College admissions is competitive,

I think what makes Middlebury special is the fact that students really adhere to the 'work hard, party hard' mentality. We are not an Ivy League school, but very close to one, which allows students to take a step back and enjoy extracurriculars as much as schoolwork. The town of Middlebury is also a huge benefit because the locals are incredibly inviting and willing to hire students who might need extra cash. The Snowbowl is also a huge benefit because the season ticket is very cheap and having the mountain so close helps you get away for the occasional afternoon if stressed, but not too far away. Another plus to the school is the dining services because the food is truly amazing. There are three dining halls placed on different corners of the campus, and each is remarkably unique.

Academics at Middlebury are known to be top notch. Because the classes are usually pretty small, professors are more than willing to you give you personal attention and most, if not all of them come from amazing academic and worldly backgrounds. J-term classes are also a blast because they provide students with the chance to take a month long course on something they have never had the time to take. For example, my last j-term was spent learning how to be a food critic and how to write poetry about food. The last day of class was spent cooking a four course meal at our professor's house where we all sat around the fire and drank wine till midnight.

In terms the job application, the liberal arts degree can be tricky. Now that I am out, I do find myself wondering why I didn't learn more about terms like marketing and advertising, but in all, I think that I did gain certain life skills that will stick with me forever.

A great variation at Midd. Recently, we have had more and more students coming from abroad, and they definitely tend to stick together. There are also a ton of kids that LOVE the outdoors and spend more time outside than inside. On the other hand, these are extremes, and there are a lot of upper middle class, run of the mill students who, again, 'work hard party hard'...Sorry, out of time...

The social life at Middlebury can at times be incredibly frustrating. Because they are allowing their social house system to disintegrate and are not offering fun (and non-sober) alternatives, the students often find that there is not much to do on the weekends besides hang with small groups of their friends in the dorms.

In terms of the theater and music, I have to say that there are always great shows to see and that the theater department does a great job of keeping students interested. The Zoo, which is a student theater, almost always has something going on on the weekends, which gives the artsy folk a nice outlet.

The sports scene is also a great one, but sometimes exclusive. When visiting other schools, like Bates, for example, I found myself hanging with athletes and non-athletes at the same party, but such is not the case at Midd. Oftentimes, the sports parties are strictly sports parties and non-athletes are not very welcome.

I would say that a major stereotype about Middlebury is that everyone is fluent in about three languages. Not true. I am one of the few who did not take a language at Midd and I made it out alive. I would also say that people describe Middlebury as being incredibly preppy and that is a generalization that has changed a lot through the years. When I left last spring, the campus was incredibly diverse and provided a group for almost every type of person.

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FYI - Being a Feb is a tricky thing because although you feel very close with your 100 fellow Febs, it is often hard to start off without a freshman hall and without knowing the class you were supposed to enter with.

Also, Career Services is a tough office to deal with...make them help you in a way that actually fits your objectives for the future.

Definitely wander downtown...Beal at Two Brothers is a great bartender who loves to chill with the college students...go hang with him!