Middlebury College Top Questions

Visits make all the difference in the world with regards to understanding the community of that college. Students will only really enjoy and make the most of their college experience if it's the right fit for them, and that is going to be hard to determine without going to the campus, meeting some students, and getting the overall feel of the community there.

Don't stress out too much senior year - in many ways how much you enjoy college has more to do with you than with where you go. Tour a lot of schools at first, it will help you get a feel for what fits right, once you find a school that gives you that gut feeling, tour more schools that are similar to it. When you get to college, try to have fun - really work at enjoying yourself. It's easy to fall into a rut and cut yourself off in your room. And most of all remember everyone else is going through the same thing. Its easy to think you're the only person feeling lonely or overwhelmed, and that you're diong something wrong. You're not. Others are feeling that way too, and the best way to deal with it is to get away from yourself - work out, go out, with a group or on your own. Don't wallow. And try new things, always and all the time, throughout four years. You never know what you'll love until you give it a shot.

Ask attending students how well they know their professors and how much interaction they receive. Weigh that with what you want out of your education.

Apply to LOTS of schools, with long-shots and backups included. It's better to have options once you start getting letters back. Before you make your final decision, you should really visit the campus, talk with enrolled students, and stay overnight if at all possible. When you start school, balance your time between academics, new extracurriculars, new friends, and keeping in touch with friends and family back home. It's important to try out new things, but don't burn yourself out. You'll have plenty of time to hone in and concentrate your efforts on your passions during your junior and senior years.

Your kid will like college. don't worry about where they end up.

Educate yourself. Become immersed in the culture of the school. Talk to current students. Talk to alumni. Find out what they liked and didn't like about the school. If you're an athlete, you need to consider if you will still be happy at the school if you're not able to compete in sports.

Don't regret your decision. College is what you make out of it. Only you know which college is right for you.

The best advice I ever received: When visiting college campuses, look around at the students and ask yourself, "Would I want to go out to coffee with these people?" It's a simple question, but when it comes down to it, a school can have all the best credentials in the world, but if you aren't fascinated by the people who walk around on campus, you won't enjoy yourself over the next four years. Other than that, my only advice is to make your seach personal. You can get all the statistics and facts on a college's website. When you go to visit, try to live like a student, even if only for a few hours. Read the campus newspaper, stay overnight in a dorm, ask a group of students if you can join them for lunch in the dining hall. (The last one can be scary, but most students will be more than happy you asked.) In the end, it's always best to go with your gut feeling!

That's ok, I don't want to enter the contest, I just wanted to fill out the survey.

At the end of the day you need to find a college which will allow you to expand your horizons and grow both intellectually and socially, while simultaneously giving you the freedom to be yourself. If you find yourself focused on one aspect of the search--i.e. strong biology department, near a big city, great party scene--you are forgetting that college is not a place, it is an experience that will continue to change and adjust over the two or four years you attend. College is neither tangible nor fixed. If you want to make the most of it, then figure out how to mould it to your needs and be willing to step out of your comfort zone when it does the same to you.

Overall, the process is much more stressful than it should be. There are all types of people everywhere - I don't think people should worry about fitting in socially, because everyone changes in college and is generally open minded, in my experience. There is certainly a value to visiting schools, and I would encourage anyone thinking of applying somewhere to visit first. Sometimes you just get a good feeling about a place. To me, selecting the right college is mostly about selecting the right type of college. Once you know you want a small liberal arts college, for instance, you aren't going to have a markedly different experience at Bowdoin, say, compared to Middlebury. You would have a different experience at a big research university or state school. So I think the type of college you choose is very important, not neccesarily the exact school itself. School size especially matters. In choosing a small school, you could find yourself limited socially or academically, although you will enjoy a much closer, tight-knit community. There are trade-offs no matter what, its important to put a good amount of thought into your decision, do all you can, and relax.

There are a million schools that look the same, and that's because they largely are. You cannot count on a radically different school to do everything for you. It is the student who makes the experience. So base choice on the basics - good food, good rooms, good people - and then focus on yourself to see what you want to learn and what you love to do. Because the best program in such-and-such a program only means something if you know exactly what you want to study, and no one actually does. So why not start with a good foundation, and branch out from there? Always remember that the world is full of good things and abundance is not spread butter thin, so what you look for, you will find. It is everywhere. If you seek good people and good experiences, they will find you, no matter where you are. And if you seek disappointment and stress, they will find you too. No matter where you end up remember that you are in control - be curious, be open, and remember learning doesn't just happen in classes.

