uPenn vs Middlebury

panthergrad09
Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:07:08 +0000

HelloKatak-

I’m a huge supporter of LACs, as is my entire family; I suppose that I was raised to support them. I think that everyone should go to a LAC for undergrad :). As for my support of Midd, I had a great experience there (though I will say that absence makes the heart grow fonder/don’t know what you’ve got 'til it’s gone, etc.). I speak highly of Midd from my own experiences, but I’m not saying that other places aren’t great, too…I just don’t have the experience from those places. As for your questions, I’m not the type of person who makes friends easily, but I found a great group of friends within my first couple weeks there, and those same people are still my best friends today. International or not, if you make a bit of an effort to put yourself out there in the beginning, you’ll find a group of people that you really click with, regardless of personality/nationality, etc. I went abroad with a group of people that I had never met before, even though we were almost all Midd kids, and I grew very close to those people, as well. I always found people to be very open and accepting. You always find exceptions, of course, but people were much more open than where I am from originally.

As for location, that’s really dependent on your personality. I personally hate big cities, and I loved Vermont. I know people who were from a big city and loved Vermont, as well, so just because you’re used to a big city doesn’t mean that you won’t love VT, too. That being said, middle-of-nowhere isn’t for everyone. While Middlebury is isolated in itself, you don’t feel isolated, at least I didn’t. There are lots of activities on campus and the school brings in a lot of groups, so you aren’t left twiddling your thumbs on a friday night. The decision about whether or not Middlebury and Vermont are right for you is a decision that you’ll have to make yourself. My situation and background seems very different from yours, so while I can offer you my experience, I don’t know how much it will or should affect your decision. I can’t tell you that you’ll love Vermont. I did, but I can also definitely see how people might not enjoy it as much as I did. That being said, just because it’s different, don’t convince yourself that it’s not right for you. I was terrified of coming to the east coast for school, and now I love it. College should be about stretching yourself and trying new things. There’s no better time in your life to do it. Good luck with your decision. Middlebury is a fantastic place, but (as much as it pains me to say it) it’s not for everyone.