Frequently Asked Questions
Middlebury College aspires to be a model of what a 21st-century liberal arts institution truly should be–a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive learning community. We work to build and maintain an environment that offers broad educational opportunities and operates within a framework of mutual respect.
This page is meant to be a useful "Quick Guide" to resources, policies, and procedures at the Language Schools. Please feel free to contact us at 802.443.5510 if your question is not answered below.
When do I apply for financial aid – after acceptance or while applying?
Because our funds are limited and do run out, it is important that you get your complete financial aid application to us as soon as possible; financial aid decisions will start in January. Apply for financial aid while applying to the Language Schools.
I have a BA degree. Should I be in the graduate program?
Applicants to the graduate program must hold a BA or its equivalent and must have completed coursework equivalent to a major in the target language and be able to demonstrate this level of linguistic proficiency.
The 7- and 9-week programs accept students whose proficiency level in the target language ranges from the "pure-beginner" to the equivalent of fourth-year college.
Do you offer programs for children and/or high school students?
The Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy (MMLA) is a four-week language academy for students in grades 8–12, modeled after the Middlebury Language Schools. We offer programs at four different sites in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, and Spanish. For more information please contact MMLA at 888.216.0135 or visit www.mmla.middlebury.edu.
I'm a returning student / a student who applied to the Schools in the past. What materials do I need to submit in order to reactivate my application?
If you would like to reactivate a previous application, you'll need to start a new online application and provide all of the requested information. A personal statement is required but can be brief.
If you applied within the past two years, your recommendations and transcripts are still valid and do not need to be resent (unless this is deemed necessary by the coordinator). Updated transcripts will, however, be requested if you have completed additional undergraduate- or graduate-level work since you last applied.
If more than two years have passed, you will need to send new recommendations. Contact the coordinator of the School to which you are applying in order to determine if you will need to send new transcripts.
PLEASE NOTE:
If you are a returning Language Schools student or an alumnus of any other Middlebury College program, you are exempt from paying the application fee. Please see the FAQ titled "Who is exempt from paying the application fee?" to see whether you fall under one of the categories listed.
If I am applying to more than one School, do I need to submit separate applications and letters of recommendation?
Yes; you must complete separate applications for all Schools to which you are applying.
Can my spouse live with me while I attend?
No; the Language Schools do not have facilities to accommodate spouses or dependents. Dorms are not set up to accommodate families, and due to the Language Pledge non-language speakers are not allowed to live in the dorms.
What if the person sending a recommendation is in a foreign country? Can I have them e-mail the letter instead of downloading?
Yes; please make certain that it has a signature on it, and that a hard copy follows by surface mail.
I would like to attend, but my home institution doesn’t end before the Language Schools start. May I start the program late? May I leave early?
Only with the express permission of the director of the School to which you are applying, and only in very rare cases.
How many hours of class will I have per day/week?
The Language Schools are a 24/7 immersion program. Classes take place all morning, Monday through Friday, and in some schools for part of the afternoon, as well.
How do I get to campus?
You can find directions here.
I have never studied this language before. Who fills out my recommendation form?
Students who have no prior language study at all should have people familiar with their work habits fill out the recommendation forms. Non-language professors, bosses, supervisors, and coworkers are good options.
For students who have studied a language other than the one for which they are applying, a recommendation from their language professors is a good option.
Will I earn credit for courses? How many credits / semesters of study is one summer of study at the Language Schools equivalent to?
Credit can be earned for courses taken at the Middlebury Language Schools. Students must discuss credit transfer with their home institution to determine whether credits can be transferred. The 8-week session normally grants 4 units of credit (12 semester-hours) and the 6- and 7-week sessions normally grant 3 units (9 semester-hours). A summer language session is equivalent to roughly one academic year of language study. A summer at the graduate level is equivalent to roughly one semester of graduate study.
Have I been accepted?
Once your application is complete (all supplemental materials are in) it will take 4-6 weeks for a decision to be made. We cannot give admission decisions over the phone. Applicants will receive a letter in the mail with the application decision.
Kathryn Davis Scholarship / Kress Scholarship: what extra materials are required and when is the deadline for applying for a fellowship?
Please see this page for details concerning fellowship deadlines at the Language Schools.
May I have a car on campus?
Yes; registration will take place at the arrival center or at Public Safety, in Harnest House. Your coordinator will send you information on vehicle pre-registration.
When will I hear from the Financial Aid Office?
Within several weeks of your acceptance to the School. Financial aid decisions will start in January.
I wasn't awarded any financial aid. Is there any other source of funding/scholarships to close the gap between my award and the cost of the program?
Please see our Web site.
I lost my login and password; where can I access that information?
Please contact the coordinator of your School. Contact info for the coordinator will be at the bottom-left corner of your School's landing page; please select from the list below.
If my proficiency improves between now and the start of the program can I change levels?
The director of the School you are attending will make certain that you are correctly placed once you arrive. Levels are often shifted after arrival.
Is there any way of increasing my financial aid award?
Awards are strictly need-based. Please address questions to the Student Financial Services Office.
Who is exempt from paying the application fee?
- A student providing a letter from their home institution stating that they receive 96-100% financial aid
- Active duty military
- FBI (sent through official channels)
- IIPP and PPIA students
- Middlebury College undergraduate students
- Alumni of all Middlebury College programs
- Monterey Institute of International Studies - current students
- Students with special circumstances, as determined by the Dean's Office
- AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, Teach for America
- Mills College - current students
Has all my paperwork been received?
We need a minimum of two weeks to process your application and supplemental information.You may keep track of this process by accessing your online checklist.
May I leave campus for a few days during the program (to attend a wedding, a family event, or something related to a job)?
Rarely, and only with the express permission of the director of your School.
May I have friends/family who speak the target language visit me during the program?
Yes, if they speak the language you are studying; otherwise, you will be violating the Language Pledge.
When do we have to arrive? When do we have to leave?
Information about arrival and departure dates are included in your acceptance materials, the Language Schools Handbook, and Pre-Arrival materials sent via e-mail in early May. Also, please see arrival materials from your School's coordinator. Please come to the arrival center at Starr-Axinn Hall during the hours indicated.
May I leave campus for a few hours periodically?
Yes.
Do I really have to avoid calling/e-mailing my friends/family/boss in English during the program?
In order to maximize language learning, we ask that you discuss only urgent personal business in English; please do so discreetly (out of earshot of other students) and as quickly as possible.
We know that it's important for students to maintain contact with their families. We can't say how much is necessary for each person, so we ask that you keep non-target-language contacts to the absolute minimum that is acceptable to you.
