Middlebury College Top Questions

Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?

Thomas

There's far more diversity than the stereotypes let on, but there are significant populations of all of the above. People interact across group lines a fair amount, but sometimes I wish they did so to a greater extent. From what my friends tell me though, Middlebury is actually really good in this regard (i.e., people mix regardless of socioeconomic background, social status, etc.).

Sandy

Accurate but misleading; firstly, not everyone fitted into one of these boxes, but many ostensibly fill two, three or four. Second, the Midd people I knew there and have come to know subsequently are generally warm, open, interesting people who've done lots of interesting things. So the trick is to look beyond the stereotypes and actually get to know people. You will be at school with 2400 of your closest friends, give or take.

Jesse

Sort of, but I have experienced plenty of diversity.

Jackie

For the most part

Melissa

The steretype is relatively true-- but there are a lot of international kids and even though the school population is pretty homogenous, the kids are still really interesting and fun and diverse in different ways. Kids have really wide-spanning interests and will surprise you all the time just when you think you have them stereotyped.

Mandy

Well, there's definitely a grain of truth in all I said. There are a lot of preppy kids, but you don't have to be that way at all; you don't even have to see them at all really, unless you're an econ major and then, well, I'm sorry for you. We do have a lot of econ majors. There are also the outdoorsy ones who sometimes sleep in tents during the get outside week in the middle of snowy, freezing winter. We are all in pretty great physical shape; everyone goes to the gym. That is very true (except for the outdoorsy kids). People are generally good looking. People are more smart than at, say, a state school, but you can find all sorts. I know barely anyone who utilizes the golf course during the months it can be used. I'd say 80 percent of campus takes advantage of the ski slopes, but alpine and nordic. Our creative writing program kind of sucks, and it was supposed to be what lured me here. Don't mistake the college for the writing school or conference. We Do have great teachers, but there is no major and there is but one poetry professor. sometimes i feel like i'm in harry potter, I mean we play quidditch and the chapel bells are haunting.

Eric

They are to a certain extent. That faction certainly exists. But there's enough of a balance of kids here that it isn't too overpowering.

Elise

I don't think that we work too hard; and I don't think that the majority of the student body that cares about the environment is just trying to be trendy

Margot

To a certain extent.

Laura

To an extent, yes, because the school does take a lot of prep-school kids, however, there's only a small subset of those kids that fit the spoiled, snobbish, and obnoxious stereotype.

Alex

well, we definately have some of these folks, but there's a lot more going on behind the scenes. well-rounded is quickly going out the window in favor of extreme academic types.

Emmerson

For some people they are but it's not the majority.

Harper

Yes, but each in their own way. We all coexist.

frances

yep!

Lisa

WE ARE EVERYTHING!

Tom

Pretty much. But there is a great contingent of international students.

Jacob

Absolutely not.

Joanna

Very accurate for a portion of the student body, but overlooks other types of people on campus. For example, I feel like my experience at Middlebury wasn't at "that" Middlebury (i.e. my friends were not in social houses, etc)

Nora

For the most part. There's a few in betweens but it's generally easy to classify people based on appearance.

Will

Circa ten years ago, I think the old stereotype was right on, and there is a contingent of maybe 25{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body, the lacrosse players, hockey players and their bros who still fit that. On the other end, there is certainly a 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} dedicated hippy contingent. Everybody else doesn't fit those stereotypes. Middlebury is in a state of flux. In a few more years the Old Stereortype won't fit at all.

Quinn

They each describe a large population that exists here

Noah

There are fewer preppy people here than the stereotypes would have one think. Not everyone is an athlete, however everyone loves to be outside.

Ryan

Many of them are but then there are variants and sub-groups. The size of the college forces these variants and sub-groups to branch out, but this will happen only to the willing. There is always some truth in a stereotype and you can differentiate yourself only by making a tiny hole in the bubble and breathing in the air of diversity.

