Student Admissions Options
Middlebury welcomes applications from domestic U.S. students, international students, and transfer students, and offers 100 students a year the opportunity to begin at Middlebury in February rather than September.
Here’s what you need to know about different ways to become a Middlebury student.
Regular Decision
Most students choose to apply by Regular Decision. Applications are due January 3, and we notify students of our decision in late March. Regular Decision applicants can apply to as many colleges as they wish, and they are not obligated to attend Middlebury if admitted.
Early Decision I and II
If Middlebury is your first choice, then applying Early Decision is a good option. Unlike Regular Decision, Early Decision is binding. This means you may not apply for an early decision from another institution and you must sign the Early Decision Commitment Statement. Coalition applicants should send their completed Early Decision Commitment Statement to admissions@middlebury.edu.
You can submit Regular Decision or nonbinding Early Action applications to other institutions, but you must withdraw those applications if you’re admitted Early Decision to Middlebury College.
- Early Decision I applications are due November 3.
- Early Decision II applications are due January 5.
Febs
Middlebury’s February admissions program is one of most well-established midyear enrollment programs in the country. Being a Feb offers you the flexibility to have a gap semester to recharge, reflect, and prepare for college. As a Feb you can spend a gap semester pursuing an interest, working, traveling, visiting with family members, or volunteering.
Febs get their own orientation, first-year seminar, and activities fairs for clubs and organizations. So once on campus, a Feb’s Middlebury experience will be much the same as if they started in September.
Febs enter Middlebury with a cohort of 90–100 students, and the entire College is excited to welcome them to campus. After completing four years, Febs take part in a unique ski-down tradition at the Middlebury Snowbowl to celebrate their graduation.
Febs proudly wear the .5 at the end of their graduation year and join a long tradition of adventurous students who aren’t afraid to do things a bit differently. Let us know on your application if you’re interested in being a Feb.
FAQ for Febs
If I apply as a Feb, am I in a separate application pool?
No. We choose Febs from the same applicant pool as September students. We notify all admitted students at the same time. You can indicate your preferred starting date on your application (September only, February only, or either), but the Admissions Office makes the final decision.
How many Febs arrive each February?
Usually about 100 students.
If I say I want to be a Feb, will it increase my likelihood of being admitted?
No. The Admissions Committee strives for consistency in its assessment standards, and your preference is simply another piece of information for use by the Admissions staff.
When do Febs graduate?
Febs enter in February and graduate four years later in February—in caps and gowns but also on skis, snowboards, or snowshoes at Middlebury’s own ski area, the Snowbowl! The February Celebration is a hallmark of a Middlebury winter. February seniors and their families enjoy a full weekend of festivities on campus and at the Middlebury College Snowbowl. February admission does not imply that students will graduate in three-and-a-half years. Any student (September or Feb) may choose to use AP credits, or other transferable credit, to accelerate their course of study, but that’s not the intention of the Feb admission program.
Can Febs be involved in clubs and organizations their first semester? How do they get into classes?
Febs have a week of orientation before spring semester begins, while the rest of Middlebury is on break after winter term. Febs get their own placement testing, class registration, and activities fair. Middlebury reserves space in spring-semester classes so that Febs are sure to have access to a broad range of course offerings.
Where do Febs live on campus?
First-year Febs are generally housed in doubles with other first-year Febs in our first-year/sophomore residential communities.
Can Febs participate in four years of athletics?
Febs have four full seasons of athletic eligibility. For fall or winter sports, Febs complete their careers in the final fall semester or winter term. For students who play a winter sport, they would play during their final winter and would be allowed to stay on with the team (after the end of winter term and the Feb graduation celebration) to finish the entire season.
What have Febs done with their Febmester?
How recent Febs have spent their Febmester:
- Interning at Outward Bound
- Working on community theater productions
- Interning on Capitol Hill
- Working at a lobbying firm
- Working as a teacher’s assistant at a boarding school in England
- Saving money and volunteering at a youth center
- Traveling in Germany for three weeks
- Working as a landscaper and studying at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
- Working at a small professional theater with the artistic director
- Living with family in Seattle for two months to explore, camp, and hike
- Staying at home in Tibet and volunteering as an interpreter at the village school
- Working as a clerk at a stock brokerage firm and a sales associate at Banana Republic
- Taking a NOLS course in Patagonia