Middlebury College

Middlebury is incredible. Set in the beautiful green mountains (you can see them from everywhere!), it is a beauty to look at. The students are some of the brightest and most interesting I have ever encountered, and that's coming from a person who attended a prestigious prep school where people were, among other things, smart and interesting. Students at Middlebury are really active, which is what I love. Whether it is clubs, theater, athletics, or just taking advantage of lectures and performances, students are always on the run, physically and metaphorically. Its size of 2400 students makes it small enough that you know your professors, enjoy small class sizes, and always see familiar faces, but certainly large enough that something is always going on, and you will meet new people everyday. Upon attending Middlebury, I was pleasantly surprised by the town- initially I thought it was probably a small new england, isolated dumpy town. Not at all- it is quite large actually, with many many excellent restaurants- I come from a metropolitan city and these restaurants certainly compare to and exceed the quality of my city's restaurants. It is a town whose residents include many writers and intellectuals, whose families attend lectures, sporting events, etc. on campus. Set on the scenic Otter Creek, the town offers beautiful views.

What else...I love this school so much that it is hard to limit my word count. Certainly it is true that to an extent, the school is preppy- JCrew is very prevalent on campus- but it by no means defines the student body. It just means that people generally dress more conservatively, which I happen to like. You won't find everyone fat and in sweats to hide it- Midd kids are fit, probably due to their intense energy and involvement. And best of all, everyone is friendly. I strongly encourage everyone to look at Middlebury. You think Midd-Vermont-cows-isolated. But I felt much more isolated when I stayed for extensive periods at Midd's competitors Williams, Amherst and Swarthmore. Take a look- it is a great place to live and study. If you're not used to working a LOT, then don't come to Midd. That's one drawback if you like to only party. Coming from a high school that gave 5+ hours of work a night, I find Midd more challenging. But you'll learn a lot, your ideas will be challenged, and the work will prove ultimately very rewarding.

1st Year Female -- Class 2007

Individual Value: A+, Friendliness: B+

Most of the negative reviews are bogus. Perhaps they held more truth back when they were written, but a lot of them just sound like angry people who probably came to Middlebury for the wrong reasons. They also seem to come from people who either can't get enough social life or complain that all anyone ever does here is drink. That indicates that we're pretty much right in the middle.

Come here if you enjoy the outdoors--if you don't, it doesn't seem like a great idea to go to school in rural Vermont. As with any institution, there are some people here who you will click with more than others. The key, I think, is to find those people (and I assure you--they're here! you just have to find them!). If you are capable of that, you will have the warmest, kindest, most inspiring group of friends that you could want. People in general are friendly and open, and those who are equally open-minded will find that most of our students don't just fit into some mold.

Academics are very good; if you want to skim readings and do three quarters of the work you probably can, but you'll be cheating yourself out of a great education and whatever money you pay for tuition. A lot of people fail to mention that college is what you make of it. Middlebury has the potential to be a great four years of your life if that's what you want it to be.

2nd Year Male -- Class 2018

Collaboration/Competitive: A+, Surrounding City: C+