Middlebury vs Hamilton

tk21769
Sun, 28 Aug 2016 12:12:01 +0000

Also do you think it is better to learn 2 languages at Hamilton or 1 at Middlebury???

This depends on the language(s), your goals, your aptitude, how much time you want to invest in language-learning, etc. But without having any more information about you, in my opinion, it would be better to learn 1 language well than to learn a smattering of two languages. It would be better to focus on a single “hard”, high-demand language (like Arabic or Chinese) than to spread yourself across two commonly-taught languages (like French and Spanish).

Middlebury has some of the best language-learning programs anywhere. I spent two summers there on one language. The instruction and the setting were wonderful. Keep in mind, though, that even the best college language-learning program is no substitute for an in-country immersion experience, especially after you’ve developed a basic foundation. It usually wouldn’t be practical to do college study-abroad programs for 2 languages.

For law school admission, I don’t think it matters at all whether you choose Middlebury, Hamilton, or Bowdoin. GPA and LSAT score differences would far outweigh any tiny bias a particular law school might have for one or another.

You’ll need good back-up for any of these schools because they are all very selective. You may be able to find equally good (or nearly as good) academics (etc.) at a slightly less selective and less expensive college outside New England. High demand for top NESCAC schools inflates both costs and selectivity beyond significant measurable differences in academic quality. Kenyon for example has one of the best English departments in America, offers merit scholarships (unlike Midd/Hamilton), has a beautiful campus, and is a bit less selective than Midd/H/Bowdoin. Oberlin and Grinnell might be worth a look, too.