<p>say anything that would help me choose :)</p>
<p>Middlebury, being in VT has a HUGE ski/outdoor culture so if you’re not into that you may feel out of place. It also is in the middle of nowhere. Again, if you like the outdoors and a rural feel, this is a pro. It is also supposed to be gorgeous (Vassar is too but our surroundings just are not as breathtaking as the Vermont Mountains)</p>
<p>However, there are many many many ways to get involved off campus at Vassar and if you are looking for a place where you can really get involved in the community, Vassar would be the place for you. There are many great organizations in the city of poughkeepsie that embrace vassar students who want to volunteer there, and there are many vassar clubs that go out into the community regularly. you can even get field work credit or work study money by volunteering with a community org. this is a huge difference.</p>
<p>also, if you are into theater, you really can’t beat vassar. this weekend alone there are three student run plays on campus and next weekend there is a student run play, a department show, and a musical. i would say that vassar has the greatest undergrad student run theater and if this is big for you, vassar would be a better place.</p>
<p>vassar is also very accessible to NYC and this is a great resource. it makes travelling to and from home easier and is a great place to go over the weekend or even for an internship. there is a definite NYC vibe on campus, as opposed to an outdoor one at Middlebury.</p>
<p>overall, vassar is an AMAZING place. if you have any more specific quesitons, i would love to answer them. middlebury is a great school too- it really just depends on the type of LAC you are looking for</p>
<p>this just made my descision a lot harder. thanks SO much cre90!! yes, will definately let you know if i have more questions :)</p>
<p>Cre90 just said the most obvious difference- the location. Another thing about Vermont is its really, really cold (except for the summer, when you wouldn’t even be there). Vassar is cold too, but Middlebury is colder. I visited Middlebury in mid-April and it was snowed one of the days I was there… and I saw students in flip-flops when it was around 40 degrees. You have to be able to deal with that. Middlebury is also known for its language programs if that matters to you. Though to be fair I heard that Vassar will give you private language tutors.</p>
<p>My son was going to apply ED at Middlebury until he visited Vassar. Then he changed his mind. He loved Vassar, applied ED, and is just blossoming there!!</p>
<p>I thought Middlebury was very “white bread,” rich kids’ school. Their own golf course, their own ski mountain, it is all just too much. Also, I know they are supposed to have minorities, but we saw all mostly preppy white kids. I was turned off by it, and also by the tour. </p>
<p>I am glad my son went to Vassar, and I think he is also.</p>
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<p>Well I’m sorry to tell you that your perceptions weren’t based on reality. The schools’ common data sets paint very similar pictures regarding the percentage of minorities on campus. The two student bodies are quite similar, with the exception that, on the whole, Middlebury students are more academically accomplished and enjoy better facilities. To some that may be a turn-off, but for most those are positives. And I’m really getting a kick from those comparing the weather between upstate NY and Vermont. If you think there’s much of a difference, then you’re mistaken. Except when it snows a lot, in Vermont at least you’re close to ski slopes. In Poughkeepsie, you’re close to…Newburgh.</p>
<p>Go to Vassar.</p>
<p>I have a daughter at each school and each one loves her choice. You really can’t go wrong. Middlebury has a jock component, but it also draws students from all over the country and from around the world as well. So I wouldn’t call it “white bread” at all. My Middlebury daughter is getting ready to graduate. I think there are times she wishes she had gone to a school that wasn’t so remotely located and so cold. But she has made great friends there and has had an unbelievable educational experience. My Vassar daughter is a freshman this year, and loves it there. I guess it really depends on what you are looking for. But you are fortunate to have such great options. While you may still be struggling to decide, there will most likely come a moment when a “lightbulb” will go off and you will know which school is right for you. Good luck!</p>
<p>I have to question arcadia’s impartiality. I’ve visited many schools, some with very similar demographics, but at some the diversity was just that - all on paper. Diversity to many means diversity of dress, opinion, background, experiences… </p>
<p>When I visited Vassar I saw a lot of diversity and a willingness to be different, while at Denison, for example, while they have plenty of minority kids, many seemed to be self-segregating ethnically. </p>
<p>Don’t just go by the numbers. From my experience, seeing is believing.</p>
<p>Son at Midd-his GF at Vassar- I have posted on this before.</p>
<p>He says that the food is much better at Midd, the facilities are in better repair and more updated, Midd “runs like butter” according to the Princeton Review, and that has been his experience.
His double is MUCH bigger than hers-the two girls are practically on top of each other, and that has caused problems.</p>
<p>A lot of people at Vassar(30% per a Vassarite post)smoke cigarettes. No one smokes cigarettes openly at Midd.Plenty of people smoke pot at both schools, but he states it is more open at Vassar.</p>
<p>He got all his classes, she didn’t and already has to take a summer class to get her major in.</p>
<p>They are both happy at their school, so you are lucky to have such great choices.</p>
<p>Midd is slightly more selective.</p>
<p>My S is white but not a jock. He actually is kind of a nerd. We are not rich.
He can’t believe how friendly and nice everyone at Midd is. He states “Even the people I don’t want to be friends with are nice”</p>
<p>He originally thought he might transfer to Vassar because he is crazy in love, but now is so happy at Midd he wouldn’t consider it. They travel back and forth most weekends. He states he could be happy at Vassar, but he thinks Midd is better run and more intellectually challenging-his words, not mine.</p>
<p>An answer to your original question (and I say this whenever someone posts about choosing a school) Visit, Visit, Visit. </p>
<p>Schools might look good/sound fabulous on paper and then when you visit, your impression leaves you with a strong yes or no. My own daughter discovered this to be true during her college visits and dodged a couple of bullets. Not that the schools were “bad,” just that the culture on those campuses didn’t square with who she is. Appeared great on paper but not a good “fit.”</p>
<p>Good luck to you.</p>