Middlebury College Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of Middlebury College?

Is Middlebury College a good school?

What is Middlebury College known for?

Adam

The best thing about Middlebury is the support system. An athlete will come to a play, an actor will go see a concert, a musician will check out a symposium, a scholar will go to a basketball game. People support other people. Our school is the perfect size. When I tell people I go to Middlebury, they've either never heard of it or ask me if I like to ski. People complain about the administration here, although sometimes we lose perspective in relation to other colleges and universities, a lot of which have it worse. The town is small and sometimes limiting, but full of culture, rich with possibilities, and an awesome place to spend time.

Greg

The best thing about the college is the setting. When I leave Vermont, I feel like I’ll miss the surrounding area like crazy. There are endless mountains and ridiculous views and trails to take in—hiking, biking, running, skiing, you name an outdoor activity and it’s probably possible within 20 minutes of Middlebury. In the fall, there’s the famous Vermont foliage. In the spring and summer you can stick around and swim at Lake Dunmore. In the winter you can freeze your balls off and also ski at the Middlebury Snow Bowl. Camping is big at Middlebury and I definitely took advantage as often as possible. Some of the best times of my life were on these trips. If you come from a big city, a small town in the south, or wherever, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll fall in love with Vermont by the end of four years.

Harper

What’s the best thing about [College]? The best thing about Midd is probably the surrounding environment – it’s seriously gorgeous, with mountains and swimming holes aplenty. The academics are also strong, I think – though I would say they tend toward the conservative side [ie, classical traditions and no really experimental/”cutting-edge” programs]. Is your school too large, too small, or just right? The size is just right. It’s smaller than my High School, and feels much more personal. Classes are usually small enough. It can get pretty insular and cliquey and you definitely run into everyone you know almost every day, but I wouldn’t want to go anywhere bigger. Name one thing you’d change immediately if given the chance. / Is there anything strange or unique about [College]? I find Middlebury to be, on the whole, kind of just…boring. I’ve never had the feeling that anything really DIFFERENT is going on here. It might as well be Williams or Amherst. There are a lot of girls in pearls. Those who DO differ from this pastel norm tend not to differ too extremely – simply NOT wearing pastels is enough of a rebellion, and people get comfortable in this. I don’t know how exactly I’d change this, but it’s my major beef with the population and the institution: neither really push any boundaries. How do people react when you tell them you go to [College]? Those who have heard of it are impressed. Many haven’t heard of it. Many have only heard of the language school program, which is really only a summer program and has nothing to do with the undergrad experience. Tell us about the places you spend most of your time on campus. Proctor lounge – a front room in one of the three dining halls populated by artsy types and members of the Mill [the more alternative, druggier, artsier, more international social house on campus]. My apartment – I live off-campus, but within walking distance, with two friends, and there are always random people hanging out at our place. The library – they just built a new one, which kind of looks like the starship enterprise and has horribly loud acoustics for a library, but I like my thesis carrel and there are always people hanging around there, too. When it’s nice out, anywhere outside on campus – but it’s usually too cold. College town, or “what college town?” What college town? Middlebury is full of little hippie shops that sell cow-print memorabilia, and not much else. There are like 1.5 bars, and a few restaurants. But, like I said, the actual surrounding environs are gorgeous. What’s your opinion of [College]’s administration? [College]’s president? / What was the biggest recent controversy on campus? I don’t really have much personal interaction with them, but recently the administration is in the process of: (1) denying tenure to a popular Queer Studies professor despite the very vocal objections of her peers and students [and despite the fact – or perhaps because of the fact – that she pretty much represents the entirety of the Queer Studies program at Midd]; (2) presenting a weak and closed-minded argument for why they continue to allow military recruitment on campus even though many students and faculty feel that the military’s DADT policy violates the college’s non-discrimination policy. So, suffice it to say, I’m not a big fan. Is there much school spirit? Maybe? I don’t know. What’s one experience you’ll remember forever? I mean, there are lots of experiences I’ll remember forever. But none of them have anything to do with Middlebury like, specifically. What are the most frequent student complaints? Cold weather.