Middlebury College

Date: Jul 30 2004
Major: History/Histories (art history/etc.) (This Major's Salary over time)
Middlebury is incredible. Set in the beautiful green mountains (you can see them from everywhere!), it is a beauty to look at. The students are some of the brightest and most interesting I have ever encountered, and that's coming from a person who attended a prestigious prep school where people were, among other things, smart and interesting. Students at Middlebury are really active, which is what I love. Whether it is clubs, theater, athletics, or just taking advantage of lectures and performances, students are always on the run, physically and metaphorically. Its size of 2400 students makes it small enough that you know your professors, enjoy small class sizes, and always see familiar faces, but certainly large enough that something is always going on, and you will meet new people everyday. Upon attending Middlebury, I was pleasantly surprised by the town- initially I thought it was probably a small new england, isolated dumpy town. Not at all- it is quite large actually, with many many excellent restaurants- I come from a metropolitan city and these restaurants certainly compare to and exceed the quality of my city's restaurants. It is a town whose residents include many writers and intellectuals, whose families attend lectures, sporting events, etc. on campus. Set on the scenic Otter Creek, the town offers beautiful views.

What else…I love this school so much that it is hard to limit my word count. Certainly it is true that to an extent, the school is preppy- JCrew is very prevalent on campus- but it by no means defines the student body. It just means that people generally dress more conservatively, which I happen to like. You won't find everyone fat and in sweats to hide it- Midd kids are fit, probably due to their intense energy and involvement. And best of all, everyone is friendly.

I strongly encourage everyone to look at Middlebury. You think Midd-Vermont-cows-isolated. But I felt much more isolated when I stayed for extensive periods at Midd's competitors Williams, Amherst and Swarthmore. Take a look- it is a great place to live and study. If you're not used to working a LOT, then don't come to Midd. That's one drawback if you like to only party. Coming from a high school that gave 5+ hours of work a night, I find Midd more challenging. But you'll learn a lot, your ideas will be challenged, and the work will prove ultimately very rewarding.