Rani Basnet, '26

Hometown: Queens, New York

High School: Hicksville High School

Major: Intending Neuroscience, Pre-Medicine Track

Main Extracurricular Activities: South Asian Student Association, Women of Color, Pre-Health Society, Middlebury College Orchestra, Volunteer at Porter Medical Center

Why did you choose to attend Middlebury? I wrote my common app essay on the stigma of menstruation and women’s health overall, specifically in South Asian women and one admissions counselor wrote a message telling me how much she appreciated my essay as a fellow South Asian woman and wished me luck in pursuing my passions. I think this was the deciding point in finalizing my decision to attend Middlebury, because after receiving so many impersonal acceptance “congratulations” letters or rejection “we regret to inform you” letters, this personalized message truly touched my heart. 

What’s your favorite course? While I have gotten lucky with all my courses, I will have to say my favorite course has been Chinese. With no prior experience at all, this was no easy task but the way my professors immersed us into the culture and language was so fascinating I couldn’t help but fall in love with the language. If you have the chance to learn a language at Middlebury, I 100% recommend it!!

Any tips for incoming students to help them make the most out of their Middlebury experience? I think the best decision I made when I came to Middlebury was taking advantage of everything offered. This meant going to social events hosted by clubs, going to office hours with professors, and using every resource given to you. This is how I made my closest friends, made connections with my professors, and overall helped further my college and career experience. So I implore all incoming students to not be afraid to attend events alone or go to that informational session because you will be helping yourself in so many ways.