The University of Chicago might not have made it onto the list of the nation's "Top 20 Party Schools," but the folks on the stately South Side campus want prospective students to know that they're as hip to the latest jams as No. 4-ranked University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 
 
 This summer the university jumped on the "Call Me Maybe" bandwagon, sending out letters that use portions of the lyrics of the popular Carly Rae Jepsen song to those who inquire about admissions. 
 
 "We're thrilled to hear that you've shown an interest in the University of Chicago," the letter begins. Then it takes on a familiar tone. "I know that we just met you — and this is crazy — but here are our numbers:" 
 
 Viral videos of people lip-syncing the song are popping up everywhere. The U.S. Olympic swimming team made a video mouthing the words. So did the diving team. College sports teams and their mascots have gotten in on the action, as have former Secretary of State Colin Powell and a group of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. 
 
 Lest anyone think that the U. of C. is stepping outside its comfort zone to prove it's not as stodgy as some might think, a university spokesman said, "That kind of wit is in the culture of this place." 
 
 The letter makes it clear that while this might be a school with Nobel Prize winners currently on its faculty, it's also known for some pretty fun stuff, like the annual scavenger hunt and its annual essay prompts devoted entirely to the fourth day of the week — Wednesday. 
 
 The letter ends with the popular question: "So call us, maybe?" 
 
 College Dean John Boyer has said such expressions of wit reflect the university's core values: "a disdain for dogma and conventionality, a compulsion to play with ideas and a high admiration for the arts of self-expression." 
 
 The phones just might be ringing off the hook now. 
 
 dglanton@tribune.com ||||| Published on Mar 1, 2012 
 
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 Music video by Carly Rae Jepsen performing Call Me Maybe. (C) 2011 604 Records Inc. 
 
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– The University of Chicago is better known for its academics than its Top 40 literacy, but this year, it's using a chart-topper to reach out to interested students. A letter to potential applicants reads: "I know that we just met you—and this is crazy—but here are our numbers," referencing Carly Rae Jepsen's unavoidable "Call Me Maybe." The letter then launches into a numerical list of its accolades ("7 Nobel Prize winners," etc.), and closes by asking prospective students to "call us, maybe." Can students expect more such humor if they enroll? "That kind of wit is in the culture of this place," a university rep tells the Chicago Tribune.