Peter

Surprisingly diverse for school in the middle of VT, much harder academically than I was expecting,

George

with some people, sure

Ryan

Yes

Tate

yes

Dylan

Way more preppy than hippie, the hippies died out awhile ago. there are still some, but the environmental science department does not guarantee cool hippies. lots of people like to exercise. there are very few fat people. it's weird.

Gaby

not entirely, obviously the campus is more diverse than that. also, I feel like middlebury students have pretty diverse interests even if it seems like they fall into these categories.

Dale

This really isn't true. There are all kinds of people at Middlebury from around the country and world.

Jonathan

Yes.

Dylan

For the most part, yes.

Elliot

pretty much

Andy

I had a pretty juvenile idea of what intellectuals are. Kids are kids. That being said, there are a lot of enviro kids and finance types.

Katie

Not entirely. I had a different picture of the student body before I came here. It turns out to be more diverse than I thought, in terms of background, interests, and definately many international students.

Casey

The undergraduate program languages aren't always fantastic. There are definitely some rich, preppy kids. As far as international students, yes there is diversity, but among the American students, not as much as expected.

andrew

in the sense that any stereotype is accurate. there's definitely a divide that runs through social groups and interests that usually forms along these lines.

Andrew

To some extent, yes. There are a lot of people who do fit this stereotype, but anybody who really thinks this is all that Middlebury is doesn't actually know Middlebury.

William

Of course. The Middlebury populace is big enough to include all walks of life, but the truth is: the school is what you make of it.

Blake

Somewhat, a lot of kids are from East coast, and coming from the Midwest, it is a big change. People here seem more awkward at first, but once you get to know them they are fun. There are a lot of preppy kids here, plenty of 'bros' and 'sweet laxers,' but there are also a lot of really interesting people from all over the country, and world. For the most part, it takes a little while to find people you really get along with, but when you do, its great.

Cody

The left-leaning contingent is huge. People are active, are impassioned and want to get things done, but fun is also big. They also are sometimes just hippies with little drive to change the world. There are lot of NorthEastern rich, private school, kids. But not all of them are as bad as they sound. A lot of them are. It's getting harder to get into Midd, I think. Most everyone who's there, though, REALLY wants to be there. Which is nice. You learn a lot about lots of different things in a liberal arts education...including how to party and where to party. Why to party? 'Cause the work is damn hard. The Feb program is meant to create a sense of community for certain individuals who could use extra time...for some it is more ostracizing. It's a tradition, so it's important. But I kinda hated being a Feb, yeah, I said it. A lot of people speak a lot of languages-- I don't. A lot of people skied a lot. I didn't. It's hard not to feel kinda lame on a campus full of such good-looking young people.

Alex

Yes, they all are to some extent. You'll find lots of everything here, but it's never hard to break free of the bubble, even though Midd is really in the middle of VT.

Paige

Most people range from well-off to very wealthy, but there is a little diversity. The first stereotype is less accurate than the second, but overall it is not very diverse in terms of viewpoints and upbringings.

Quinn

The trend of Middlebury students is tending, year after year, to shift from students who are well-rounded to students who are specialized. Whether this is because of the students choosing Middlebury or the other way around, it is happening. Middlebury is not, on whole, super crunchy, super liberal, or super alternative. You can loosen your tie a little because it's not Williams--but don't lose the shirt altogether because it's definitely not Wesleyan.

Connie

these stereotypes are somewhat accurate. having visited other schools, i would say that middlebury students are, on average, more laid back, but still far from hippies.

Andy

No, their are also apathetic crunchies.

Paige

Yup

Charles

The stereotypes in themselves are not very accurate. For a small, liberal arts college in rural Vermont, there is a fair amount of diversity and a high percentage of people who have lead interesting, off-beat lives. however, the stereotypes do effectively segregate the school into a series of generally impermeable groups and cliques.

Sophia

For some groups, but not for everyone. Though middlebury is predominantly caucasian

Simon

Mostly yes, but the truth is that the majority of kids are actually really smart and interesting once they allow themselves to step outside of their own stereotypes.