<p>…Very few of the students are there!</p>
<p>And for what it is worth, I spent one of the most fun summers of my life in Middlebury. Hiking, swimming, biking, golfing. It was great. A thousand times better than summer in the city, if you ask me. (And a million times better than winter in Vermont!)</p>
<p>But different strokes, I guess.</p>
<p>Hey guys, thanks for the advice! The reasons why I am considering Middlebury are that:
<p>Possible minors:
<p>The winter isn’t so much of a problem for me since the city where I live in never snows - a great change I suppose!</p>
<p>I realize the numbers of students are fewer, but I was there for two days and was so impressed. Sat at a game and the people behind us were speaking… I have no clue. Ran into a group of students outside the library who were clearly from all over the world. Were they cliquey? Don’t know, but while they may well have all been friends, there was nothing unfriendly (it was quite the opposite) about them. Certainly I was just visiting and that was probably pretty obvious, but I felt like you could strike up a conversation with anyone you ran into and discover something completely unique and fascinating about them.</p>
<p>In raising three kids, two girls and a boy, I get the whole clique thing, but Im just gonna throw this out there, boys care far less about that kind of stuff in general. Much more laid back as a species I think. And I also think that no matter where you go in life, there will be people and groups of people who can be fit neatly into their stereotypes. It’s up to you to either let that be the status quo or challenge it. </p>
<p>On the other hand, socio-economic diversity isn’t as easy to measure or visually see, and I really don’t know how happy people end up being with their Aid packages to make choosing Midd an easier choice, but I sincerely hope (and have heard good things) that it’s not all about the richy rich. We, for one, are not the kind of family that sit on either end of that particular see-saw.</p>
<p>If you haven’t visited, I really think you need to. It is what made all the difference in the world to S making up his mind.</p>
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<p>Datum point: Midd has the lowest percentage of Black/Non-Hispanic students of any comparable college. However, let me be clear, the aforementioned fact is in no way a reflection of Midd’s dedication to pursuing diversity.</p>
<p>The reasons for the inability to enroll Black students are varied and beyond the control of the college.</p>
<p>Really crewdad? Because according to the 2009 USN&WR, Middlebury’s racial diversity index puts them ahead of all but 50 liberal arts colleges in America and a similar number of National Universities. It’s ahead of a good deal of NESCAC schools and all the Service Academies, except West Point (which is only SLIGHTLY more diverse). It’s in the same neighborhood of diversity (or better than) as a LOT of large state universities (OK, TN, SC, MSU, for example) Large Private Universities (Vanderbilt, American, Notre Dame) and even Large Urban Universities (UMinnesota, BC and G’Town). So I think these claims of a lack of diversity are exaggerated.</p>
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<p>The racial diversity index includes all races. </p>
<p>I said “Midd has the lowest percentage of <em>Black/Non-Hispanic</em> students of any comparable college.” e.g. Bowdoin, Bates, Williams, Amherst, Wesleyan, etcetera.</p>
<p>Cf. Black enrollment:
Midd… 5%
Williams…11%
Amherst…10%
Wellesley…9%
Bowdoin…8%
Wesleyan…7%</p>
<p>My statement was accurate. 
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<p>Crewdad, your statement WAS accurate, but your quotation of my statement implicated MY statement - which was ALSO accurate. Fair enough. No harm, no foul.</p>
<p>Crewdad is right in that Black/African-American percentages are comparatively low. Vermont is the whitest state in the country, and the town’s rural environment makes the challenge of matriculating students of color, and African-Americans in particular, even greater. Middlebury has been pursuing diversity through a higher percentage of international students (9-12% in any given class), and its combined student of color and international student population is now usually between 30-32%, which is a big change from just 15 years ago. It is a huge challenge for the College.</p>
<p>Familiar with Middlebury in a variety of ways - professionally, athletically, have visited and have been involved in many avenues. It is a fine institution and a great fit for many - however, it is also not the right place for many students - it is necessary to visit, interact and decide if that type of environment, amount of diversity, academics, etc. is right for your particular interests and personality.</p>
<p>Spring, I really hope to visit Midd before the application deadline, especially since, more than for other LACs, there seems to be a lot of mixed messages about what Midd is really like. On the one hand, many say that it’s a lot like Williams as far as being dominated by athletic culture. OTOH, I’ve heard others say that there is a real emphas on intellectualism and literature at Midd and that kids who could care less about sports fit in just fine. Guess I have to see for myself (if I get the chance).</p>
<p>When you say Midd is not the right place for many students, what particular type of students do you feel end up as a bad fit for Midd?</p>
<p>Well my son is at Williams, and he doesn’t think it’s dominated by the athletic culture at all. The music/theater/art presence is very strong too.</p>
<p>He never played a sport voluntarily and is perfectly happy there.</p>
<p>That said, I think Midd is a fine school in its own right with a similar air to Williams but with some notable difference.</p>
<p>And I would also say that Williams IS an intellectual school but students don’t take themselves very seriously.</p>
<p>Thanks for the perspective.</p>
