<p>Missed that humor! Too subtle at an early hour.</p>
<p>The only thing I would ask you about on your post is the comment on LAC study abroad programs — was that one intended as humor, too? Most LACs have “island” programs, staffed by faculty from the home LAC so it is like a semester at home in a different location— programs where students hang out more with English speakers (that is, on programs outside the English-speaking world) and don’t engage or learn the langauge and culture. Not many LACs have the kind of immersion, direct enroll programs Middlebury does. If they do, please along which ones they are (unless the comment was indeed not intended to be serious).</p>
<p>Just a point: I think the tutorial system sounds pretty interesting, but it’s not like it’s assigned or mandated. They are courses you sign up for and quite a few of them are in the 400 and above courses. Wouldn’t this opportunity be similar to any seminar experience for upper class students? Certainly I think it’s great, but I would counter that even I would love to attend Breadloaf for a semester or summer. The point, in the end is that amazing relationships between professors and students are promoted and welcomed. I am hopeful that Middlebury offers a myriad of opportunities that encourage these relationships.</p>
<p>What? Show me examples of <em>most</em> LAC abroad programs that are staffed by the home college professors.</p>
<p>I’ll admit most LACs (Midd included) are members of a consortium with other institutions in order to enhance their abroad offerings. </p>
<p>Midd students enroll in 90 different programs. How many of those are the colleges? If a student from any college desires a full immersion program, it’s almost always possible.</p>
<p>But to make peace, I’ll concede for the limited number of students who believe they must have the greatest number of ‘direct enroll programs’ Midd excels.</p>
<p>Here are salient difference between Midd and Williams in my mind.
Campus:
Williams: Town and school completely integrated. The campus feels like a small town – campact, with a road running through – plus or minus depending on pov. The buildings are varied with very different architecture – the basic architecture federalist brick.</p>
<p>Middlebury: Completely enclosed campus. Buildings more uniform – limestone. The campus is less compact – plus or minus depending on pov.</p>
<p>Atmosphere:
Williams: Quirkier, a little more introverted.
Midd: A bit more mainstream. (Just a personal observation.)</p>
<p>Both rigorous LAC’s with many athletes and prep school kids, but both have their fair share of public school kids (50+%). Williams slightly more diverse.</p>
<p>Both very isolated. Midd has Burlington – nice city. Wiliams has Albany – okay city. Williams has No. Adams and Bennington also right there and Pittsfield (though not a student friendly town.)</p>
<p>For us, Williams is much closer.</p>
<p>I think both schools kind of breathtaking. For most students, when stepping on campus one just feels more like home.</p>
<p>I don’t know that I agree with Mythmom, especially that Midds academic orientation doesn’t include a strength in science or that the school isn’t integrated with the town. Granted, Midd isn’t in the middle of town, but in everything I’ve seen and read, the town/gown relations at Midd are very strong, whereas (and I’ve only ever read or heard) there is not such a relationship at Williams. Now… in the grand scheme, that wasnt one of the top concerns for S, so that wasn’t why he didn’t really care for Williams. Frankly, he hated their supplemental essay question and hasn’t been a fan of some of the kids that got in over the years, so felt it was a personality mismatch (see thread on stupidest reasons a kid doesn’t like a particular school). </p>
<p>ANYWHO…</p>
<p>Was just looking at the application process and it seems Midd has dropped their supplemental essay requirement entirely for the Class of 2014 (this year’s current applicants) and has also deleted having to submit an analytical essay from a class. While I know Dartmouth doesn’t have much of a supplement (asking only for peer recommendation) and I don’t know how much weight they would even give these supplemental materials, I have to wonder what’s behind the reduced requirements (unless it’s just to drive up application numbers) OR… that there’s been some mistake in my understanding based on the common application (which I note you can now submit online, new this year as well).</p>
<p>You’re correct. The percentage of students at Williams and Midd majoring in physical sciences and science technology is almost identical</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Correct again; especially since the fraternities were disbanded and the houses bought by the college. No longer are there fraternity brothers raising hell on residential streets. </p>
<p>Porter Hospital is even located on college land. Matter-of-fact, it was because of Midd parents the hospital came into existence to begin with. Without them, Middlebury might be sans a medical facility.</p>
<p>I am am miffed about the bypass bridge, however. The college owns land that would have served as an excellent bypass in lieu of the bridge.</p>
<p>Williams, well Williamstown, has the amazing Clark museum.
I spend my fair share of time in both towns. There is no comparison. Middlebury wins by a boat length…rowing speak. Break over. Back to the water. </p>
<p>I too noticed that there was no supplemental essay for Middlebury on the common app… Can anyone confirm that they have officially dropped the supplemental essay ad graded essay with teacher feedback for the Class of 2014?</p>
<p>Not really cynical, actually… I always felt like some of those supplements were gearing themselves towards a “tell me why you love me best.” And actually Tufts specifically DOES ask, “Why Tufts?”. So I guess it could also be that reading those additional essays etc didn’t really give much more insight than did their application in general or they found the answers cliche or written too much for the audience requesting it specifically (the love again). Also, S’s English teacher (and most papers actually) started being submitted online (I guess so they had the option of running the thing through Turn it in dot com. So, any comments and the grade were merely typed on the page sent back to you. So while some schools may count applications PRIOR to their receipt of the application fee, requiring the pre-application supplement and fee before you’re counted may have something to do with it. However, I bet their numbers go up this year just because they have the supplement online like the rest of the application vs it always looking incomplete if you were using the common application website.</p>
<p>Did Midd also get rid of the “pre-application” form? They had a link to such a form about a month ago, but now I can’t find it on their web site.</p>
<p>Oddly, I will admit, there is no preapplication link on the website, but the website is being overhauled and so I am finding it dated in a lot of ways (kinda bugging me actually), but if you have an account with Common Application, the application and supplement are on there.</p>
If a student from any college desires a full immersion program, it’s almost always possible.</p>
</p>