<p>I mean, I guess you can think the social scenes at Brown and Chicago are similar, when they aren't actually. Chicago and Brown really are not similar at all. Brown is the epitome of laid-back atmosphere with a hippyish vibe. No one would describe Chicago as the same. Maybe students at both schools are a little away from mainstream, but not in the same way.</p>
<p>I don't agree with the idea that a school's admission committee has a good gauge of fit. The same students get into schools over a wide spectrum of personalities and campus cultures. Keep in mind the same students apply to Brown and Chicago also apply to Princeton and Dartmouth - even though personalities at each school are different. </p>
<p>Most of the personality-molding occurs when the student actually sets foot on campus, not through the ad-com.</p>
<p>All three are big schools; it is hard to believe you can go through four years without bumping into a party at Chicago or at any other large urban university. They may not have as many bonfires as they have at Duke. Then again, Brown probably doesn't either.</p>
<p>almost everyone uses recreational drugs? thethoughtprocess, you seem like an intelligent enough person to know how ridiculous that sounds. duke is a great school, you shouldn't feel bad about not getting into brown</p>
<p>dcircle, no worries, the only time as a HS senior I stayed at Brown was after I got in, visiting with kids who went there from my high school. I feel bad about not being able to afford it though, leading me to essentially be rejected.</p>
<p>Obviously not everyone uses recreational drugs all the time, but I was part of a 15-16 person smoking extravaganza in....Mo and Em? Motown and Emworth, I'm pretty sure? I was with mostly sophomores and other admits (I was an HS senior). I don't recall the dorm name exactly though, so if Mo and Em doesn't actually exist please don't think I'm an idiot.</p>