Middlebury College in Vermont’s Champlain Valley is an idyllic setting for any educational institution, let alone one of the most-respected liberal arts colleges in the country. The school is a small-town college with a global reputation, and they offer “one of the most immersive and globally engaged experiences in higher education.” The campus is home to a few under 3,000 students who comprise a student body that is passionate for knowledge, meaning, and success. There are over 200 student groups, and the Middlebury College Activities Board brings together student groups to foster community.
The college doesn’t lead with their athletics program, and you need to dig around a little on the Middlebury website to even find information about Middlebury teams. It simply isn’t something they emphasize, as they prefer to talk about how much students love to learn together rather than obsessing over how many goals are scored — but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t amazing athletes at Middlebury. In fact, it’s a bit of a powerhouse, fielding championship winning teams and training dozens of Olympians.
And, once you scratch the surface, you’ll quickly see how impressive Middlebury athletics are. They field 31 NCAA Division III teams in the NESCAC conference, including a wide variety of teams that often win championships and All-American recognitions. The college has collected 44 national championships since 1992, 105 NESCAC titles, and 41 Olympians have attended Middlebury and have collectively won 21 medals, competing in Alpine and Nordic skiing events, boating events, cycling, triathlon, luge, and more. Women’s lacrosse, field hockey, and ice hockey are especially championship-winning. What may be the most impressive, though, is that 27% of students at Middlebury play varsity sports.
Getting into Middlebury is hard though. The overall acceptance rate is around 11%. They have put an emphasis on Early Decision, too, which is especially important for athletes as recruited athletes are often required to go through the Early Decision process.
In this post, we’ll break down what prospective student athletes who are seriously considering Middlebury should do to increase their chances of admission, whether they’re looking to play varsity or just want to kick around a soccer ball on Saturdays.
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What is Middlebury looking for in Student Athletes?
At Middlebury, students prove that “a pursuit of excellence on the playing field is compatible with the pursuit of excellence in the classroom.” And they are welcoming of two, or even three-sport athletes who want to be able to compete all year-round without “jeopardizing their academic standing.” This is not the standard at schools at rigorous and as selective as Middlebury, so makes it extremely attractive to students who don’t want to have to pick a favorite. Nearly 200 students compete in more than one sport.
Recruited Athletes
Middlebury has a wide variety of varsity athletic teams, ranging from squash to alpine skiing, to track & field — 31 in total. As part of NESCAC, an athletic conference within the NCAA Division III, students compete against Amherst, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Trinity, Tufts, Williams, and Wesleyan. Also, as a member of NESCAC, and this is critically important, they do not offer athletic scholarships.
However, they do recruit athletes for their teams, and so building a relationship with the Middlebury coaches for your chosen sport — or sports — is important if you want to play and possibly have a leg up in admissions.
So, your first step should be doing a “Virtual Visit,” also known as scrolling through a webpage and watching a few video tours. Then, if you interested in applying, go to the individual page for your sport on the Middlebury athletics. Next, navigate to the “coaches” tab. For example, this is the coaches tab for Alpine Skiing. On that page, you’ll find the contact information for a coach, or for multiple coaches, that you need to use to send them a professional email expressing your interest in the team. Treat this as if you were applying for a job, so definitely include your ‘resume’ in your sport — this could be a PDF of race results, a ‘highlight’ real you’ve put together, or another way of summing up your accomplishments.
Walk-Ons
If you aren’t sure about the recruitment process, there is the option of “walking on” to the team. This team refers to students who aren’t recruited, and who join the team after arriving on campus through some sort of tryout or vetting process. You may also be invited to try out as a walk on because they aren’t sure they have room for you given their recruitment commitments already, they want to see your skills in action in person, or because a deadline has passed.
Being a walk-on at a NESCAC school like Middlebury means that you will have the opportunity to be on the team, and the chance to play in games, but you don’t have access to the admissions boost that being recruited can offer. You should still reach out to the coaches, though, and let them know that you’re interested in the same way you would as a potential recruit.
Intramurals and Club Sports
If you want to keep playing but aren’t sure about the time commitment a team requires, Williams offers an “intramural program that encourages students of varied abilities and skills to participate in a wide range of recreational athletic activities.” Faculty and staff complete alongside students in the intramural programs, and enthusiasm is more important than experience.
There is also a club sport program created and led by students with teams in sailing, rowing, rugby, equestrian, ultimate frisbee, water polo, badminton, tennis, Nordic skiing, running, cycling, soccer, figure skating, volleyball, and quadball (and we don’t even know what that last one is). And if the intramurals and clubs don’t offer what you want, you can always join the log rolling club.
Middlebury Outdoors
For students who want to be active but who also want a new experience separate from their athletic experiences in high school, the Middlebury Outdoor Programs is an amazing opportunity to explore the natural world in a structured way. Middlebury sits between the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks, meaning you can access hiking, skiing, climbing, flyfishing, canoeing and kayaking, and more with just a short drive. And the Middlebury Outdoor Programs can provide everything you need to enjoy these opportunities. You could show up in your underwear and they’ll outfit you — at least, almost.
Middlebury is also known for the Snow Bowl, three chairlift ski mountain, and the Rikert Nordic Center at Middlebury’s Bread Loaf campus, which offers 50 kilometers of trails. All students also complete a physical education requirement, which can be fulfilled with courses in sports like fencing, ballroom dance, and golf, as well as certification classes for CPR or first aid.
If you are a top-performing student who wants a liberal arts college experience in a close-knit community with outstanding athletics, you can’t do better than Middlebury. Recruitment can be stressful as you are really putting yourself out there for them to assess, but so goes all of college admissions so you may as well take a bold step towards your future. Ready, set, go!
If you’re a talented athlete with Middlebury on your list, we can help.