easier to see at night because they are black and white (designed by famous Midd grad and resident Woody Jackson). At Williams it is more sporting because their cows are purple and thus harder to see at night.</p>
<p>^Very funny. But if this is the jist of the answer, it sounds a little stoic.</p>
<p>Curious how is it stoic? Stoic = seemingly indifferent to or unaffected by joy, grief, pleasure, or pain. </p>
<p>PS the word is "gist."</p>
<p>Gee laxtaxi, didn't realize you were grammar/spelling police. However, I stand by the word stoic as it also means accepting without emotion. In any event, cow tipping as a practice would not fall under much of a "social life," but that neither Williams or Midd students offered something different, I concluded they aren't exactly complaining about it. </p>
<p>For me, however, your arrogance seems to have overshadowed what appeared to be a fairly good sense of humor. And I am confident "arrogance" fits.</p>
<p>^ The gist of your post is that you're angry that I asked for clarification of your use of a word in its context. Sorry to offend. </p>
<p>You are surprisingly defensive about your grammar. That's too bad, no one's perfect. I was just curious why you used the word stoic. I wondered whether you meant that the cow-tippers were indifferent to the pain they were causing the cows, or whether the cows were stoic in enduring the pain without complaint. The latter makes sense, but the former wouldn't. As I understand it, you cannot be stoic about emotion/pain someone else (such as a cow) is experiencing, only that which you yourself experience. That is, unless you are being stoic about your emotions in causing a cow to be in pain. You are sad because the cow is in pain. You are embarrassed to be sad about a cow. So, even though you want to cry, you keep your emotions to yourself. In other words, you maintain a stoic demeanor.</p>
<p>But I may be wrong - I'm only a deputy grammar police officer - and am interested in learning new things. Such as the correct use of the word 'stoic.' </p>
<p>As in, "Middlebury and Williams students display stoicism in going about their day without complaint, despite the crushing boredom of their rural lifestyles that cause them to resort to cow-tipping for amusement." </p>
<p>Okay, we've beaten that horse, er, cow to death. Back to the question at hand.</p>
<p>You are correct that cow-tipping wouldn't count for much of a social life. I've never met anyone who has done it, actually. We used to joke about it a lot. In my experience, which is not inconsiderable, in the big scheme of things Midd and Williams students have relatively similar social lives and social opportunities. Divining differences is splitting hairs. For some the rural lifestyle of both is crushingly boring. I'm not one of them. But we hayseeds are not above poking fun at ourselves. Just ask any Midd student or grad about Ripton.</p>
<p>Many Williams cows are actually purple and white, and so they are nearly as conspicuous as the black and white Middlebury cows. In fact, the color patterns seen on Williams cows are so elegant and attractive that they have been famously commemorated on the Spandex uniforms of the Williams</a> Nordic ski team.</p>
<p>I know what you're thinking -- but no, there is no way to get one unless you make the team. Sorry.</p>
<p>Williams College has no particular claim to fame here. In fact, the purple cow is an occasional sight in upland pastures all over the region. Many a frugal New England farmer, having abandoned vain attempts at wine-making, discovers the virtues of an all-grape diet to the health and well-being of the common dairy cow. It is this diet that creates a purple cast to the complexion of a light-skinned cow. Moreover it is not uncommon for the grapes to ferment in the field, giving rise to the phenomenon of the "tipsy" cow, which is, naturally, the most easily "tipped" cow.</p>
<p>And yet, there was a time when the students of Williams College would have seen little sport in the practice of cow-tipping, as it is known today. It is said that years ago, a group of Williams students was challenged to come up with a method to separate the mean, aggressive drunks from the more genial drunks resulting from these bovine benders. Soon an illicit sport evolved. It fell upon the agile "matador" of this game to don colorful white and purple garb, to draw the frenzied beast safely away from encircling spectators, as the crowd goaded the animal with cries of "Ole!" under cover of darkness. </p>
<p>Originally, the goal was never to "tip" the cow (in fact to touch it once was a foul, twice a DQ under the old rules). The job of a skillful matador was to tire the cow until it collapsed, without incident, of its own accord. Now and then, once the throng had dispersed, the animal would arise to stagger into town, then collapse again upon the sidewalk until morning. There it would awaken under the influence of the notorious Hereford Hangover. Clueless townfolk begain to attribute the spectacle of prostrate "tipsy" cows, in town and in the fields, to a practice of cow "tipping" by mischievous students. Bored students at rural colleges then began to imitate, in fact, a practice that had begun only in ignorant rumor.</p>
