"Club Midd"

Introduction
Middlebury provides an amazing overall experience, combining an active social life with an active academic life. When all is said and done, Middlebury students tend to love the school. It's definitely a cushy lifestyle. It is often referred to as "Club Midd" for a reason...beautiful golf course, ski mountain, etc.

Campus Life and Social Life
Although the social scene is still great (compared to most schools), it's not what it once was. The Commons System, the fascism of the Vermont liquor inspector, and some questionable decisions by the administration have taken it down a couple of notches. Still, Middlebury kids party hard. The police are not allowed on campus, so if you're caught with something you're not supposed to have, you don't have to go to court or fear getting arrested. And the school itself tends to be pretty lenient. It takes a lot to get suspended or kicked out, except in regards to fighting or serious property damage. So that's nice. Academics
Middlebury's academics are the best you can find. Language study at Midd, especially Chinese, is unparalleled. The Literary Studies program is also awesome, as well as Environmental Studies and the natural Sciences in general. Murray Dry, in Political Science, is a professor that every student should study with. Will Nash, in American Literature, is also fantastic. Generally speaking, the faculty is amazing and any course of study will be enriching. That said, the workload is extremely heavy. Be prepared to be asked to read a book a week in some classes. It's tough, but it's doable.

Student Body
Middlebury is wonderful, but it is not the school for everyone (of course, no school is). If you're a preppy, jock, or hippy, (and if you can handle a rigorous academic schedule) you can't find a better place (assuming you can get in). If you don't party, you'd probably prefer a place like Bowdoin or Swarthmore or Amherst. If you do party, but don't want as rigorous an academic schedule, look at Conneticut College or Trinity. Generally, Midd kids are very extroverted, outdoorsy, athletic, and tend to be booze-bags. And there are tons of boarding school kids here. So many that it can come off as a school for "the beautiful people." For someone coming from a public school in middle America, this could be somewhat intimidating (especially if that person is introverted and avoided all kinds of partying in high school in order to excel in studies). That said, the students are generally accepting and not snobby. They also tend to be very tasteful and do not flash their money. If you are more of a hipster, you'd probably prefer a place like NYU, where you'd have greater access to dive bars and "deck" coffee shops, etc. However, lots of hipsters enjoy the place a great deal and generally flock to WRMC, the radio station. Also, there's a great community for international students and racial/ethnic minorities.

In Closing...
In order to decide if Middlebury is for you, you really have to stay there for at least a weekend, if not a solid week.