<p>We heard this a number of times in our tours/accepted student day. What’s the real story with this?</p>
<p>The real story is that there is no alcohol permitted in the dorms or at school events (i.e. Greek week was recently held). The vast majority of students in the residences are under age. The real, real story is that there are off campus houses (both frats and rentals) that do have parties with alcohol present. Students who do not drink are not excluded and there does not appear to be a sharp line drawn between greeks and non greeks. Students seem to choose their own path and there are both alcohol free events and those that choose to drink alcohol can usually find others making similar choices.</p>
<p>They are pretty strict if you get caught with alcohol on campus or have an alcohol related incident (getting drunk and pulling the fire alarm, for “real life” example). But as long as you keep it under control, many kids find opportunities off campus for drinking and the RAs look the other way when you come home to the dorm. That being said, I find that, even though my D drinks, her social life doesn’t revolve around it like mine did when I attended a “wet” campus.</p>
<p>Everything Bhmomma said is true. </p>
<p>However, it is a college campus. If you want to drink you’ll find a way. There are 4 liquor stores within immediate walking distance of main campus. Most RA’s have a policy of: if they don’t see it, and they don’t hear it, it’s not there. So as long as you aren’t raging in your dorm room, or wandering the halls belligerently drunk, they’re not going to knock on your door on a Friday night to see whether or not you have open containers of alcohol. If you don’t want to drink – then you simply don’t. </p>
<p>But the vast majority of the drinking does go on off campus, whether at the frat houses nearby or the 18+ clubs in the city – and AU students know which ones are lax with IDs and wristbands. It’s all up to you, but having been on a ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ campus in my college career – I can say that it doesn’t make the experience any different.</p>
<p>As a current AU student I’d say AU could be put best as a closet party school. Regardless of the ‘dry’ campus policy plenty of drinking goes on at American whether it is in the dorms or a few blocks around the corner at the various frat parties, apartment parties, or 18+ night clubs only a metro ride away. Basically if you’re looking for that very traditional alcohol induced haze of a college experience its definitely there for you at AU, especially if you live on the traditionally rowdier south side of campus.</p>
<p>AU is dry in the same way it is Methodist–mostly on paper. The main difference is that, as of yet, I don’t believe there are any penalties for openly practicing Methodism.</p>
<p>My daughter got the impression that at some campuses, it can be very hard to escape from drinking/drugs/people under the influence, even in your own dorm room. Even kids who want to indulge from time to time probably have days/nights they’d rather not be disturbed.</p>
<p>At the student panel on admitted students day at AU, she said the students said that the “dry campus” rules means that it’s easy to find opportunities to party, but also easy to get away from it.</p>
<p>Does that seem accurate?</p>
<p>Speaking from the experience of just one student…my son is in a Greek organization, and he does drink sometimes, when he CHOOSES to, and he does not like to drink to excess…and so he doesn’t. Most of the time he doesn’t drink. He doesn’t feel any pressure to drink or not, no matter where he is or who he is with. He has some friends who drink a lot, and some who don’t drink at all, and of those who do not drink, some will attend parties, and some choose not to…and he is friends with all of the above.</p>
<p>The students at AU tend to be fairly independent individuals and make their own choices for themselves.</p>
<p>Also, I think kids at AU tend to be fairly future-focused, and don’t let anything get in the way of their goals. So, while drinking is there and can be fun, I don’t think it is the holy grail that it is at some schools.</p>
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<p>…or their security clearances.</p>
<p>I really don’t think the “dry” thing has much (or any) impact, other than that you can’t have visible alcohol bottles on campus. People just hide it when they’re on campus or go off campus. I have a few under-aged friends who drink on a regular basis on campus and have never been caught.</p>