Tip: Prioritize qualitative measures. Will professors inspire you? Will they support you through major decisions? I went with my gut and applied early decision to Middlebury. I think I chose well. It does not come first in all the rankings, but it has a qualitative edge. My education has been comprehensive and stimulating than many of my peers? educations elsewhere. Middlebury inspired in me, a love of learning that I will carry with me. Even while I was busy learning, my social and extracurricular pursuits provided a powerful counterpoint to my academic experience. I knew in my gut that Middlebury was a place I could be happy. That is why the qualitative measures should always have more weight than the quantitative measures in college application and attendance decisions. When it comes down to it, college should enrich and change people? and that?s not something you can add up on a calculator or verify in a book.

Picking a place that's going to challenge you is great, but don't overdo it. Using college solely as a place to "discover yourself" is probably NOT a good idea. It's important to find a place that will both allow you to cultivate your independence and give you a valuable classroom experience - i.e. one that will also be of use to you as an adult, not merely as a college student "finding yourself". View college as an investment in your future, not as a goal in and of itself. Of course, it helps if you enjoy the experience too, but don't expect to find that one absolutley perfect fit. There will be disappointements as well as unexpected joys, and just like in the rest of life, the most important thing to learn in all of it is simply how to roll with the punches. Don't stress out so much about it, but be sure to take the time and effort you need to choose wisely.

The top advice I can give on finding the right college is to look at the quality of the teachers and not worry so much about jobs, size, or other statistical information. Go visit the place and talk to some teachers. If they take the time to talk with you... if they seem engaging and fun and they seem to care about you and their students... keep that in mind when you choose your college. When you get there, start with two main priorities: 1) networking and 2) exploring. You're out on your own, probably for the first time in your life, and you are in this incredible environment with an amazing opportunity to learn and experience new things. Get to know as many people as possible in your first semester - make friends, remember names - it will come back to you! Also, don't stress about your major! Don't stress about your plans or goals - choose your classes based on what interests you and how you feel about the teachers you meet. You'll have more fun that way and your classes will mean more to you - and that sense of meaning is really, really valuable.

The information sessions and tours at any college are not helpful. Find a friend or high school alumni at a prospective college and stay for the night - stop stressing and just enjoy yourself.

I think that the most important thing to keep in mind when selecting a college is that YOU determine your experience there. The main difference between colleges comes from the types of opportunities offered already, and the administrative mechanism that allows students to pursue their passions. Once you are already in college, I would say the most important thing is to keep an open mind at all times. Most likely you will be attending an institution with students from all over the country or state, not just the town you grew up. These people will have different traditions and backgrounds than you, and that will probably lead you to assume many things about them. Its natural-- I find myself judging people sometimes-- but if you really want to get the most out of your college experience, you have to erase all preconceptions about your peers, and learn to ask questions. Once you can do this socially, it will follow academincally, and your mind will be doubly enriched.

Make sure that you choose the right college for you. Don't let your parents, your friends, or a significant other influence your decision. You're the one that has to be happy with the desicion and you won't be if you let others decide for you. Once you are on campus try as many new things as possible. College is the one time in your life when you aren't defined by pre-determined labels. You can become your own person. Let your actions reflect this. Also, there are many opportunities to meet and do things that you many never have again. It's the one place where you can establish connections with the president of a major corporation or listen to a world-renowned author speak. Learn as much as possible because you'll regret it later if you don't.

Go with your gut instinct- your gut knows what you want more than your logic. Narrow down colleges based on where you want to live, how many people you want to go to the college, the academics they have available, and the overall atmosphere of the college. Once you've applied to the colleges of your choice and know to which ones you were accepted, look deep within yourself and choose the college that feels right. Don't let anyone talk you out of going to the college you want to go to-it's your life. And once you get there, have fun! Take the classes you want to take and enjoy learning about them. Don't stress yourself out or take classes that you don't want to-college is your chance to learn about your passion. And while it is important to do well in school, don't work too hard. Make sure to have fun, and realize that college is not a stepping stone to the rest of your life. This is life, so live it up to its full potential!

Definitely visit the school, know before you start looking at schools what type of student you are and in what environment you work best. Always have reach and safety schools in mind. ALWAYS apply even if you think you have no chance of getting in, you just never know. Talk to the students and use your connections and networking skills, most likely you have a connection to almost all the colleges out there, if not sign up for the tour and get to know the tour guide, get as much insider information as possible. In the end, go with your gut feeling, do not apply based on your friends, or a legacy, apply for yourself, it is only you attending the school and your happiness will strongly be affected by this.