The "typical" Middlebury student is something of a running
joke among the general population. One student says, “I think when most people think of the typical Middlebury students, they think of someone who is generally well-rounded, athletic but not necessarily on a sports team, good looking, outdoorsy, intelligent, and passionate about their academic and extracurricular interests. Middlebury may also be thought of as a pretty crunchy school because it is in Vermont and because granola is served at every meal.” Whereas the two ends of the spectrum seem to
be “uptight preppy white kids” and “environmental hippies,” there are also hundreds of students who fall between the two extremes. “There’s the jocks, the preppy kids, the hippies, the artsy ones, the actors, the outdoorsy, the skiiers, the rock climbers, the politically aggressive, the laxers, the laxer groupies, the social climbers, the feminists and too many more to count,” one student lists. Most
students still crave further economic and ethnic
diversity among their peers, though they point out that Middlebury’s international
student body increases each year and in general, “the students are some of the brightest and most interesting I have ever encountered.”
“Students do a lot of work here, it is just the way it is” — this sentiment is echoed across the student
body, and nearly all students have had at least one experience being totally stressed out by the Middlebury workload. The core requirements aren’t difficult to finish in four years, but there are distribution requirements to be completed over 7 different subjects. The professors are lauded by the student body at large; a recent alum says: “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.” If a class is larger than 30 students, there is usually a separate
discussion or lab section to give each student quality time with the
subject material. "Students are willing to help each other and enjoy the class room experience, enjoy being challenged critically, and expect thoughtful classroom interaction with their peers,” one student writes. Grades aren’t generally discussed, and
students aren’t very competitive. They try to be respectful of each other’s individual
pursuits. It’s not unlikely to find a student joint-majoring in Dance and Biology, Spanish and Film and Media Studies, or Sociology
and Studio Art. Middlebury’s language
programs are internationally renowned, and the tight-knit, well-regarded
departments in theater and other performing and visual arts encourage prolific student work, as well as fostering close working relationships with professors. One student says: "I thought the environmental studies major was exceptional and probably is the best in the country." Recently, environmental
studies students have launched a variety of climate change initiatives that
have gained worldwide attention. “I often need to step back from my bitching at amounts of work,” a senior says,
“and realize that in the classes that I have loved I have often been truly moved.”
The beautiful Middlebury campus—with the Adirondacks in the
distance, picturesque sunsets, and seasonal foliage—is often an immediate draw
for prospective students. Whether they come from an urban metropolis or a tiny Midwestern suburb, most develop a quick appreciation for the New England setting.
But beware the frigid winter temperatures - “What may appear to be a gorgeous, vibrant refuge from the hustle and bustle of civilization in the fall and spring can also become vicious, bone-chilling loneliness during the five-month-long winter.” With winter, however, comes skiing and
hockey. Middlebury students can ski in their own
personal “Snow Bowl” 30 minutes from campus. And the Middlebury hockey
team is at the top of the Division III competition nationally. Once it gets warmer, students flock to nearby
bike paths, hiking trails, and mountains. “In the summer and fall people lay out to tan on the big grassy quad in the middle of campus called Battell Beach, grilling and playing frisbee and whiffle ball or go to the real beach at Lake Dunmore, about 10 minutes away.” The town of Middlebury epitomizes “quaint,” with great restaurants and
boutique shops. Students over 21 frequent the town's three bars.
“Student life at Midd can be idyllic,” writes a freshman, “but also can be boring when stuck indoors
with work on a cold, winter day. Many
complain about the lack of things to do; in truth, the College does offer a
multitude of performances, lectures, and events everyday, but the cold weather
and work often are detrimental to large attendances.” Indeed, social life at Midd has come under fire recently. Many students comment that the social scene
(i.e. available drinking festivities) goes downhill every passing
year— especially as big, blow-out parties become more difficult to pull off by the
social houses (Midd’s equivalent of frats/sororities), and group budgets are
cut. Still, others have no problems: “I have fun every night of the weekend. No complaints.” Though the college has made some social headway
by, for instance, sponsoring an on-campus “nightclub,” student alcohol consumption happens mostly in cramped dorm rooms and off-campus houses. Many students contend
there’s enough going on each weekend for anyone's taste—“There are so many freaking events on this campus that it is absolutely impossible as a human to see them all. That's why when people say there's nothing going on on campus, it's total baloney.” With well-attended student performances in the Hepburn Zoo Theatre, concerts in the Grille and the Gamut Room, and a long
list of guest lecturers, there’s always something happening. One recent alum suggests that “the social life is difficult when you don't have an I.D, but you should learn that alcohol does not equal fun anyway and go take a hike.” Says another student: “There's something to be said for having a slow dinner with friends, sharing some good locally-brewed beer, and going to bed at midnight.”
The administration has been making many changes recently,
and some students wonder if their concerns are being considered at all. “Money is all going into development plans because it seems like Ronald is more about how his track record looks on the developmental scale than on the inculcation scale. Do something for the current students. Don't pretend to care and then blow everyone off once they want something.” The community seems alternately excited and anxious about the outside initiatives the current Midd
administration is taking on, including multiple new construction
projects, new schools at home and abroad, and the expansion of the
language program. Another student writes: “Administration sucks- they see Midd as a company, a product to be sold and spread throughout the world. They keep amassing more property and schools all over, building heinous buildings and tearing down the ones we love.” Overall, though, students seem very happy
with their time at Midd. “Strange to say, hard to explain, but the single defining feature of this place is that it has... genuinely good-natured people kind, thoughtful, hard-working, good souls.”
