<p>RossJM,</p>
<p>As a high school senior, I knew that, as a college student, I didn’t want to be the anomaly, that student who reads too much or writes too much or thinks too much. After many conversations with professors, alumni, and current students during my visits junior and senior year, I thought of Middlebury as a place where I could do all of those things and still feel right at homesurrounded by people who love and laud the life of the mind. The school is teeming with independent thinkers. It is like some sort of fist-in-the-air anthem at Middlebury, and what the school, philosophically, stands for. Brilliant, kind, and multi-faceted, I was won over; Middlebury students fit the mold of students I wanted to study with. </p>
<p>Today, after my first semester there, I am thrilled by my choice. Urbanity is near, but perfectly far away. (Burlington is an ideal weekend escape from coursework.) There are endless opportunities for outdoor recreation and adventures. Midd kids are wildly busy, but wouldn’t have it any other way. There is this colossal sense of community, and of being a scholar and a pioneer.</p>
<p>What will ultimately “lead you to choose” a college is a function of which will offer you admission, especially if you’re applying RD most places. No one, nowadays, really has more than a 50% chance of admission with any of these top-tier LACs, even with the most competitive of stats and/or hooks. I applied to all of the colleges you listed plus a few comparables, was offered admission at a few, then accepted the offer that fit my academic and social profile best. </p>
<p>Cast your net wide, visit the schools you get into, kick the tires, ask nosy questions – then have your pick. Good luck.</p>