Middlebury is gorgeous. It’s in a lovely part of Vermont, the nearest city is Burlington which is a fun place (University of Vermont is smack dab in the middle of the city) so lots of young people around. It is an academically rigorous place with lots of outdoor opportunities (Vermont’s State Parks are beautifully maintained for hiking, etc.) and is close to fantastic skiing and other winter sports.
It’s not a great option for a kid who wants the buzz of a city– BC is a quick public transportation ride down Commonwealth Avenue to Boston with it’s gazillion students and nightlife and theater and museums. Middlebury has athletic students but is not a rah rah spectator sport kind of campus. Terrific faculty devoted to teaching undergrads.
I agree with Thumper- applying ED to a place you’ve never seen is a sub-optimal strategy. These two seem like a curious pairing- any idea why these two? And is your kid specifically looking for a Jesuit school- and if so, Middlebury ain’t that.
A kid who loves BC might love Tufts, Georgetown, Holy Cross, Villanova. A kid who loves Middlebury might love Colgate, Hamilton, Bowdoin, Williams. See where I’m going with this?
Two great institutions but very different.