Middlebury College Top Questions

I loved Middlebury because it is beautiful in both landscape and population. Kids are smart and engaged and interesting and inspired...not to mention pretty good looking. My friends varied interests got me into things I never expected--political issues, fun outdoor activities, arts initiatives, etc. Also, as cold as it might get, the scenery never disappoints. It's truly magnificent. You might be freezing and in a bad mood, but when the sun sets over the Adirondaks, a smile will inevitably spread across your icy cheeks. And when spring happens, the whole campus comes alive. Such fun outdoor events and even classes are sometimes held outside. Swimming holes and cliff jumping and sweet mountains. Food is delicious. There's always fun and interesting things going on on campus. Parties, concerts, lectures, the works. Something for everyone almost every day of the week.

It's a little far from any big city. When I tell my friends from home that I "went into town the other day" they generally laugh, and don't have a good idea of just how small this place is. I love the size of the school, a nice number. The surrounding community holds some resentment for Middlebury students because of the stereotype that they are rich, arrogant, and self-serving, but it's not nearly as bad at other schools. There could certainly be more interaction between the town and college, but relations aren't super hostile or anything. Attendance at sporting events isn't great, especially at women's events. For instance, our women's ice hockey team is ridiculous, they usually win the NCAA title ridiculous, and hardly anyone goes to their games.

Middlebury is a great place to go to school if you love being outdoors and you want to live in a rural environment. Lake Champlain and a few other smaller lakes like Lake Dunmore are within a half hour of campus, and the Adirondak mountains are close as well. We are have an amazing Outdoors club that is always leading trips that are easy to get involved in. At the same time, while the town has a collegy feel there isn't really anything going on other than a few nice restaurants. I spend almost zero time in the actual town, which is sort of disappointing. Middlebury to me, is just the right size, enough that you recognize a lot of faces but not all of them, and everyone is pretty friendly. Athletics are pretty big on campus, with the mens and womens ice hockey teams always winning championships, and this year the mens soccer team came out of nowhere to win the national championship. For a division three school, athletics are a big deal. The Middlebury administration is very easy to deal with, they get back to you quickly, often remember you by name and are always willing to help. On the other hand I feel like the college can be kind of stingy. For example, they charge you $5 for an official transcript, one that you arne't even mailing anywhere. That always makes me really mad when I think about how much money it costs to go here.

The Middlebury community is the best thing about the school. I would abolish Palana house. It is a bad idea. Why don't Latino and African American students live in other dorms? Why must we house them in a special place so nobody integrates? This problem is perpetuated by both whites and blacks at our school... Our school is just right in size. Anybody worth talking to knows what Middlebury is. I spend most of my time on campus in my dorm room, in other friend's rooms or at the library. Middlebury has a great college town, free of commercialism, and everyone says hi. I think the Administration works well. However, there is a sense that every person that works at Midd has one job with a set of rules and regulations and deadlines. They look for any and all instances to enforce their little rules in their little corner of the social strata. I think that the homophobic slurs written on walls were pretty big. But Nick Garza who disappeared is definitely number one. Yes, People love Middlebury. The fact that all Middlebury alums, students and faculty help each other is incredibly freakish. We don't need frats at Middlebury, the school is one giant fraternity. I'll remember sledding down the hill by Old Chapel when it snowed two feet, and having my mind blown by a physics class and then having a two hour lunch with the most amazing people in the world. Students complain about the weather constantly. But hey, it's new england.

It's pretty. Being caught offgaurd by sunsets, mountains, snow, lush verdant spring...that's nice. I sometimes wish it were easier to get out- transportation elsewhere can be a pain in the ass/really expensive. It's not too small, there are always new people out there to meet. When I say I go to Middlebury I get one of two reactions: "Where? What?" and "Ahhhhhh...yes, Middlebury." The town itself is the epitome of cute, but can feel sort of limiting if you don't explore it thouroughly. I spend a lot of time in Johnson, the art building, or my room, which is pleasant, or in friends' rooms, I suppose. Uh, school pride, sure, but probably more on the sports side, which I rarely frequent. As a believer in conspiracy theories, I bet the administration is much less democratic than it lets on. With so much money on this campus, there are a lot of asses to be kissing, so I doubt that certain rules go for everyone. There are, however, some brilliant individuals with a lot of integrity that I certainly admire.

midd is great. i love being a student here and am proud to call myself a middkid. i think one of the best parts of middlebury is that because we are small, there is a real community here. people get together and talk about things- elections, parties, our own stereotypes... and when something happens on campus 1. you know about it and 2. you know we will be talking about it.

Honestly, I loved everything about Middlebury.

While I was in school, there was a controversy about putting locks/buzz cards on the dormatories. Middlebury is a safe town in the middle of Vermont, and people felt that the unlocked doors reflected a sense of trust and community.

The Best thing about Midd for me was the people I met, for friendship, for collaboration, for networking. I met people who I could dream with but who were smart and talented enough to keep themselves and me grounded. We could develop a realistic plan for how to achieve. The school can feel a bit small at times. Trial dating doesn't work that well because you're going to see that person again whether you want to or not. But I must say this challenges you to grow up a bit and handle sometimes awkward meetings in a proactive way and as maturely as you can. Rather than avoiding people, you have to deal with them. When I tell people I went to Middlebury they either say, "Oh! Good School." or, "Oh, I know Blahdy Blah who went there." or "My wife went there for Language school." or "Where's that?"

The best thing about Middlebury is the professors. I know it’s thrown around a lot, but I’ve found that the professors really make an effort to get to know the students and participate in the student’s activities. They really seem to care about us – in addition to their own projects, books, etc. That’s important for a small, semi-self-important liberal arts school.