Prospective Students Flood Campus

Author: Malika Rao

April brings more than just college basketball and frustratingly determined snow flurries - it is the month in which several hundred prospective students flood the classrooms and walkways of Middlebury College. This year, yielding a slightly smaller accepted pool than last year, will be no different.
Scheduled for April 14 and April 21, the prospective weekends will include all of the familiar fare: Otter Nonsense, a cappella, open classes and guided tours. Approximately 60 Middlebury students each weekend, 120 in all, have volunteered to host students on Sunday night. Kathy Lindsey, associate director of admissions, expects the number of prospective students and parents this year to be comparable to last year's total of 918.
This year's admissions pool exceeded last year's by 166 - 5,463 in 2003 compared to 5,297 in 2002 - but resulted in an admitted class smaller by 186 students (1,467 in 2003 compared to 1,653 in 2002). The breakdown of admitted September students and February students for this year is 1,296 and 198. However, despite the increase in selectivity this year, the number of early decision applicants admitted for both September and February admission, 292, is greater than last year's 254.
Based on past years, Lindsey expects a yield of about 50 percent, landing the projected size for the class of 2007 at around 560 in the fall. She considers the Campus Preview turnout itself a somewhat accurate sketch of the incoming class, as the relative inaccessibility of Middlebury weeds out completely uninterested students. From last year's two weekends, 65 percent and 69 percent respectively, of visiting students actually joined the class of 2006.
Students are informed of Preview weekends at the time of admission. Because of online registration, they have several weeks to decide whether or not to visit. A show on Sunday night offers entertainment in Kenyon Arena, which host students are encouraged to attend with their prospectives. As both hosts and visitors are busy with class on Monday, Sunday night is the basic extent of hosting responsibilities.
Departments compile lists of class times and locations for prospective students to consider attending on Monday. Generally, two-thirds of prospective students visit with their parents. They are encouraged to split up, allowing them to sit in on a maximum of six classes total. Students and parents are given separate talks later in the day and prospective February students attend a forum with current Middlebury February students. President John McCardell's speech at 11:15 a.m. in Mead Chapel is open to all visitors, as is the talk on liberal arts education in Dana Auditorium featuring a panel of Middlebury professors.
While the Campus Preview brochure's extensive warning to students to "be prepared for a (possibly) cool or rainy spring day" covers many bases, Lindsey fears that some may be surprised by snow. However, she recalls that last year's most successful weekend yield-wise was the second one, which featured a freak snowstorm with the "sun finally coming out by the end of the day." If we are luckier this year with 40-plus degree weather, prospective students might be treated to the sight of ecstatic sun-bathers and half-naked Frisbee players frolicking on the campus greens.