Middlebury College Top Questions

The campus leans mostly to the left, though there is also a strong presence of Northeasterners (many recruits) that come from old money and conservative values. For the most part however, the largely liberal population, though usually white and privileged, is tolerant and even worldly. As an Asian attending Middlebury, I don't ever feel particularly singled out. Moreover, the international population is strong and tightly-knit, which provides what may normally be a "marginalized" population a community to bond around. However, the matter of the fact is, you will find assholes and bigots wherever you go, and Middlebury is no exception. I have heard the occasional juvenile racist or gay joke, but that is not to say that students are actually racist or homophobic. Truthfully, I find the majority of students very accepting and likable. Though not without its cliques, Middlebury seems to have a degree of social fluidity I have not seen at my high school. For example, I would call my hall floor - the Dungeon - a prime example of such diversity. We are the most ragtag, unlikely group of friends, including an obsessively-clean perfectionist, a juvenile delinquent, a Jewish New Yorker, a Chinese international, a Texan, an outdoorsy skier, a country-club-type lacrosse recruit, a worldly diplomat’s child, and a Vermont local. Middlebury's student body, though boasting a small politically active and dedicated population, on a whole can be characterized as politically apathetic. That is not to say, however, that the students are ignorant - on the contrary, most are well-informed, but as they are stuck in the idyllic Vermont bubble, they are simply unaffected by any of these issues.

A great variation at Midd. Recently, we have had more and more students coming from abroad, and they definitely tend to stick together. There are also a ton of kids that LOVE the outdoors and spend more time outside than inside. On the other hand, these are extremes, and there are a lot of upper middle class, run of the mill students who, again, 'work hard party hard'...Sorry, out of time...

Predominately left but not very politically active at all. Definitely groupings but not strict "cliques" in my experience. People are pretty laid-back and balanced overall.

no experiences, but middlebury is pretty accepting. It seems like everyone is rich, from a prep school. Mostly students from Mass, Conn., NY (Westchester county)

I never heard any Middlebury students worry about how much money they might make in the future. Middlebury can be a little clique-y, but not that bad. Like anywhere else, groups of like minded people form, and networks of friends develop. Interactions between these groups is pretty sociable. In general, Midd Kids are to the left of center, politically knowledgeable (but not overly active), and environmentally responsible.

Yes, there are many many preppy white rich kids. However, there is a large number of international students. And not all the white kids are preppy. There's an increasing population of arts-interested students--musicians, artists, actors--who bring culture to campus. Also, interest in outdoor activities transcends all stereotypes. If you go to Middlebury, odds are you like to hike, ski, camp or at least take long carrides into the sunset. Middlebury is expensive. You need money to go there. But it's evident mostly in students' hobbies, travels and vacation homes. People are mostly laid back, casual. It's hard to look cute when it's wicked cold out. I always surrounded myself with the artsy, funky types who loved theme parties and dressing up. Also, so many people have such a variety of interests, that groups frequently overlap.

There have been some homophobic incidents in the last year, but it is getting better. Next year there will even be a "Queer Studies House." In general, it's a very supportive community. Students are always friendly, although often very focused on their own work and nothing else, but generally they are very eager to help out. Many politicaly passive, but no different from our generation in general. Many focused on making lots of money in the future, but then again, many aren't, those who are are simply more vocal about it.

Who feels out of place at Middlebury? 1. People who wanted to go to the University of Virginia and have a big cookouts at football games and go to frat parties and pledge and live a life that Will Farrell would be proud of. 2. Anybody who grew up in an urban environment may have a tough time. Especially if you hate the outdoors. Movies are one hour away. World-class dining is an hour away, so we have more, hiking, meditating, writing, reading, cooking, thinking type of people. I also know urban dwellers who love Middlebury because it is at last a place with trees and none of that crap you get in many big cities. THere are four groups of students in the dining hall: 1. The tan girls who wish they went to Clemson. 2. Athletes who are great, white bread American kids who balance practice and academics perfectly, and are generally pretty boring. 3. Artsy kids: These are generally the richest kids in school and take the most time off to go to Brazil or South AMerica or China and do interpretive dance. They throw the best parties ever. 4. The rest of us: we wear hoodies, do activities, and have a breadth of friends in all groups. We are the clear majority.

Man, sometimes I feel so dumb for only having white friends. But they are all great people. I have conflicting feelings about groups that specifically aim to promote community amongst minorities, because that's exactly what they do. There aren't cliques, per se, but the same sorts of people do group together, and it's hard for someone who doesn't pertain to that minority group to overlap socially with them. Or maybe I'm just not trying hard enough. Okay, so four tables at Proctor, my favorite dining hall: 1) Girls. All have highlights, pearl earrings, cabled sweaters, but maybe sweatpants since they just came back from going to the gym together. They aren't necessarily prim and proper, but they are all really, really pretty and you recognize them from the matching Halloween costumes that they all wore together this fall. All twelve of them. 2) Nordic and/or alpine ski team/ski patrol. Mostly guys, a couple girls, dressed in fleece and Middlbury blue. They eat togther, train together, do homework together, date the same people. They are rugged, probably very charismatic, and definately having a good time. 3) Proctor Lounge. I will consider this as a table to itself, because it's actually divided up into booths and couches...wait, what am I saying, there is no more Proctor Lounge after this week. Nonetheless, the band of hippie/bohemian/activist/vintage-wearing/artsy-fartsy people have to migrate somewhere. Who knows where they'll end up. 4) Mixed bag. People sit together at tables. They run into people they know from class or someone they haven't seen in a while and they'll join them. There are people who eat fast, and people who stay for hours. There are even people who bring homework to the table. I saw, for the first time in years, a kid sitting by himself last night. But then a group of eight sat down and monopolized the table. I think he kept his iPod on.

Mostly cool with a few d-bags thrown in the mix for good measure.