<p>Yes, I know this is superficial, but it’s something I want to know before I step on campus.</p>
<p>I go to a public high school, but one in the DC area where most people are relatively well-off. And they dress nicely. I don’t mean runway clothing every day of the week, but you know, well-groomed hair, relatively nice, clean clothes, etc.</p>
<p>When I visited Brown, it seemed to me roughly 50% of the population had no idea what they pulled on in the morning. They sort of just grabbed something and walked out the door, not even noticing that their hair hadn’t been washed for the past couple of days. I don’t mean that in a particularly negative way (even though I know it sounds that way). For one, I don’t spend hours getting dressed in the morning - I just spend five minutes pulling out a top and bottom that match and running a brush through my hair.</p>
<p>And yes, I know, I know, it sounds bad, but it’s a little bothersome to be surrounded by people who aren’t well-groomed. I don’t mean good looking or anything, I just mean well-maintained.</p>
<p>But, maybe I got a skewed view of campus. Anyone care to shed some light on this?</p>
<p>The only places where people are obsessively well groomed is at Southern schools. Think Georgetown or Duke. My year at Georgetown after college scared the living daylights out of me - some people there do more getting dressed than they do thinking.</p>
<p>At colleges where there is not ridiculous (read: unhealthy) social pressure toward perfection, people tend to be pretty relaxed about how they dress, particularly if they’re attending an early class. People just don’t care what other people look like in morning classes - and they shouldn’t. When night and social events come around, though, most people end up very put together - hence the fashion award.</p>
<p>Also, it’s important to remember that what to you looks like a mess might be that person’s carefully-constructed avant-garde outfit. Places like Georgetown aren’t fashionable - they’re monotonous and mainstream.</p>
<p>I don’t think I saw more than 10% of the students at any college I visited wearing anything I’d consider “nice.” It’s just how people dress in college.</p>
<p>whenever i wear sweatpants and a t-shirt, i feel like i’m literally the only female on campus to do so. and when it’s above 60 and i’m not wearing a cute sundress, i’m definitely in the minority.</p>
<p>Poseur, I know you’re not my daughter, and she wears sweats and ratty T-shirts and sweatshirts and ripped shorts all the time. So you’re not the only woman to dress that way at Brown.</p>
:)</p>