Middlebury College
Reviews

Not Much

Unless you have a car, you're pretty limited to just what's in Middlebury, which amounts to about 5 or 6 restaurants and two bars.

Facilities Are Average

The facilities (libraries, athletic center, student center, dining halls) are all very well maintained but sometimes have odd hours and can get very crowded.

Competitive Not Cut-Throat

Middkids are all smart. They do their homework and aren't overly-stressed. There is a lot of work but it's managed. Work hard, play hard.

Teachers are fantastic. I've never had a professor I didn't like. They are all extremely helpful and have lots of open office hours. They are also great about emailing if you have questions or need assistance with anything. Also, though classes are NEVER taught by TA's, there is a specialized student TA assigned to every class (e.g. intro geology class, bedrock geology major TA).

Super Nice

The people of Middlebury know that the college provides tons of entertainment, money, and diversity that they simply would not receive otherwise. This, coupled with the fact that a fair amount of locals go here, make the atmosphere very friendly and respectful. I once wandered around town looking for a video store, and eventually an old lady actually offered to drive me over to the nearest one on the way to visit her grandchildren.

Great Looking People

Once you visit the campus you will understand that people here are generally attractive. It is surprising and unexpected from a liberal arts school in Vermont but most people are interesting, good looking, and athletic.

One of the Best Colleges in the Country

Economics at Middlebury is one of the best Econ programs in the country. For my future in corporate law and investment banking I could not have asked for a better undergraduate education. Banks and business/law schools appreciate what the middlebury education entails and hire/admit in droves.

Friendly and Accepting

There is a lot of socio-economic and international diversity with one of the highest percentages of international students from 60 plus nations. There are now more Posse scholars than ever before adding to the ethnic and socio-economic mix. Middlebury is much more diverse than its close competitors like Williams and Bowdoin. For more info refer to: http://www.middlebury.edu/newsroom/node/274243

Career Service Is Ranked One of the Best in the Nation (Princeton Review 2010)

Look at the Princeton Review ranking of career services as well as a Forbes ranking and you will see that Career Service will do absolutely anything they can to help you land the internship you need or want.

Unnecessary but Available

Very comfortable and affordable options are available but on- campus house is excellent and available for all 4 years so this is not really necessary.

Dorms Like Palaces Indeed

Excellent Housing. You will be completely satisfied with your housing situation in any dorm. The only college I visited ( and I visited many) that had comparable ( and actually slightly better) dorms was Bowdoin. The take away message is: Housing is fabulous.

Best Economics Program in the Country

The head of the economics department once wrote an article where he said that if the number of students studying economics were a guide to naming the college it would be the "Middlebury School of Economics". Williams has a department that is comparable but is very very left leaning while at Midd there is a nice balance. Absolutely fabulous teachers.

Professors Are ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS

Class after class you will be stunned by the quality of the teachers here. They are extremely smart and care about you and your aspirations. You will become friends with most of your professors who will also in many cases become life long mentors. If this sounds too good to be true, come see for yourself that sometimes things are perfect and true. The course load is very challenging but from a college like Midd I wouldn't expect anything else. Work hard and you will learn and grow more than you thought possible.

Gorgeous.

Middlebury has an amazing relationship with the town. The campus and its surrounding are gorgeous, moving to NY to work post graduation ( which is where most Mid students go) could be a shock having been used to so much natural beauty. Most items that a college student would require are very readily available.

No Peer Pressure

Like any college there are those that use alcohol, sometime unfortunately also excessively. But the excessive users are a minority and for most of us drinking is social. I personally have not encountered other drugs and as far as I know there is very little or no drug use on campus.

An Excellent Means to an End

Means to an end (education) is what computers and networks should be and that is exactly what you will get. The computer services and networks are top of the line and will help you cover every need that may arise. Bring your own laptop for additional ease but you will definitely not miss it if you don't as the campus is stacked with some of the latest computers available. Also the help desk will help with any problems you have with your computer and has a host of great software the college has licensed.

Absolutely Amazing

When Middlebury hires professors it will select them based on how well they teach. Having a Nobel Laureate who cannot communicate their ideas or bother with students is not the point. Middlebury professors are experts in their fields who are widely published BUT mist importantly will communicate to you the enthusiasm for a field that made them devote their lives to it. The workload is very very tough, there will be times when you may feel a little overwhelmed but you will come out feeling you are prepared to deal with a lot. Many a times I have worked into the wee hours of the morning without even realizing that so much time has passed. That for me is high praise for a courses quality.

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.

This Is a Summary

I don't think people who don't drink feel pressure to, and for the most part I think people make smart decisions as far as alcohol. Public safety is mostly very understanding of the ridiculousness of our drinking age, and I felt that almost everybody I know who drank has a pretty healthy relationship with alcohol. There's not a big hard drug culture, and while a large portion of people smoke pot casually I knew very few major stoners.

Excellence Cannot Be Overstated

Devoted faculty; fantastic academic facilities; engaging, engrossing, fulfilling coursework all across the board; intense workload but I wouldn't have it any other way

Very Generous

Everyone on campus is on an all-you-can-eat meal plan. You can take stuff back to your room and visiting friends can eat as much as they want. Lots of healthy and vegetarian options as well as an effort to use local produce where possible. Peanut butter and granola are made in the kitchens.

Off-Campus Housing

Hardly anyone lives off-campus, because you have to enter a draw to get permission and there are limited options. In addition, if you don't have a car, it makes it hard to live off-campus, especially in winter.

Middlebury

The town is very small, and is very connected to the college. They completely depend on each other. There are a few restaurants and bards, but there is not a lot to do in terms of cultural activities. The Vermonters are very friendly in general, and that includes towards students. There are a lot of places to hike, swim, ski, and camp around the area which is a benefit.

Local, Healthy Food Is EVERYWHERE

There's way too many good options off-campus, especially because Middlebury is in Vermont and all the best options use local foods and super healthy. There aren't many student discounts (or any that I know of), but off-campus food is pretty affordable. The options are so good, in fact, that you might become somewhat of a food snob when you go back home!

Nowhere to Go.

To be honest, there is very little reason to leave campus. Middlebury is a very small town and is about 45 minutes from the nearest sizable city. Most people leave campus only to buy groceries or occasionally go out to dinner. There is a bus service that runs through Middlebury and several other nearby towns, but students rarely use it. The exception is the shuttle service that runs to Middlebury's Snow Bowl, where students go skiing in the winter. The shuttle picks students up in the center of campus 4-6 times a day. Transportation to the airport, located 45 minutes away, is fairly reasonable. Students use one of two taxi services and at breaks, ride shares with other students make the fare reasonable. Recently, the student government has begun offering a bus to the airport for a reasonable $5.

The 5 Minute Party.

Let me tell you, there are VERY few students who don't complain about the nightlife at Middlebury at least occasionally. For members of athletic teams who throw parties, life is good because you always have a party to go to. For the rest of us, most of your weekend nights freshman year are spent walking from party to party, leaving either because its lame or because public safety arrives. Upperclassmen throw parties more often, so finding something to do becomes simpler. The social houses on campus throw parties most weekends, which are good options. There is very little to do off campus. The bar (called THE bar because it is essentially the only bar in town) is a five minute walk from campus and is a favorite thursday night spot for those 21 and older.