I don’t know much about this other website you quoted upstream but right out the box it would appear to be lacking in accuracy. And, yes, as @Publisher mentioned, the posters here do tend to look favorably upon LACs. I would add, however that his dislike of LACs is equally well documented.
And that’s the point. College Confidential welcomes all viewpoints so long as they can be backed up by personal experience or data. The posters here are so adept at jousting with each other that it took no time at all for one of us to correct the misinformation that has been given to you. Midd is just as difficult to get into today as it was 20 years ago, if not more so; nothing has changed about its quality that would justify its shift in the USNews rankings - it’s the methodology that changed.
The student is responding to my suggestion - that if you don’t want to spend $$ on Midd but you want an LAC, there are plenty still taking apps and will be after May 1st.
It’s funny - they say they don’t want to spend money on a no name institution when that’s what they are getting from their friends about Midd - and that likely wouldn’t have been different if it was Williams.
To @Aleje Prestige is in the eye of the beholder. My daughter went to a regional school with a national name and some treat it like it’s Ivy - while in reality its selectivity is quite low. And yes, she chose it over an LAC similarly ranked to Midd.
Most would not know UT vs. any other public - but for some, UT is the creme de la creme of publics.
When you get out int the workforce, you’ll find UT kids with Oklahoma, Louisiana Tech, Lamar, Kansas State and whoever.
There’s no such thing as a rank (it’s opinion, even if formulated by metrics) and prestige means different things to different people - so it’s very hard to define it. But is the Southwestern or Austin College kid working at Goldman Sachs….likely not. Are the Midd kids? Plenty of them.
Yes, your friends won’t know Midd and they might not have if you went to Amherst or Williams too.
But your perception on the changing status of a really rich school, with a top bond rating and unbelievable finances, is way overblown. Most every school runs deficits.
The reasons you chose to attend Midd when you did so - are no different today. Nothing has changed - but your panic level - because a few friends didn’t know it and you went on some “gotcha” blog.
That’s really what the responses should focus on. Sidebar conversations - like the validity of a CS major in 2026 - are best left for another thread.
Additionally there are 3 users that have contributed to half the posts. I’d ask them to focus on the OP and at the same time not attempt to get the last word.
Specific application totals by year are below. I’ve listed Amherst, Bowdoin, and Washington & Lee as well as a comparison. I chose the latter due a similar USNWR trajectory. I am using IPEDS for 2021-24 (most recent year) and CDS or publications for 2025.
Middlebury had 2 sequential years with a decrease in applications in years during which the listed peers had a significant increase in applications. This doesn’t strike me as a cause for alarm, but it’s a significant decrease, and I expect there is a meaningful explanation, rather than just random year to year fluctuation.
The dip in USNWR ranking may contribute, although applications didn’t bounce back, with increasing USNWR this year, and W & Lee doesn’t show this pattern in spite of having a greater USNWR decline than Middlebury. There may also be indirect influence from Middlebury’s financial deficit. For example, budget cuts may lead to less money spent on admission marketing and visiting HSs, as well as less money spent on FA. Or perhaps Middlebury changed their recruiting strategies in light of the supreme court ruling, which occurred at the same time as decrease in applications. Middlebury managed to increase URM enrollment during a period in which most other highly selective colleges had notable decreases in URM enrollment.
This is a matter of speculation, but I wouldn’t recommend changing which college you choose to attend because there were 2 years during which applications decreased. You might ask yourself what are the primary reasons why you previously wanted to attend Middlebury and whether those reasons are still present?
I will add that the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey is the single largest contributor to Middlebury’s budget deficit. The new president, Ian Baucom, made the difficult but sound decision to close MIIS next year. Not only will that reduce the budget deficit, but the college will likely benefit significantly from the sale of acres of prime real estate in the heart of Monterey.
Midd is also taking other steps to eliminate the deficit and, if all goes according to Baucom’s plan, balance the budget or turn a surplus within the next couple of years.
Middlebury also just announced plans to build a new art museum in the center of campus, and received a $20 million gift for that purpose. Schools that are in financial trouble typically aren’t planning major construction projects, and especially not for a museum.
I predict good things for Middlebury in the coming years. It will be exciting for you to be a part of that.
Middlebury College is among my favorite LACs due to its location & quality of student & number of students (over 2,600).
I can understand a resident of Texas enjoying several years in beautiful Vermont due to the weather & due to the natural beauty. It would be a dramatic change in those respects.
Middlebury College is adjusting to the realities of the market today. The state of Texas is booming economically & UT-Austin is well funded. There are more options at UT-Austin socially & academically.
I have concerns about small, rural, isolated LACs; however, Middlebury College is not a small LAC & I love snow skiing.
Between UT-Austin & Middlebury College, I would decide based on major area of study & family wealth.
IMO, I think deep down inside you want to go to a LAC and Middlebury but you’re questioning the $400k price tag because in your mind, it may not be as well known as Amherst or Williams.
It sounds like you were excited but are obviously having price tag remorse because the “brand name” isnt as strong? So it’s not Middlebury, or even financial stability but the perception that you’re overpaying because it’s not as highly selective as the two schools that rejected you.
Maybe you feel like you’re paying a BMW price tag but getting a Volvo?
The effect could be direct as well. Families aware of Middlebury’s consecutive budget deficits may have been risk averse in guiding their children’s applications.
I got in Business at UT but at Middlebury I’m planning on double majoring in International Politics and Economics (one major) and either math or stats, with the goal of eventually working in East coast investment banking, management consulting, or graduate school or economics
That might be part of it, but mostly I’m just a bit concerned if the college is in decline because of the figures I stated earlier. I would be worried if Williams/Amherst had those issues too if I had gotten in. And price is definitely a concern. 400K on Middlebury seems like a higher risk but higher reward investment because on one hand my parents are willing to give me around 150k if I go in state but I also believe that a liberal arts education is perfect for me, and if I reach my goal of working in finance the cost difference will be negligible in the long term compared to the network and superb education I receive. I’m willing to spend the money as long as Middlebury is really as good of a school people here say it is and doesn’t decline
Sorry if you have already shared this info, but I multi-task…
Unless your family is wealthy, then I would seriously consider the COA difference between the LAC & UT-Austin. Especially important for one intending to proceed on to graduate school or a professional school (law or medicine).
I am full pay. My parents won’t go into any debt and they already have a college fund for me. If I go to UT they’ll give me anywhere between $120k to $200k in cash upon graduation. I have no interest at all in attending law or medical school, but might consider applying for a PhD. I understand how much money it is, especially if invested in an index fund, but I also think not everything is about money, and if my career goes well it won’t matter that much in the long term. I hope this doesn’t sound obnoxious but I’ve always been an intellectually curious person deeply interested in history, philosophy, and humanities along math and econ, so I truly believe an education at Middlebury would be perfect for me. I also think living in rural Vermont is a once in a lifetime opportunity.