As the poster above might have said, stereotypes can be anything from untrue to irrelevant to good-enough-for-me.
I am not so sure, speaking for myself of course, that these stereotypes are especially useful.
How about the applicant developing his/her own opinions through campus visits? I don’t know much about Middlebury’s student life but will deliver some facts about Colgate. It has 5 fraternities and 3 sororities for 2950 students, a residential commons program, 10 themed houses and many other options alongside the dormitory system. The town of Hamilton was named one of America’s most friendly by Forbes 2 years ago and contains all the usual college town amenities you might expect. And within one hour (not hours, by the way) are Hamilton College, Syracuse University, SYR airport, several other colleges, and Utica with its convenient Amtrak service to NYC. Within 90 minutes are Cornell, Cooperstown, the Finger Lakes and the Adirondacks.
I would also comment on the “intense” nature of Colgate’s D1 sports. If you want to compete in them, and roughly 700 students do so, you will have the opportunity to play at the top level with NCAA post-season access for Patriot League and ECAC (ice hockey) champions. If you are a spectator you will witness higher level competition and have one more reason to cherish your time on Colgate’s magnificent campus which, incidentally, is among the most beautiful in the country, as per those surveys that discuss these matters.
The elements of Colgate’s “personality”, the career aspirations and outcomes of its alumni, and its political vibe will be clearer when you visit and make your own assessment. It’s your 4 years, after all.
Good luck with your college search!