Middlebury Summer Language School?

[ashes75]

Is anyone else applying to Middlebury's Summer Language School? I got accepted to the Arabic school but I'm still waiting to hear back about scholarship money. It costs a little over $9,000 for 9 weeks which is a bit insane and way out of my price range. Just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat.

[HisRoyalHighness]

I'm considering the Middlebury program at Mills.

[ashes75]

Me too. Which language are you looking to study?

[HisRoyalHighness]

French.

But I have to say I'm not jazzed about living on-campus at Mills in Oakland for 1.5 months. I live in San Francisco anyway so the thought of having to share a dorm room in the hot Oakland summer doesn't sound appealing - at all. The Institute de Francais near Cannes is a good alternative - I've heard great things about that program.

[ashes75]

yeah, I could imagine summer in a dorm being a bit miserable but I hear that the campus is pretty, probably won't spend much time in the dorms anyways. I checked the website and they are announcing those scholarships the second week in March. My summer depends on this, I just want to get out of the office.

[ChrisC]

I went to Midd for two summers- one thing to know is that they can keep you hanging about financial aid until the very last minute. Two years ago, I found out in the beginning of JUNE that I got a full scholarship. Since their admissions are rolling, it just depends on who accepts/declines funding at what time. For the future, I recommend applying for financial aid as soon as the forms are available in the end of November!

[ashes75]

I applied for financial aid in December which i thought was pretty early and didn't get any. This might because Middlebury has lost a good deal of its endowment and might be saving money for its regular students. But given your experience I guess that if i dont get the full scholarship this week I can keep hoping. Thanks.

[thehusband]

I went to the Portuguese school at Middlebury in 2007. It works. If you follow the language pledge, study, and participate in the social aspects of the programs, you will learn the language. I applied to the Spanish school this summer, and really hope that I get accepted. I am deciding between Harris and Kennedy, and whereever I go, I want to go to Middlebury again. Vermont is so pretty, and great environment for learning. Another part of the program is that if you are interested in federal jobs, various federal agencies do come to campus to recruit, and you are allow to attend the sessions at the Career Services Centers, and speak English for that portion of the day. At the end of the program, you take an oral test that is an oral proficiency rating that you can put onto your resume as an official skill level. (Not academically speaking, but another great thing, I am a foodie and Middlebury has good, locally farmed sustainable food in their cafeterias for the summer!)

[HisRoyalHighness]

When do they let you know about acceptance? I applied and sent in all my recommendations and took the placement test online and haven't heard a peep from them. Does anyone have feedback on when they found out they were accepted?

[ashes75]

I think every language is different. I applied to the Arabic school in December and was accepted in January. Unfortunately they didn't give me any financial aid and I dont feel like borrowing $10,000 from private loan companies so I dont think im going. The school hasn't always been that responsive to me though. You might want to try emailing the coordinator of your language.

[HisRoyalHighness]

Thanks for letting me know! I just called them and they told me I needed to send in transcripts from undergrad - which surprised me as I thought the only requirement was HS graduation. If I hadn't called I probably never would have known and my application would have languished and then the school would have been filled - dooming my plans for the summer.