Middlebury College Top Questions

Good food, good people, great professors, bad weather.

Apart from the one bar downtown and a few nice places to eat, there is not a whole lot going on off the campus. this is unless you like to ski/snowboard, in which case there is access to probably some of the best conditions in the east. Campus safety is a total bitch, unless you realize they effectively have no control over the student body, in which case you can happily go about your late night revelry with next to no worries. Assuming you do not a)start a fight or b)vandalize property or c)engage in public displays of fornication or d) habitually smoke crack rocks you will have no problems. citations are given out infrequently and on a wholly arbitrary basis. your room will never be searched for contraband. citations, when they are given out, do not really result in any severe punishments, unless you are afraid of mama finding out back home (in which case you must given three citations before a letter is sent home). The dubie j is smoked in abundance, though not to the extent that it is a novelty for those who choose to abstain. Other drugs are noticeably absent.

Best thing: strong academics and the vast opportunities available for students. The reputation of the college. The feeling of community because of the small student body. I feel like I know many people and am comfortable around school. The town is not too exciting so most activities happen on campus. Most teachers are up to what I had imagined they would be while there are some teachers that do not make the cut in my opinion. There is a wide variety of the type of teachers as well. I think that there is not as much of a strong teacher-student relationship as the school says there is. School pride is definitely a strong presence just because we are such a small campus. The most complaints are about housing, food and tuition. The tuition seems to be getting more and more while the students don't see where any of that money is going and how it is benefitting them. We have a lack of housing because of all the students we accept.

The best thing about Middlebury is the people though they often pigeon hole themselves. The people are smart and interesting to talk to once they get over their group identity. People often don't know what Middlebury is or they react with an "oh...thats a good school." The place is so high stress though and I think it is self perpetuating in that professors and kids alike think that if they are not constantly doing something than they aren't fulfilling their college experience. This leads profs. to load on preposterous amounts of work and leads kids to really not be very good people, just cause they're so busy. People tend to fall by the wayside and you end up not treating your friends as well as you'd like.

The Administration is evil. In my mind they really enjoy this stereotype and are continuing to cultivate students and frames of mind that are white collar. They put all of their funding, improvements and efforts into majors that have economic returns to the school. They literally don't care about the Studio Art Department and many of the other small artsy/odd majors. Furthermore, by keeping tuition so high they are discriminating against lower incomes. They believe that once you have money it will be easier to make more and in turn donate back to the school. Middlebury administration pretends to love diversity but in reality they don't. They would rather have us all be prep-school kids then artists.

I think Middlebury is about the right size, but I think it is growing and I think that is a bad thing. When I tell people I go to Middlebury, the reaction varies. I'm from Atlanta, and down there, people often say, "Where's that?" I spend most of my time on campus. However, Public Safety seems to be playing an increasing role around campus, and I think off campus parties are becoming more common. I think the administration as Middlebury is too focused on rankings. I don't like the way they manage the budget. Some spending seems so frivolous, but at the same time, they cannot seem to afford to buy juice for dinner.

The best thing about Midd is how smart they professors are and how they balance that with accessibility. They are almost all brilliant (whether the class is enjoyable or not) and the vast majority of them are incredibly approachable. The one thing I would change is this whole thing where we're trying to become an Ivy League school by spending exorbitant amounts of money of relatively useless things and making it incredibly difficult. I also don't like how they raise tuition in order to make changes that the current students will never EVER get to see until after they've graduated. For me, the size is just right (I came from a really small high school). Most people say, "Middlebury? Where's that?" And some say, "MIDDLEBURY! Wow, where's that again?" Spend most of my time in Bi-Hall (the science building). There is a small town, but it is NOT a college town...just a nice little town. Administration is kind of annoying because it seems as if they're only changing things that I'm already happy with. Nick Garza disappearing is the biggest controversy here. The whole "J-Term" idea is pretty unique (where you take one course intensively throughout January) and the "Feb" system is unusual (where you enter school in February after spending a few months doing what you want (those few months were probably the most important in my life). My first party is something I'll always remember...epic night of great people being really welcoming and friendly. The most common complaint is DEFINITELY workload without question.

Middlebury's school size is just right. Everyday you will see someone out and about that you know and someone that you don't know. You know people but everyone doesn't know you. The Middlebury community makes a great and safe environment for all the students that come to college here. They want to be a part of the college and help out in many ways. Fall is the best time of year here. Late spring is the next best. But coming right out of winter (aka mud season) is not so great. Luckily it's not that long.

Middlebury is in Vermont which is the primary reason I love it. Its small, its a close community, its in a small town. I spend most of my time in Proctor where the radio station and my favorite dining are. When I tell people I go to Middlebury they are surprised, because they think its pretty preppy and conservative. There has been a freshman missing since February and no one has been able to find him. I'd say thats pretty controversial. I will always remember when I threw water balloons off the indoor balcony of the science building.

Middlebury is a great sized school. Everywhere you go, you will know someone, but it is totally possible to dip your toes in a lot of different social circles. You can also go for weeks without running into someone. The weather here, unless you're a skiier, is not fun at all. But the cold really makes indoor get-togethers inviting, and doesn't really prevent you from getting anywhere you need to be. However, it does suck to walk to early classes during snowstorms. When the weather is nice at Midd, though, everyone frolics outside in their pretty bright clothing. We really appreciate warm sunniness. People all of a sudden get way more attractive. The best thing about Middlebury is it's student body. I've made friendships that I know will last well out of college. The language and theatre programs here are well-reputed, challenging and amazing. No language program in the country can compare to Midd's summer school. It's also a beautiful campus. Even when your teeth are chattering, at least your surroundings are picturesque. The disappearance of Nicholas Garza this winter has caused a lot of unrest on campus. The fact that we still know nothing about what happened to him is frightening. But I truly believe that every student on campus still feels safe. It's important, on any campus, to remember to look out for yourself and others. Safety in numbers.