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Inside Scoop

Quick Stats

School Slang
  • ADK : Adirondack Circle is the parking circle at the top of College Street and in front of the Adirondack House.
  • CFA: Center for the Arts
  • CSO: Career Services Office
  • The Dungeon: The basement of Allen Hall, brimming with rowdy hoards of freshman boys
  • Febs: Students who enter and matriculate in February
  • IM Sports: Intramural sports, which are much more low-key and less time-consuming than varsity sports
  • Midd Rides: Free nighttime shuttle service around campus
  • The Mods : A group of modular homes at the edge of campus. They traditionally throw huge parties every semester known as "Modapalooza."
  • RAJ: Political science house behind the tennis courts, next to Proctor Hall. Classes and special guests lectures are held here, and RAJ also houses several political science offices.
  • Sketch-cullough: Term used to describe late-night dance parties at McCullough Student Center
  • Yay-term, play term, slay term : Refers to J-term at Middlebury—when students work hard, but party much harder
  • The Zoo: The small theater space couched in the third floor of Hepburn Hall
Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming To School
  • Before enrolling in a class, ask around about the professor’s reputation. Visit www.middkid.com to hear what the students have to say about certain professors.
  • Bring a vacuum cleaner. The hall vacuum cleaners suck. Or don’t suck, per se.
  • Everyone at Middlebury is really smart. If you were a big fish at your high school, just remember that everyone else at Middlebury probably was, too.
  • Having AP credits from high school is extremely helpful.
  • Hepburn Hall has that deceptively classic charm and is centrally located to boot. Do not be misled. Unless you get a room on the fifth floor, you’ll be stuck with crumbling furniture and a room comparable to the size of a shoebox.
  • If you’re interested in engineering, meteorology, or some other specific scientific field, do not come to Middlebury unless you plan to go to graduate school later on to narrow your academic focus.
  • It is essential to bring long underwear and any other winter clothing you can scrounge up to Middlebury. You can never have enough.
  • It would behoove you to bring flannel sheets, unless you plan on sharing a bed with your roommate to stay warm.
  • Structure your time so that you can be involved in as many activities as possible outside of academics, making sure to incorporate sleep somewhere into the equation. Try something you never had the opportunity to be a part of during high school, but again don’t max out, fail out, or drop out because you’ve gotten yourself in over your own ambitious head.
  • The academics are tough. Make sure to go to class, develop relationships with your professors, attend office hours, and allot enough time for all of your schoolwork.
  • The social scene can get pretty repetitive, so make sure to branch out early and make friends in different groups.
  • There are many discounted trips, lectures, and artistic performances sponsored by the College. Take advantage of these as much as you can.
  • Try taking at least one foreign language. Do not let the frequency of class meetings for beginners' languages scare you.
  • Tuition has been climbing at a rate of approximately $2,000 per year.
  • Yes—the weather really can get depressingly cold.
Tips to Succeed
  • Check your voice mail and email at least five times per day.
  • Communicate with your professors and never be afraid to ask for help.
  • Do your homework yourself to learn the material. This isn’t high school anymore.
  • Don’t panic if don’t get all of your reading done—you never will.
  • Get involved—there’s more to Middlebury than academics!
  • Keep on track with your major by staying in touch with your adviser.
  • Maintain contact with at least one or two professors for reference purposes.
  • Network as a graduating senior if you expect to find a job!
  • Never cheat; you risk being expelled.
  • Seek off-campus and on-campus employment as soon as you arrive!
  • Take a variety of classes to probe your potential interests.
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Middlebury Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Inside Scoop at Middlebury College

knwilcott

Spanish Language and Literature '14

4.6
A

Middlebury Language Programs Are Top Notch

The language schools at Middlebury are absolutely amazing and world known for their rigor and effectiveness. The summer programs offer a variety of exposure to the language (you are not permitted to speak English at all) and exciting outings as well as academic forums with guests that include some of the best minds in the language world. The CIA has been known to recruit from the Middlebury Language Schools. The party scene is equally stimulating with parties every Friday night that last into the wee hours in the morning (the Spanish school throws the best parties!). It is a very challenging experience but it is also one of the most rewarding academic endeavors I have ever experienced.

May 09, 2012

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Inside Scoop at Middlebury College

torenhardee

Communication and Media Studies '11

4.6
A

This Is Another Summary

People might complain about the party scene not being ragin' enough, or the lack of nightlife in the town of Middlebury, but I thought that didn't matter one bit when you spend all your time with a group of people who are smart, interesting, and engaged in life but also knows how to have a good time. Everyone is involved in a million fascinating things that you'd never find out about unless you get to know them, the campus is totally beautiful, the dining halls are fantastic, I formed countless lasting relationships, the school completely shaped who I am as a person, blah blah blah, etc etc. Seriously though, cliche as it is, I do mean all of that, every word.

Jul 21, 2011

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Inside Scoop at Middlebury College

jiannitt

Neuroscience '11

4.6
A

Student Body Is Active...

...in every sense of the word "active." It is a safe generalization to say that every Middlebury student finds their niche in a student organization, from volunteering to sports to political groups to student government to newspaper... the list goes on. While the academics are rigorous at Midd, each student finds something to be passionate about beyond their course work. Often, students find exploring the beautiful Vermont landscape is the perfect way to unwind from academia. Every weekend, students take part in outdoor activities ranging from skiing, running, biking, hiking, climbing, ice skating, rowing, canoeing, kayaking, etc. J-term is the perfect time to play in the snowy mountains of Vermont, as most students take one class during the month of January that meets 2 to 3 times a week. "Lazy" is not in the vocabulary of a Midd kid.

Jul 05, 2011

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User rating for Middlebury College - Inside Scoop is 4.6 out of 5 based on 9 user reviews.

Facts

Traditions
  • Like a Prayer: One of the spiciest, most scandalous traditions that Middlebury students adhere to, besides streaking, is taking one’s shirt off during “Like a Prayer” by Madonna. Considering the fact that the song is played as the grand finale of nearly every College dance bash, there will be plenty of room for half nudity.
  • Midnight Breakfast : A midnight breakfast is provided by the College twice each semester during finals week.
  • Polar Bearing: As soon as Lake Dunmore thaws, all the intrepid (and possibly half-witted) students take to the icy waters for midnight Thursday dips—naked. Remember where you place your clothes and towel before you jump in, or you’ll be sorry when you come out.
  • Winter Carnival : This Middlebury tradition is the oldest student-run carnival in the country.
  • Winter Procession: For all of you avid ski bums, what could be more exciting than combining your favorite hobby with finishing that grueling college career? How about receiving your diploma at the bottom of a ski mountain? At the end of January, every February student will ski down the College’s Snow Bowl during procession. The College chooses a bunny slope for this event, so have no fear if you’re a Santa Barbara novice.
Urban Legends
  • It is said that Steven Spielberg toured the campus when he was checking out colleges for his son.
  • Nick Janson is an alum who graduated sometime in the past who has been inflated to Chuck Norris-like levels of mythical ability, through graffiti scrawled in bathrooms and on old desks all over the campus.
  • One time, someone allegedly put ecstasy in the punch at a party in the Chateau.
  • The Purple Jesus drink at "the Mill" includes cough syrup.

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Bohree Kim
Hometown
Weston, CT
Major
History of Art and Architecture
Grad Year
2011

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
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