Middlebury College is a small liberal arts school in the equally small town of Middlebury, Vermont. If you love strong humanities programs and a bit of an outdoorsy vibe, Middlebury might be an excellent fit for you.
However, it is hard to transfer to Middlebury. Last year, their transfer acceptance rate was only around 6% (this was even lower than their first-year acceptance rate, which was more like 10%). We don’t say this to scare you but rather to motivate you if you have been dreaming of transferring to Middlebury. Middlebury is an elite school, and you need to be a great candidate if you want to get into it. This takes work, but luckily, we are here to break it down.
Middlebury’s Requirements
Middlebury asks for all the usual stuff. You can find a complete list here, but they also state:
Applicants who have been or are currently enrolled as full-time degree seeking students at another college or university must apply as transfer students.
The majority of transfer students are admitted as sophomores or first-semester juniors, and preference is given to those students who have completed at least a full year of college work upon entry. The high school record is weighed heavily and candidates must be in good standing at their current college. If your college does not give grades, written faculty appraisals must be submitted.
Choose the Right Classes
Middlebury is looking for transfer applicants with a solid academic plan who will graduate on time. You want to make sure your transcript looks like you are this kind of candidate. The best way to do that is to have a major and already be taking classes toward that major. TL;DR: if you hope to study Poli-Sci, you need to have Poli-Sci courses on your transcript.
You should also think about requirements. Not Middlebury’s. You need to think about your current school’s requirements. Transfer applications can be a bit of a gamble, especially at elite schools. You need to set yourself up at your current college in case your bid isn’t successful. So, if you need to take that writing seminar, just do it.
You want to craft a narrative and backup plan with your transcript. We promise you will have time to take all those cool electives—just maybe not yet.
Get Really Good Grades
This is a big one. Middlebury will look at both your high school and college grades, and they need to be great. While you can’t really control your high school GPA at this point, you need to shoot for a 4.0 in college. Middlebury is very selective, and you need to show them that you can flourish with a college-level course load. This might mean going back to our last point: choose the right classes. If you struggled in physics in your junior year of high school, don’t take physics right now. You want to make sure you take courses that you believe you can do well in.
That being said, college is more challenging than high school. Maybe you crushed your AP Spanish class in your senior year, but now you are struggling in an advanced college Spanish literature course. It happens. Don’t beat yourself up, but make sure to do all you can to turn it around. We highly recommend going to the tutoring center or joining a study group. Most of all, go to office hours. Not only will it likely help your grade, but it will also help you establish a relationship with your professors… which will be helpful when it comes time to ask for letters of rec cough cough. (Middlebury requires at least one!)
Develop Your Niche
Just like how you have to choose the right classes, you need to select the right extracurriculars. Often, first-year students join a bunch of clubs randomly. It is ok to shop around, but that won’t really work here. You need to prioritize a couple of high-commitment, quality extracurricular activities. Some of which need to connect to what you hope to study. For example, if you are studying Poli-Sci, helping run a local high school’s UN, being on the parliamentary debate club, volunteering on a campaign, running for freshman class president and/or doing research for a professor is a great way to show Middlebury that you are passionate about your field of study. TBH, whatever you hope to study, research looks good on your resume. We highly recommend asking your professors if they need assistance or checking in with the undergrad research center.
You want your application to tell a story; extracurriculars are part of that. Make sure they are telling a good one.
Write Good Essays
This comes a little later down the line, and the good news is that Middlebury only asks for one essay. However, it is a little vague.
A personal essay (650 words or less, uploaded below) addressing your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve.
So, this might sound broad, but it really isn’t. It is the most common question for transfer applicants, and there is even a blog breaking down how to respond to these types of questions. However, if you need a quick breakdown:
You will need a couple of things to pull this one off. First, you need to come up with a good reason to transfer. Often, when we ask students why they want to transfer, they say something like, “It is a better school!” That isn’t going to work here. You need a specific reason that connects directly to Middlebury. For example, maybe you are at a large school and are craving a small school community, or maybe Middlebury has a specific academic program not offered by your current school.
This reason needs to be woven through your essay. Ideally, you can connect it to a professional or academic goal that you can speak to in this essay. Think, “I have always wanted to be an Architect, and while my current school doesn’t have an Architectural Studies major, Middlebury’s will help me on my road to becoming a commercial architect.” Pro-tip: you don’t need to bash your current school. This essay should be much more about Middlebury than your current college.
You also need to do your research. The more you know about Middlebury, the easier it will be for you to write about it. You need to mention specific higher-level classes, professors, and academic opportunities that support your reason for transferring. You can also mention on-campus extracurriculars, opportunities, or anything else you may find. But remember, it all needs to connect back to your passions and goals. Your essay needs to convince the reader that Middlebury is the best place for you and they should want you as a student.
Transferring is a tricky process, especially to highly selective schools like Middlebury. It isn’t uncommon to not know where to start, but you need to make a plan and hit the ground running. If you need help, we are here for you!
Contact us today for expert help with all things college admissions.