<p>I'm a rising senior and am considering applying early decision to Middlebury. I am an athletic kid, I enjoy being active, playing sports casually with friends, etc, but wouldn't consider myself a jock or sports junky by any means. I am a serious student and love learning, especially when I am interested in something. With this said, I don't love to obsess or kill myself over work, I like to relax and enjoy myself. I'm not a huge partier but will on occasion. I am a laid back person, and value greatly others with an excellent sense of humor. I am very outgoing and friendly and like to get along with anyone and everyone. I am not quite sure whether I'd prefer a more isolated school such a Midd, or a school more in a city, such as Tufts, for example. Both settings have their pros and cons. Do you think I'd fit in at Midd? I worry that at this school I would be unhappy, not fit in socially, and possibly be bogged down by school work (for I have read some scary things regarding the workload...). Are these concerns reasonable or do you all think I would be able to thrive in Middlebury's environment?</p>
<p>You sound like a pretty normal Midd kid. Have you visited? I found it definitely helped me get a sense of the place.</p>
<p>@jawjuh I visited and loved it!! Beautiful campus and seemingly great people and overall experience. I just worry about the workload there for I’ve heard mixed things about it. </p>
<p>It depends on what your high school was like. I went to a college prep school and so I felt pretty adequately prepared. It also varies based on what departments you’re taking classes in. I’m a Comparative Literature major, so most of my work is reading, blog posts, writing essays. Whereas my friends in Neuroscience have problem sets, lab reports, essays, etc. </p>
<p>@jawjuhh I go to a public school, but its a very good one. Regarded as the best in the area and one of the best in the country, I take the most rigorous schedule offered. I am considering studying econ and or comp sci. Would you say the kids at Midd are overall friendly and fun to be around?</p>
<p>I do, but anybody who likes their college will probably say that. Econ is considered one of the easiest majors at Midd, though computer science is definitely rigorous.</p>
<p>@jawjuhh </p>
<p>While Economics is considered the easiest, 1) do students actually leave the program prepared? and 2) is International Politics and Economics similarly easy?</p>
<p>I’m also considering Midd for Econ and CS, but the Econ reputation kind of puts me off. On the other hand, I love the international emphasis and everything else that most people know about Midd.</p>
<p>I can’t comment on how prepared they are, but I will say this: Econ exams are the only ones proctored on campus because of how widespread cheating is. And that’s why it’s considered an easier major. </p>
<p>however, I’ve only heard good things about IPE.</p>
<p>@jawjuhh Sorry, I just wanted to confirm. Econ is considered easy ONLY because the students often cheat? </p>
<p>^^
Practicing for a career on The Street?</p>
<p>Jawjuh, do you actually attend Midd? I don’t think that Econ is “considered an easier major”? Because of cheating? That’s kind of a strange assertion.</p>
<p>Middlebury’s honor code is being evaluated by many departments and the option to have exams proctored has been available to professors for several years. The Econ department decision to proctor finals was a complicated one, not just involving concerns of cheating, but taking pressure off non-cheaters to report their peers.
My son did a double major in Econ and Poli Sci. There were something over 80 econ majors and 19 received departmental honors. There were 4 Chinese majors, and 3 received honors. If Econ is so easy, why doesn’t everyone have honors?
Anyway, there have been a few cheaters who ruined it for everyone, but at least the honest students aren’t being penalized.
One should make decisions to attend a college based on what one can learn, not how easy it is to get a good grade.</p>
<p>My son has a great job now with a BA degree from skills he learned and connections he made at Midd. He was a top student at our public school in upstate NY. He found the workload significant but not impossible. He made lots of friends, skied and participated in student organizations, social houses, and intramural sports. Worked for him.</p>
<p>I do in fact attend Middlebury, and I would definitely argue that Econ is a notorious major, in part because of the rampant cheating, in part because of the people who choose to be econ majors. Why doesn’t have everyone have honors? Because there are specific but optional courses you need to take in order to qualify for honors, so you have to actually strive for it. Most people agree that the introduction level classes are not the best, although it certainly gets better into the 200 and 300s. And, in regards to your point, “The Econ department decision to proctor finals was a complicated one, not just involving concerns of cheating, but taking pressure off non-cheaters to report their peers.” – the latter would not be an issue if cheating weren’t so commonplace in the department, so in fact it only involves “concerns of cheating”. </p>
<p>Ultimately it is what you decide to make of it. I certainly know Econ majors who went above and beyond and got a lot out of their experience. I know somebody currently working in wealth management who decided not to be an Economics major because he had such a low opinion of the classes he had taken in the department, and only pursued a minor (which is no longer an option). There is definitely a certain stereotype about being an Econ major though, and it’s not the most positive.</p>