Daughter prefers study-abroad uni to Midd

FlyoverCtry
Tue, 25 Mar 2014 21:24:38 +0000

Everyone I know has heard of University of Phoenix. What does that mean, however?

Irishdoctor: I am sure whatever you and your daughter decide will work out for the best, and you can take comfort in that. These decisions seem stressful at the time, but in the long run, things generally evolve in such a way that we are able to convince ourselves that our decision was the best one for us.

As the parent of a Midd grad and a Yale undergrad, I will say two things about the “prestige” of Midd vs. other schools:

1) It is true that there are other schools that are more well-known than Middlebury, but I could not be happier that my child selected Midd. It commands great respect among anyone who understands what college is really about, incl. grad school committees. A Middlebury degree is a very special achievement. Arcadia seems to be trying to help your daughter not give up something that will be a lifelong source of pride, especially when she is so close and has so much already invested in it. My child who is at Yale also applied to Midd, but bypassed many other more well-known schools.

2) There were two “no-go” zones for us as parents when looking at colleges for our son and daughter: Schools where many of the students are prestige-driven and possibly wish they were somewhere else, and schools that have large job-oriented populations (undergrad business, e.g.). Students who choose Middlebury, in general, really want to be there. They are drawn to its unique environment and most love it. All of them choose it over other great schools - that is part of what makes Middlebury special.