<p>With the advent of coeducation at Williams in 1970, and the subsequent softening of the manly spirit of risk-taking there, the sport of cow "tipping", or "jisting" as it was once known (in allusion to "jousting" performed in a spirit of "gest"), has now all but disappeared. </p>
<p>Therefore today, there is indeed very little to distinguish the social lives of students at these two colleges.</p>
<p>LOL, tk21769. Game, set, match!</p>
<p>Excellent, tk21769! Another "cow tipping" LAC is Colgate, by virtue of its extremely rural location. Cow-tipping probably ceased about mid-70's when they, too, went co-ed.</p>
<p>Back to the OP: If you are looking for more of a "college town", Brunswick, Maine wins hands down over Williamstown and Middlebury. My D, who is more of a "city girl" and ended up in the Boston area, said she "could have survived" Brunswick, but not Middlebury or Williamstown! Plus, Freeport (shopping mecca) and Portland (great little city) are close by!! It's what you are looking for in a college/location that counts.</p>
<p>As far as academics, all three are fabulous!!</p>
<p>Middlebury is close to Montreal and my son really liked going there during fall break in October. He says that Montreal has a very European feel.</p>
<p>I'd say that Montreal would be much more interesting than Brunswick, Freeport, and Portland any time. He visited Bowdoin after being accepted last year and was underwhelmed by Brunswick.</p>
<p>Ayup, Montreal. That's where high-class tipped cows go to become Steak Tartare, Beef Wellington, Beef Bourguignon, and all manner of fine footwear, eh? </p>
<p>Seriously, Montreal should rank high on anybody's list of favorite North American cities. Ten years ago, the exchange rate even made it a cheap date. Definitely a plus in the Middlebury column, especially if you take along a reliable snow mobile to get up there after October.</p>
<p>Granted, Montreal is cool, and Midd is the closest to it. On the other hand, Boston also has a reputation as an attractive urban destination for college students, and it's probably easier to get from Bowdoin to Boston than from Midd to Montreal. </p>
<p>In terms of major cities, Williams is convenient to ... um ... well ... it's closer to NYC than Midd or Bowdoin is. It's also geographically the closest to Chicago and LA.</p>
<p>I agree, Montreal is a great city. But it's not like you are going to go there every weekend. But for the every day life of grocery stores, regular stores, restaurants, things to do, etc. Brunswick has more to offer than either Middlebury or Williamstown. Plus, it has the ocean! C'Mon!</p>
<p>And Boston is the #1 college "town" anywhere!! Very easy transport from Brunswick to Boston.</p>
<p>with regard to Bowdoin, Portland and Freeport are extremely easy to get to (Boston takes some commitment) and students love the fact that on a whim one can change their environment (and the ocean is even better!) but i suspect Midd and Williams can boast some pretty creative ways to counter the isolation (if they ever get bored with what the school provides). in general, i think, when you get a bunch of smart, energetic, students together there is never a dull moment. the question is, what are you looking for, and what are you open to?</p>
<p>tk21769: Well played, man, well played. </p>
<p>Brunswick:Portland as Middlebury:Burlington as Williamstown:Amherst. I know all three towns and you can be exquisitely bored or wonderfully engaged in any of the three. They are all much more similar than they are different. </p>
<p>Collegemom08: Be honest now. How many times has your D actually traveled to Boston from Bowdoin, other than on an extended break from school (at which point the differences in travel time to Boston are trivial)? And, how many times has your daughter ventured out onto the ocean you cite as an advantage of Bowdoin, and yet can't be seen from campus unless you have a car? In reality, pick an attribute of Brunswick that is actually utilized by Bowdoin students and you can find its corollary in either Middlebury or Williamstown. I'm glad your daughter is happy there - I know few Bowdoin students who aren't/weren't - but your premise in comparing it to Midd and Williams is unsupportable. </p>
<p>My $.02 worth!</p>
<p>Really, if an urban experience is a priority, and you still want a top liberal arts college, and Philadelphia isn't cold enough for you, then Flyover Land offers better choices than any of these. Macelester is one of the coolest colleges for cold people, and it is IN a city (in fact it's in two of them, if you count both "twins"). Colorado College offers better skiing than any school in New England, Division I ice hockey, AND all the temptations of Colorado City. I speak not in jest (or is it gest?), to be headquarters of over 100 evangelical Christian organizations, there must be some serious sin going on in that town.</p>