First-Generation Students

First-generation students are the first in their families to attend a four-year college.
As a first-generation student at Middlebury College, you have the opportunity to join the First-Gen Experience, aimed at supporting your academic, professional, and social success.
The First-Gen Experience
The First-Gen Experience offers resources, support, and events to support the success of First-Gen students. Our programming promotes community and ensures retention to the sophomore year and persistence to graduation.
Annual events and programs include the following:
- First@Midd pre-orientation program
- National First-Generation College Celebration
- First-Gen community events
- First-Gen Graduation Celebration
First-Gen Graduation Celebration
We like to celebrate our graduating class of First-Generation students with an end-of-year dinner and ceremony specifically for them. During the celebration, we honor each individual graduating senior by having them share their personal triumphs. The graduating seniors are also given 1st generation tassel keepsakes, small graduation tokens, and first generation stoles that they can wear at graduation in honor of all that they have accomplished as the first in their families to graduate college.