<p>I didn’t need a list to tell me which school I really, really, really didn’t want my kid to go to. I had first hand knowledge. None of my friends from my college days wanted their kids to go there, either. </p>
<p>Was I the only person to be deterred from smoking pot due to its illegality?? Seems like it.</p>
<p>I have got one kid going to the University of Southern Maine and another not going at all (“I just can’t see myself in a classroom.”). I will be very happy wherever the third ends up! You sure can’t script your kids’ lives.</p>
<p>CU Boulder does have some good programs and serious students. Many of our local hs grads attend. DD graduated last year. We would have sent DS there too if he were not so set on going far from home. It is a good value for in-state. </p>
<p>Completely bogus list.</p>
<p>As a parent, I didn’t want my kids to go to Boulder or ASU, not because they are bad academically (I don’t think they are), but because I was worried my kids might not be mature enough to avoid the lure of heavy pot smoking and/or partying which seem to be prevalent at those colleges (at least by reputation), thus side-tracking them from focussing more on their studies. Particularly because we would be full-pay OOS, I wanted to be sure the educational goal got accomplished.</p>
<p>I’d trust my kids at any school to balance. But then, they all knew that if they didn’t “perform” academically the party was over. They fear the mom. </p>
<p>Boulder is a wonderful school. I graduated in 3.5 years. I was in a sorority and our house GPA was something like 3.4 (including 5 engineers). Colorado claims a very high number of astronauts as graduates and the engineering school is fabulous. I certainly knew people who didn’t smoke pot or drink, so it’s an option. Just as many people are into health food, hiking, skiing, climbing as pot and partying.</p>
<p>I’d send my kids there in a minute if we were still residents, but it is expensive, both for in-state and OOS. Colorado has low tax rates and doesn’t fund its schools very well, so tuition is high. But worth it!</p>
<p>I moved my D into dorms in Rider University, Westminster Choir College and SUNY Fredonia for summer programs (onto pretty much deserted campuses) and moving into NYU during freshman move in day was by far the easiest move in. We were able to park directly in front of the dorm (NYC police department clears the street) and had access to large laundry bins to unload. Seriously well organized and convenient with elevators to use instead of hauling things up flights of steps and air conditioning to cool us down.</p>
<p>“I was worried my kids might not be mature enough to avoid the lure of heavy pot smoking and/or partying which seem to be prevalent at those colleges” - It’s a risk. But …I think it’s a risk almost everywhere. </p>
<p>Highest STD rate made me laugh.</p>
<p>Ugh some of the pics in the article depressed me. As a family that will qualify for no aid whatsoever, I will try to avoid any college no matter how prestigious that has a “party school” reputation. If I have to pay $60,000 plus for 4 years for each of my children, I would hope they would take the journey seriously. None of my kids have been big partiers in high school and it would be nice to keep it that way. If they want to party let them take a gap year and get it out of their system. They can start college when they are ready to take it seriously. </p>
<p>I was surprised that Alabama was on the list as well as I always think of it as a pretty decent school. For those that felt the list was “drivel”, what schools would you put on such a list? </p>
<p>Harvestmoon, all schools have parties to some degree…unless you are looking at Bob Jones, BYU or the like.</p>
<p>I can’t believe the school with the rumoured " blotter acid pinatas", didn’t make the list.
How quickly they forget.
<:-P </p>
<p>I just can’t trust the advice of someone who refers to the University of Hawaii as a “topical paradise” and “much longer away if you live on the east coast.” 
</p>
<p>
Rules are just rules. Personally, I decide which rules I want to follow based on the factors at play. </p>
<p>If this list was created based on various stats, then I think that just goes to show that the “stats” must be very carefully and intelligently interpreting. For example, that STD stat is mystifying. How did that data even get collected? As a Catholic school, DePaul U, perhaps, doesn’t have candyjars filled of condoms sitting around the campus and STD-prevention training as student events, like so many other schools do. Uh oh. </p>
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<p>At a typical research university, faculty tend to be more interested in students at higher levels. I.e. they often have the most interest in graduate students (who are working on research projects they are leading), then upper division undergraduates (who are at least expressing interest in their subject by taking more advanced courses in it and may also be candidates for research work), then lower division undergraduates (who are often taking the course just to fulfill a requirement rather than a strong interest in the subject).</p>
<p>So perhaps it would not be surprising that your son found the faculty more interested in him as a graduate student than as an undergraduate.</p>
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<p>If drinking and binge drinking are proxies for excessive partying, you may want to read <a href=“http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/niaaacollegematerials/panel01/highrisk_05.aspx”>http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/niaaacollegematerials/panel01/highrisk_05.aspx</a></p>
<p>College characteristics associated with higher drinking:</p>
<ul>
<li>Not a historically black school.</li>
<li>Coed (versus women’s) school.</li>
<li>Fraternities and sororities.</li>
<li>Importance of athletics.</li>
<li>Four year (versus two year) schools.</li>
<li>Not in a substance free residence hall or campus.</li>
<li>Not a commuter school.</li>
<li>Small school.</li>
<li>Rural school.</li>
<li>Northeast or north central location.</li>
</ul>
<p>Screening out colleges with these characteristics associated with higher drinking would screen out many of the colleges considered desirable by many on these forums.</p>
<p>No doubt that there is some degree of partying at every college. I mean you have thousands of teenagers in one place and yes, I would like my children to have some fun and enjoy their 4 years. But my point is that there are certain schools where partying seems to drive the whole culture. There are many terrific schools where there is a clearer balance. </p>
<p>When I look at the list that my own child and her college counselor pulled together, there is only one school that gives me pause. And it is a VERY good school with a very low acceptance rate. But it has had more than its fare share of bad headlines mostly because of frats and the whole “lax bro” culture. My children are all varsity athletes but right now don’t really seem to gravitate towards excessive partying. We’ll visit the school but I have to be honest, I am not sure that I will be 100% on board if that is this child’s ultimate choice.</p>
<p>Wow, Florida’s capital city, Tallahassee, has two schools on list, FSU and FAMU. Throw in 160 state legislators away from home in town for legislative session being wined and dined by lobbyists, combine them with partying students and you’ve got the party capital of America.</p>