<p>First, I have to laugh. While “hipsters” don’t bug me, I know I’d feel alienated at the outset if I went to a school that emphasized looking good along with everything else. And like OP, I might be inclined to rant on and on about “Daddy’s girls” and such. But I would eventually overcome my fear of the unknown and the unfamiliar. </p>
<p>I know a lot of “hipsters” at Chicago in style, dress, post-ironicness, tastes etc., but I’ve only encountered one student whom I can think of as unpleasant in the “holier than thou” sense, and this kid was not hipster by textbook definition. We had a relatively animated disagreement recently in which he essentially agreed with me in spirit but made a big deal of attempting to undermine me to show off his superior intelligence. This disagreement caught me in a bad way, but I realized later that he was talking about something he’s crazy passionate about, and I think he let his emotions take ahold of him. </p>
<p>Anyway, my point… these labels say a lot more about us than they do about the people we pretend to describe. And I’m guilty,of this, too: I’m not volunteering to room with Ms. Shopping Bags from Gucci anytime soon.</p>
<p>I am not going to point out specific social networks, but I will tell you and your friend that they exist. If we assume that people like people who are like each other, your friend is going to have a bang-up time joining activities that mesh with her interests, even if it’s hanging out with a group of kids from class to work on a problem set.</p>
<p>The Resident Head is a great possible source, as is an RA, as is attending a house event, just to get out a bit. But the best thing your friend can actually do is read the message boards in Cobb and go from there.</p>