<p>As a parent of a child who isn't into the party scene I'd like to know how many
substance-free dorms there are? I was also surprised to see Michigan allows students over 21 to possess alcohol in dorms, given all the interest in college
binging lately. This is one area where Notre Dame surpasses Michigan!...and I'm not trying to start another "which is better'! ;)</p>
<p>People in the know pick substance free because there's a better chance they'll get on central campus as a freshman because most of them are in east and west quads. The rules also state that you can't have alcohol if you're under 21--and your child isn't going to be paired with a Jr/Sr. Smoking isn't allowed in any dorm anymore so thats a non-issue now. The only way kids are going to drink in their room is to break a rule one way or another. Both the substance free and the regular rooms have their rules violated. Kids will be kids regardless.</p>
<p>I have good friends at ND, as well, and that holds for over there too.</p>
<p>Truth be told, I think marks like that are more for the parents than for the kids.</p>
<p>Boysrus, I don't believe there are any whole dorms that are substance-free. Michigan has substance-free rooms - which means that residents of the rooms have pledged to keep that room substance-free. According to the website, 28% of rooms are substance-free. There's no smoking in any dorm. There are very few juniors and seniors, and therefore very few 21-year-olds in the dorms. And since no one under 21 is supposed to have alcohol, legally there shouldn't be much drinking in the dorms. But, of course, there is some. Although, I think a lot of the drinking happens at off-campus parties (frats, apartments). One problem with substance-free housing is that very often the parents choose this option, not the students -- so the kids never bought into the concept. </p>
<p>I'm not that familiar with Notre Dame - but I'd be amazed if drinking weren't a problem on that campus -- just as it is on virtually every campus in America. Most of the serious binge drinking incidents nationally have occured at fraternity parties. I believe I saw a study that showed a strong correlation between the % of students in fraternities and binge drinking.</p>
<p>I'm in the Health Science Scholars Program in Alice Lloyd Hall and everyone within the program (not everyone in Alice Lloyd itself) has to live in a substance-free dorm room</p>