Combining great academics with HUGE school sprit and great parties?

College Search & Selection
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<p>Hey everyone, I'm a junior girl from California with pretty good stats (3.8 UW but hopefully 3.9 - 3.95 by end of junior year; 2200ish projected SAT; decent but not stellar ECs with some leadership, 2 varsity sports), though no really legit hooks or anything out of the ordinary. I go to a TINY (64 in my grade), "elite" private school that throws practically no parties and NO good ones, and even though I think the small environment suits me very well academically, I'm dying to have a more typical college experience (with huge parties, going to football games since my HS doesn't have a team, etc.) to make up for my socially dismal high school one.</p>

<p>I think LACs like Amherst and Swarthmore are perfect for me to academically thrive, but I'm worried that I will "grow out of them" by the end of freshman year and experience the same cliquishness that is stereotypical of high schools. Also, I just love the idea of going to a school like USC or Vanderbilt (both reaches probably?) where students work really hard AND play really hard... I'm pretty interested in joining a sorority but not too many top LACs have Greek programs at all. Am I underestimating the party scene at Williams and Amherst? Actually, I have heard that there's a ton of drinking at Williams but not sure if that far out in the boonies is for me. I'm sure like anything will be better than HS but I'm just dying to spread my wings and HAVE FUN after being suffocated for 4 years. Thanks for your help in advance!</p>

2

<p>Well I admire your refreshing honesty in saying what is important to you.</p>

<p>A school with great academics, school spirit, party scene (but perhaps a reach, and none too small) is Duke.</p>

<p>Or you could go to Bryn Mawr College and just use it as a home base for your partying life at Haverford and UPenn...</p>

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<p>I think Vanderbilt sounds like a good fit for you. While Williams has a big party/drinking scene, and does take sports seriously, D1 sports sounds better for you. Vanderbilt does have a large Greek population, too. For safeties, the large state universities would also be good and you could get into an honors program (Georgia honors is tough to get into, but Alabama, Ole Miss and the Big Ten schools are worth a look).</p>

4

<p>What about UMich?</p>

5

<p>It seems that Dartmouth, Cornell, Colgate, Bucknell, Washington & Lee would fit what you're looking for.</p>

6

<p>UMich, Texas, UVA?</p>

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<p>All of these are good suggestion but I think your stats are strong enough where you can get into better schools than Bucknell and UMich. If you're looking for schools with top-notch academics, lots of school spirit and a great social life, then Duke and Vanderbilt are your answers. I would apply to UVA and USC as well as backups and I think you have a really strong chance of getting into those schools.</p>

<p>Apply Duke ED and Vanderbilt EA. I dunno if u can do that simultaneously.</p>

8

<p>Penn State</p>

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<p>University of Southern California Trojans
University of Michigan Wolverines
University of Wisconsin Badgers
University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Vanderbilt University Commodores
University of Virgina Cavilers
Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions
University of Texas Longhorns</p>

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<p>Penn State University Park, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, University of Illinois, University of Virginia, University of North Carolina, University of Texas, University of Southern California</p>

<p>Country Day pretty much got it, but I disagree about Notre Dame. It really does not have a huge party reputation. It has good school spirit, but my friends up there say the social scene is a little lacking.</p>

11

<p>Wisconsin and Vandy are the two biggest work hard, play hard schools</p>

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<p>UNC-Chapel Hill has great academics, great parties and great sports as well.</p>

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<p>Most of the big ten schools fit the bill, especially UW-Madison and UMich
I don't actually agree with the suggestion of UVA, it has decent school spirit/parties but so many people there are extremely stuck up so I wouldn't consider it a "fun" place.</p>

14

<p>UNC, Michigan, USC, Duke, Vanderbilt</p>

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<p>UMich has some pretty nice honors programs if you like a small classroom setting.
Plus, Ann Arbor = WIN.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the responses! I definitely agree with those that said UMich (I LOVE Ann Arbor, visited there a couple times for family), and am pretty intrigued by the idea of an honors program to get smaller classroom settings in a big university. And yeah, I've thought about Vandy for a while (one of my good friends goes there and absolutely adores it, is pledging and having a great time but has absolutely incredible teachers as well), but I'm worried about the kind of conservative or even politically apathetic edge there. Is Vandy considered a good school for government/polysci programs, and do you think a liberal like me wouldn't be AS accepted there? I've heard that Nashville is quite conservative but that the Vandy campus is pretty liberal—any thoughts?</p>

<p>Thanks again for the great ideas— I'll definitely be looking more into UNC-Chapel Hill (I love writing and heard that their journalism program is one of the best in the country), UMich, Duke (one of my friends got in here ED today and is really excited!), and others mentioned. I'm not too sure about UWisconsin and Ole Miss though, coming from the SF Bay Area I think it'd be a wild step out of my comfort zone albeit very fun!!! :)</p>

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<p>University of Miami is a possibility if you prefer the warm weather.</p>

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<p>join me at Vandy :)</p>

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<p>Ole Miss would be a huge change coming from SF, but UW-Madison probably would not be (except in terms of weather). Madison has a lot in common with Berkeley and SF -- it's very cosmopolitan, politically aware, and quite crunchy-left. But they sure know how to drink beer.</p>

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<p>Among the schools mentioned, my favorites would be U North Carolina and Vanderbilt. I have posted frequently on Vanderbilt and why I feel that it, along with Stanford, Duke and Notre Dame, are the premier colleges in the USA for providing the best combinations of great academics, great social life and great athletic life. For many top students, I think these schools offer the best undergraduate experience in the country. </p>

<p>While Vanderbilt has become far more of a national school and is now statistically on par with several of the non-HYP Ivies, it may surprise one to learn that public U North Carolina may be the more difficult admit. Chapel Hill is only about 18% OOS and the competition is insane. And with the resurgent football team to go along with the always terrific basketball, this is a school that is constantly in the athletic spotlight and will see ever higher numbers of applicants wanting to become Tar Heels. But it is worth the effort as U North Carolina is an absolutely great place to go to college with plenty of terrific, genuinely nice, people who know how to have a good time. </p>

<p>I would second Hanna’s suggestion of U Wisconsin and also the thought that Ole Miss would be a stretch for a San Franciscan. IMO, the only drawbacks to U Wisconsin would be the large size and the really, really lousy weather. But somehow the folks survive and there is great student and alumni spirit there that manifests in a pleasant, non-arrogant, Midwestern fashion. </p>

<p>Ole Miss is “a trip” if you are into the football scene. The Grove is truly one of the premier tailgate scenes in the country and a great time for students, even if you are not into the games per se. But Ole Miss is quintessential Deep South and that can take some getting used to. If you come in with an attitude that says “that’s not how we do it in _____ and/or here's how we do it in <strong><em>,” then I doubt you’ll find happiness. Trust me, the folks in the South love their traditions and don’t really care about what goes on in _</em></strong>. But if you're adaptable, the folks at Ole Miss do know how to throw a party. </p>

<p>Finally, let me suggest U Virginia. IMO, this (along with W&M) is the premier undergraduate public university in the country. Smallish in size at 14k undergrads and with 33% of the students coming from outside of Virginia, it is a unique place with a feel that is much more intimate than its national public peers and much beloved among students and alums. I don’t think I have ever met a UVA grad who didn’t absolutely love Charlottesville and his/her time there. </p>

<p>In addition, there is a longstanding thread on Social Life among top schools. Perhaps some of this will be helpful:</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/348753-ranking-social-life-usnwr-top-20-a.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/348753-ranking-social-life-usnwr-top-20-a.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>