<p>I am not an alum from either Midd or Williams. But I can and do understand the personal attachment one shares for their Alma Mater. </p>
<p>But look. However magnanimous need-blind admissions SEEMS to be is to suggest there is some great cloak of honor and truth in this blindness. However, I ask you to consider that there is quite a lot to be gleaned from zip codes, high school codes, and EC’s (not to mention essays and personal statements) to give most Adcoms with any brains a clue of which applicants are going to require the most funding. Second… wait lists are not need blind… FOR EITHER Middlebury or Williams (and frankly, I dont know of any schools who continue their need blind policies when it comes to waiting lists). And if you’re looking to increase revenue by admitting more students (as both Midd and Williams have on their agenda) it makes little sense to admit those requiring a lot of aid. </p>
<p>To show just how similar:</p>
<p>Number of qualified applicants offered a place on waiting list Will:1,553 Midd: 1266
Number accepting a place on the waiting list W: 682 M: 646
Number of wait-listed students admitted: W: 67 admitted M: 73 admitted</p>
<p>I’d say Williams waitlists considerably more students than Midd when you also consider that the rest of the numbers are pretty close, including kids accepting a place and the number who are eventually offered admission. All schools are going to try to hold on to their need blind admissions to secure the most diversity and if Williams can do it longer, bully for them. But here’s where I have my doubts… </p>
<p>As a parent looking at all these colleges and trying to ascertain just what is going to change in the next four years as a result of the economy, at least on Middlebury’s website I can easily find the information. In fact, they’ve seemed the most transparent of ALL the schools to which my son was accepted or waitlisted (Amherst, Tufts, Colgate, Hamilton, Trinity and Middlebury). So… say what you will, but at least I feel reasonably informed about the future and while the future looks tight, at least Midd doesn’t need new libraries, science buildings or dorms. And beyond capital improvements, there also arent alot of maintenance issues out there either. While I am not certain, I think Williams definitely has a few of those, as has Amherst that they’ve been putting off and are now off the table entirely. These aren’t new and/or improved buildings (although there is that as well), this is maintenance of the old ones!</p>
<p>The point is… no one is immune. Every single school says their endowments are down 30% (minimally) and they will only spend the required 5% next year (to remain a nonprofit). So maybe Williams does have some extra money in the bank (although roughly 45% of their budget was covered by endowment last year), and maybe their 6 percent increase in tuition will keep them at current rates. But how is that any more sustainable than Midd’s projections? They are BOTH planning and needing to cut approx 20 million from their budgets into next year! So to suggest Middlebury is going to curl up and fail is to not be any kind of historian, nor is it taking a good enough look at your own house, although admittedly it’s a helluva lot harder to find any of this info on Williams’ website. </p>
<p>And speculation is speculation… but at least if you’re going to be guessing about the future, do it with some hard facts and don’t pretend that Midd is the only one facing lean times. Frankly, I find it kind of interesting that there is so much attention paid to Middlebury on a Williams blog site. It just doesnt strike me as confident in the least. It’s like when my kids say… look at him, he did it too and worse! Point the finger and at least three more are pointing back at yourself.</p>