<p>Hi, I've been leeching off this college forum for a while, and this is my first post. I'm not one to look for advice from anonymous people on the Internet, but I've been having some trouble choosing between Middlebury and Tufts and need some help. </p>
<p>I've heard some nasty things about the student body at Middlebury, things about narrow-mindedness and racism. I don't know if these comments have any basis. Does anyone have any helpful input that can shed some light on this? I've visited the campus over spring break, but it's sort of hard to get a sense of these sorts of things, mostly because I'm not the most perceptive person. Also, what do you think of the commons system at Middlebury? Does it foster a greater sense of community? </p>
<p>I also have some issues with Middlebury's location. I've been leaning more toward Tufts because it's five miles away from Boston. However, I think that Middlebury does have a very active student body so I doubt I'd get bored there. </p>
<p>In terms of academics, I am thinking about doing something in the natural sciences, particularly chemistry. I think Middlebury is pretty strong in the sciences, especially for a small liberal arts college. However, I think I'd be able to find more research opportunities at Tufts. </p>
<p>I'd really appreciate any advice! Thanks. :)</p>
<p>I'll just speak on Tufts -- it does offer tons of opportunities for undergraduate research, especially in the natural sciences. It's a research university but with a liberal arts college size -- it's student to faculty ratio is 8:1! You'll have tons of opportunities to interact closely with faculty, and being in Boston, personally, is more attractive than being way up in Vermont! Tufts also has a very good med school acceptance rate. It's all about personal fit though.</p>
<p>I’ve heard those comments about racism at Middlebury as well. Honestly, I’m white, so I can’t be sure what the atmosphere would seem like to a Black or Hispanic student. All I can say is that I haven’t seen those claims substantiated. I’m a member of the Christian Fellowship at Midd, and we’re a very diverse group that, from my view, gets along great.</p>
<p>With regards to narrow-mindedness: it’s likely that some people have very set-in-stone impressions of the world. But I doubt that’s the case for all students. I was interviewing one person for an essay, and he gave an interesting take on his mental perspective: “I’m narrow-minded, but I’m open-minded.” Even if some Midd students have definite opinions about the world around them, I think most are receptive to new ideas. I hope I am, at least. :-o</p>