<p>So I’ve been looking at colleges and Brown seems to be a good match for what I want academically. However, I’ve been reading about some of the stereotypical Brown students and I feel like I would be really out of place. I know Brown is supposed to be really liberal and “hippyish” but I’m not.
Basically, I’m a white, Southern, conservative, Southern Baptist who listens to country music. I feel like I would really fit in best at a school like Washington and Lee.
Would I be completely out of place at Brown?</p>
<p>I wouldn’t call Brown “hippyish,” but the school does have a reputation for being politically liberal. However, like all universities you can find people of all stripes and political persuasions at Brown. You will get a better sense of this diversity on a campus visit. Be sure to notice not just the differences between yourself and the stereotypical student, but shared values, say community service for example.</p>
<p>You might find that another school would be a better fit, but as long as you are accepting of others with different outlooks and are willing to step outside your comfort zone, you will not be completely out of place.</p>
<p>I guess part of the answer is whether you want to go to a school where most of the people are a lot like you, or where some are and some /many are not, in a wide variety of different ways. Brown is pretty tolerant, and those who don’t agree with your politics, music etc will still like to engage you in interesting discussions etc. College is about growth. My student has close friends who are very religious, very conservative, etc (while student is not, and these differences are not necessarily in the same person) and finds that to be one of the good things about going away to a college which is more heterogeneous (actually than the more conservative schools around us, which is part of why our student did not stay here in the south.)</p>