The idea of going to college in rural Vermont in the far northeast of the United States where the winters are long and cold may sound like a hard pitch for exceptional international students. Surprisingly, it’s not. Middlebury College is one of the most prestigious colleges in the U.S., and one of the most popular among international applicants. In this post, we’ll break down why Middlebury is so popular for international students and how you can increase your chance of acceptance if you apply.
Middlebury is a small liberal arts school with about 2,800 students in the town of Middlebury, Vermont, a community of 9,000. Despite its small size, Middlebury — both the town and the school — is packed with cultural institutions that punch above its weight, like museums, theaters, and world-class restaurants. It’s isolated, but that works in their favor. The school leans into its small-town environment by crafting a community, culture, and experience that is truly unique to Middlebury. With a focus on fieldwork, Middlebury is extremely popular for students interested in environmental science and anything that benefits from having your hands in the mud and a tree to lean on (and, yes, that can include subjects less obviously linked to the woods, like literature, history, or psychology).
Middlebury is in the competitive NESCAC athletic league, and 10% of the student body is made up of international students. More than 70 countries are represented on campus including students with dual-citizenships, and the acceptance rate is a mere 12%, making Middlebury a highly-selective college.
If you’re already excited about Middlebury before we even get into their international student application process, send us an email. We help outstanding students from all over the world get into exceptional U.S. colleges.
What is Middlebury looking for in International Students?
One of the things that we love about Middlebury is that this small school in this small community in the mountains of the northeast of the U.S. is deeply passionate about thinking beyond boundaries. They create a cocoon for learning and an atmosphere for ground-breaking thought. In their words, they want students who identify as global thinkers, bridge builders, activists, environmentalists, adventurers, and collaborators.
To further this goal, Middlebury commits to covering 100% of demonstrated need for accepted students. “You’ll be welcome,” they say, “no matter your capacity to pay.” But there is one really important thing that potential international students need to know about this policy. For students who are U.S. citizens, admissions are need-blind. For international students, it isn’t. What that means is that a U.S. citizen will not be rejected based on their need of financial support. An international student might be. This isn’t cruel, it’s pragmatic. Since Middlebury commits to helping all excepted students, they need to be sure they don’t stretch themselves too far. One of the ways they do that is by being “need-aware” for international applicants. The takeaway, though, is that you should not apply for financial aid at Middlebury “just in case.” Apply for aid if you would need it to attend, but it may decrease your chances of admission.
This shouldn’t be seen as undercutting the core Middlebury values. “What’s important to us is who you are,” they say — and they mean it. They look for students who are truly exceptional, and below we’ll dig into how you can best illustrate your strengths throughout your application.
Courses + Grades
When it comes to what classes you should be taking in preparation for applying to Middlebury, there are no firm distribution requirements, but there are guidelines. Middlebury strongly suggests that competitive applicants complete four years each of Math, Social Studies, and Science, three years of History and foreign language. When you’re selecting courses within each of these subject areas, you need to be taking the hardest courses you can that you can excel in. You need to have exceptionally high grades, so don’t take courses that won’t turn out well for you. That said, an easy ‘A’ doesn’t reflect well on you nor highlight the adventurousness and exploration they’re looking for.
Most Middlebury students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating secondary school class. Most Middlebury students also challenged themselves and pushed beyond their comfort zone. It’s all about finding a balance between the two.
Extracurriculars
The two most important pieces of your Middlebury application are your academics (grades and rigor, as explained above) and how you spend your time outside of the structure of the classroom. Middlebury looks for students who are deeply passionate, curious, and courageous. They want to see you pursuing something you care about as far as you can take it, and then a little further than that. Whether it’s a craft, a sport, a subject, an instrument, and art form, they want to see you chasing growth and challenge. Even better if you find ways to combine what you care about with serving others. If you play in a band, for example, perhaps you give concerts at a local senior center. Serving soup in a soup kitchen doesn’t impress Middlebury. Perfecting a chili recipe and then going on to share it with others through places like a soup kitchen does.
At the core of everything, you also need to be having fun. They want to see great enjoyment for life and enthusiasm for what you do. If it’s an activity outside of school that doesn’t bring you joy and you’re just doing it “for your college applications,” stop. Middlebury can sniff out inauthenticity and anything performative. They know what passion looks and feels like, so show it to them.
Standardized Tests
Middlebury is a test-optional college, and about half of applicants do not submit SAT or ACT test scores. The mid-50% range for accepted and enrolled students who did submit scores is:
SAT: 1440-1550
ACT: 33-34
So, if you are going to submit your scores, you really need to be in or above that range. If you are struggling to score above a 1440 or a 33, best to focus on getting the best grades possible in your courses (which you should be doing anyway, by the way).
Middlebury also requires “proof of your ability to communicate in English at a highly proficient level.”
You can do this through a test like the TOEFL IBT, IELTS, or a variety of other test options. Middlebury does not give any test preference, and there is no minimum score — but the average TOEFL score for admission is 109, and on the IELTS it’s 7.5 or higher. The English Language Proficiency requirement is waived for students whose native language is English, or whose high school curriculum is entirely in English, or who are taking IB English A.
Final Thoughts
If you’re seriously considering Middlebury as your first choice, the Fly-In Program is an all-expenses paid opportunity for exceptional students to visit Middlebury before applying. It is specifically for students who otherwise could not afford to visit, and who are very interested in attending but want to confirm that Middlebury is right for them.
As you pursue your application, you should also request a virtual interview as early as you are able — as there are limited interview spots for international students. If you can’t get an interview, you are highly recommended to do an InitialView or Vericant interview to accompany your application. This will give them more context on you while also confirming that you have the strong English language skills you’ll need to excel in the classroom at Middlebury.
When you’re applying to Middlebury, you’ll have all the same expectations as a domestic applicant. They want to see exceptional grades, passion-filled extracurriculars, and high test scores (if you submit them). But you’ll also have a few more hurdles to jump over, like the English proficiency requirements. Starting early will save you a world of stress, and we’d love to help you on your way.
Reach out here to find out how we prepare driven students to achieve outstanding admissions results.