<p>It seems that there is some desire for UChicago students to defend their curriculum. That's upsetting since I don't feel that Brown students (or applicants, it can be difficult to tell on this site in the right thread) attacked UChicago in anyway, simply saying that the original poster's irreverence for Brown, what it stands for, and what it's attempting to do with it's curriculum and what it offers it's student body suggests that maybe this isn't the place for him.</p>
<p>Brown's institutional culture is vastly different than UChicago. It'd be ridiculous to compare the institutions in the way that some people in this thread are attempting to as their goals, beyond the most superficial level, and their respective views on the institution's responsibility to its students are vastly different.</p>
<p>I won't go tit-for-tat or directly argue on this point because it's obvious that the battle lines have been drawn, defenses called out, and bias made apparent. Something I've learned from my experience at Brown and in the world is that when people take on a certain tone it's fairly obvious that they're un-convinciable because they're not looking to have a even-handed conversation that takes an objective, critical view on both arguments. That's fine, there is no reason for Whaltimore to care about our curriculum or our practices-- that's why he/she did not come here, they have no interest in this kind of learning.</p>
<p>His/her dismissal out of hand is a poor example of what UChicago attempts to create and any potential Chicago students should be wary to use him/her as a model. UChicago is a fantastic institution looking to create a class of intellectuals who are able to effectively communicate about the great works, minds, and ideas of various academic disciplines. They seek to create people who are well-versed in the theory of their field, but also people who are the perfect high-class "cocktail party" goer if you will-- they can jump into a conversation at just about any point with a formal academic basis to support them. Often, this is quite successful and creates many students whom have a broad base of knowledge that is powerful and connects them to other UChicago students through a common experience of fighting through this curriculum.</p>
<p>There are definitely some benefits to be had in this kind of learning system and it's sad that Whaltimore is missing out on some of the critical thinking and effective communicating that he/she should be learning. Perhaps it's time to hit the books or to reevaluate whether you're getting what you desire out of your education because from your posts on this board, it would seem you're nothing but a precocious, arrogant 10th grader without any real experience within these systems.</p>
<p>To the original poster, I think that you need to consider what it is you desire from your undergraduate education, what it is about Chicago's environment (beyond this general term of "liberal" vs. "conservative" which is really not as descriptive of culture as one may think) that is not pleasing, and then determine whether Brown can alleviate these concerns and align with this goal better than any other institution. If you find that's the case, then I would encourage you to apply and wish you the best of luck. The transfer process here varies in difficulty based upon yield from the incoming freshman class and various other factors (upperclassman abroad, etc), but generally is not as forgiving a process as one may think. I do believe that it can be harder to get in as a transfer, unless you did poorly in HS and demonstrate significant improvement at your university, in which case, certainly you have a greater chance of success than before.</p>
<p>Best of luck. Whaltimore, this may be an anonymous forum, but that doesn't mean you aren't representative of some group and I suggest that you are more careful, considerate, and objective in your continued postings or you're going to give rather unfair and useless advice to unknowing students.</p>