<p>What would you say are the most notable differences between Williams and Midd?</p>
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<p>If not voluntarily, has he been forced in some way? :)</p>
<p>Just teasing. </p>
<p>I have no idea since S has yet to begin his freshman year, so perhaps in a month or two I will have better perspective, but I do not think you get into Midd without being a very good student. While giving the details of certain students would give them away, I will admit that I have been very impressed with the tremendous academic success these students have enjoyed. And while some may have been athletes in HS, not all are even playing a sport in college. What I think is interesting about this “culture” if you will, is that you mostly are guaranteeing some solid attendance to your own sporting events, but between academic accolades and awards, sports seem completely secondary to their academic abilities. </p>
<p>I think Williams is a fine school and mostly, I’ve seen it compared to Amherst. It is definitely a lot smaller than Middlebury and equally as isolated. As my son said when visiting schools, he felt he could be happy at any of the schools to which he applied and when it came right down to it, he just felt the community of Midd made him feel very welcome and at home. When he toured the athletic facility, the entire conversation wasn’t about the athletic culture but about how great the professors and how interesting the classes were. When we sat down with the coach, it was clear academics were the priority. And on that note… Williams, Amherst, Midd and a couple of others are all in the same conference and take the same approach to athletics and education.</p>
<p>I think the best way to sum up Middlebury (and yes, it’s not for everyone - it takes a special person) is with a phrase I heard repeatedly on my first visit there, “Midd students work hard and play hard”</p>
<p>That couldn’t be more true.</p>
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<p>The two colleges have myriads more similarities than differences.</p>
<p>Considered an advantage by some individuals is William’s tutorial system, modeled after Cambridge and Oxford Universities. Midd has the Middlebury College Snow Bowl. </p>
<p>I consider it a tossup as to which is more advantageous. </p>
<p>[Williams</a> College Admission](<a href=“http://www.williams.edu/home/focus/tutorials/]Williams”>http://www.williams.edu/home/focus/tutorials/)</p>
<p>urbanslaughter-- how many times have you heard “[insert college here] students work hard and play hard”? I feel like I heard that at almost every school I toured. I guess, in the end, most small LACs are very similar.</p>
<p>Bicycle make a very good point, but when you are in the top ten of “studies the most” lists of most of those silly lists, one might tend to think it’s more applicable at some schools more so than others. Among certain schools, NESCAC most known to myself, it would be silly to think anyone would just skate through four years. Now, even in that crowd, some schools require more brain work than others. But I will agree with crewdad that among a few there are more similarities than differences and I don’t think those subtleties can be readily defined unless you’ve attended them. Surely a visit would give you an instant feel, and all those reviews and etc can give you some added insight, but it would be my opinion that many of these schools are like an apple orchard (vs apples to oranges). You may have your macintosh or red delicious, but there are several types that make a mighty fine apple pie. As to which one is the best? It is mostly a matter of personal preference and taste. How’s that for an analogy? :)</p>
<p>Crewdad: perhaps instead of the snow bowl, which is terrific, I would highlight something academic to contrast the Williams tutorial opporutnities (keeping with Moda’s apples to apples metaphor): how about rising seniors getting the opportunity to study at the College’s Bread Loaf School of English ([Campuses</a>, Courses, and Faculty](<a href=“http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/blse/campuses/]Campuses”>http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/blse/campuses/)) for 6 weeks on the mountain campus – with a remarkable faculty from around the US and UK (Paul Muldoon, Robert Steptoe, Jonathan Freedman, Isobel Armstrong, Marjorie Sabin, among others), or the 15-20 rising seniors who get the chance to attend the College’s renowned Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference ([Bread</a> Loaf Writers’ Conference](<a href=“http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/blwc/]Bread”>http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/blwc/)), or how students will soon get the chance to spend a semester, Winter Term, or summer at the College’s Monterey Institute of International Studies to take graduate courses in international areas not offered at Middlebury? These programs, along with the long-established Schools Abroad, now with 33 sites in 12 countries, distinguish Middlebury academically from other LACs and provide rich experiences.</p>
<p>Now I really want to visit!</p>
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<p>Jezz, my comment was intended to be humorous and to infer the tutorial system, while wonderful for some students, isn’t the magic mushroom of higher education. I assumed by assigning both the Snow Bowl and tutorial system equal status the point would be obvious. </p>
<p>Apparently not. ;)</p>
<p>There is really no comparison between Williams tutorial system to your examples.</p>
<p>All Williams students of every class are afforded the tutorial opportunity. Your examples, for the most part, relate to a limited number of seniors, or are only for a semester, J term or summer.</p>
<p>I also believe you’ll discover most top LACs have outstanding study abroad programs.</p>
<p>Peace. It’s the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. :)</p>