<p>Wesleyan is regularly compared to Brown; both have long histories of experimental approaches to education; both began their existences as the flagship colleges for expansive protestant denominations (Methodism in the case of Wes; Baptists, in the case of Brown.) Henry M. Wriston, a Wesleyan alum, was arguably one of Brown’s greatest presidents.</p>
<p>I agree with the Chicago/Swarthmore analogy, the appreciation of learning as a way of life is keenly felt at both places.</p>
<p>In answer to the OP’s last question, I think there are plenty of happy middle-of-the roaders at all three places. I think if you scan the many activities that catch the attention of the entirely student-run blog at Wesleyan, the overwhelming majority of them are non-political in nature. Music, especially, seems to be the great unifier: <a href=“Wesleying: Wesleyan’s campus blog | wesleying.org”>Wesleying: Wesleyan’s campus blog | wesleying.org;