I am looking forward to sharing with all of you some information, personal insight, and a few pictures from each schools over the next two weeks. During my trip I visited Yale University, Trinity College, Harvard University, Boston College, Dartmouth College, and today, I will talk about Middlebury College.
General Information
Middlebury College is located in Middlebury, Vermont in an absolutely picturesque setting with gorgeous green lawns, surrounded by mountains that seem to go on forever. As I drove to the school, I was struck by the natural beauty around me, and I was pleased to hear that Vermont has outlawed the use of billboards. Although it is only 5 hours from New York City, I thought I was in a whole other world. Most of my drive was on a one-lane road cutting through the mountains, but I eventually pulled into the little, but bustling town of Middlebury. The college is very connected to the town of Middlebury, which has 8,000 residents (one of the largest towns around). There are no gates around Middlebury, opening up into the town and they welcome residents to walk around their campus, audit classes, and use their facilities. The school itself has 2,500 undergraduates, which I personally think is a great size for a small liberal arts college. You definitely will receive that personal attention from professors, but it is not too small by any means. 98% of the students live on campus all four years, and the majors very much revolve around the liberal arts and sciences. As you would imagine, students spend much of their time outdoors studying on the lawns, hiking in the woods, or skiing on the mountains. In fact, Middlebury College has its own mountain, called the "Snow Bowl". Students can take a shuttle there from campus and receive extremely reduced lift tickets. There are over 170 different clubs and activities on campus, with Ultimate Frisbee being one of the most popular. Also 30% participate in Varsity sports, with many more involved in club sports. It is an extremely active campus, but of course academics come first at this "Baby Ivy" school.
Academic Information
Middlebury College is in the NESCAC athletics conference, and this group of schools if often referred to as the "Baby Ivies" because of their rigorous academics and low admission rates. I recently had a conversation with a student who just finished his first year at Middlebury. He absolutely loved it there and can't wait to go back, but he admitted that he was extremely tired and his mind was exhausted after a year in the Middlebury classrooms. It is a liberal arts and sciences college, where all students are taught to think, write, and speak persuasively and it is an extremely writing intensive college. They have tons of interesting majors including Biology, Dance, Greek, Creative Writing, History, Physics, Political Science, and Theater. Regardless of major, Middlebury prepares all students to go out into the world and be successful. Middlebury is very well known for its foreign language department, as they house 10 very popular and demanding foreign language majors. During breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Middlebury offers what they call the "language tables", where students and faculty are only allowed to communicate in that specific language throughout their meal. With a 9:1 student to faculty ratio, it's opportunities like the language tables, that make Middlebury a special place, where you know the students are gaining a top-notch education. Finally, it is important to note that Middlebury follows the 4-1-4 academic calendar. Students take 4 courses in the fall, 4 courses in the spring, and 1, intensive course in January, dubbed "J-Term". This is a course that meets 9 hours a week during the month of January, and students usually take this opportunity to enroll in more of the eccentric courses Middlebury has to offer.
Admissions Information
As mentioned before, Middlebury is a small school, with superior academics, in a beautiful part of the country...therefore it is pretty tough to get into! Middlebury consistently has a 17% acceptance rate, which makes it extremely selective. They are looking for students who have done very well in high school, while pushing themselves with a rigorous course load. Their middle 50% for the SAT is 1910-2220 and their ACT is 30-33. They are not a test-optional school, but rather are a "test flexible" school as they will accept either the SAT or the ACT or 3 subject test scores. They very much use a holistic approach, and are really trying to see if the student is the right fit for Middlebury. The essay will be an important part of the application process, as admissions want to find students that have great personalities and know how to write. Middlebury offers Early Decision 1 with a deadline of November 1st, Early Decision 2 of January 1st, and Regular Decision of January 1st. Although not required, admissions would like to see students in high school take four years of English, math, and 1 foreign language, three years of a lab science and history, and some study of music, art, or drama. Finally, Middlebury does a fantastic job with providing an affordable education for those who cannot pay the $63,000/year cost of attendance. They have a large endowment. and make a real effort to help students afford their education. While many other schools will have the majority of their financial aid package come from loans, Middlebury caps their loans at $3,000 per year, so the most debt a student will graduate with will be $12,000.
Middlebury is not for everyone, especially for a student looking for a large college or a school in the middle of a big city, but if you're looking for that traditional college feel, with limitless outdoor activities, an unbelievable campus, and a faculty that will ensure you are graduating with the tools to be extremely successful, then Middlebury is a college you must take a look at!
Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA
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