<p>My son is filling out his dorm questionnaire for September. The school's website has a "housing tour" where it de-
scribes each dorm or house. Some are designated as "low chem," others "no chem" and some are not designated as either one. Does anyone know what "low chem" means? As opposed to no designation at all? Or should I just ask the school. I have never heard of this before. </p>
<p>I’ve never heard that either. I’m really curious. Maybe it means partying during restricted hours? Please call and let us know!</p>
<p>no drugs/alcohol. I don’t know how “low” would be defined.</p>
<p>My guess would be that they had more people wanting sub-free than one full dorm but not enough for 2 so they will put all the students who wanted sub-free and don’t get it plus “low chem” people in a 2nd building together along with no preference kids so it is almost sub free but not quite.</p>
<p>Tobacco would be the only substance legal for 18 yr olds.</p>
<p>Low chem means a case of beer is OK; a keg is not.</p>
<p>True - but they are interested in the real world on the ground not the world as parents would like it to be. They aren’t advertising the other dorms as sub-full they are just specifying some as sub-free. Nothing illegal about that. The others ones are as well in theory in most states. 
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<p>Based on what I know about the dorms my kids experienced, I would guess “low-chem” are dorms where if rommates are in their suite (or room) without a bunch of friends splitting a six pack and playing video games the RAs don’t bother or report them and are dorms where they quickly break up and report parties.</p>
<p>A school using “low-chem” and “chem-free” to describe dorms has the following descriptions:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.bates.edu/housing/housing/upper-class-room-selection/faqs2/”>http://www.bates.edu/housing/housing/upper-class-room-selection/faqs2/</a></p>
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<p>The implication is that the other dorms are probably raging alcohol-fueled party dorms if kegs are allowed.</p>
<p>That’s what I was thinking too.</p>
<p>My daughter lived in a subfree dorm and they take subfree VERY seriously.
I offered to make dinner for her friends and decided on a clam spaghetti dish that uses a little white wine.
My D had me move the dinner to a different dorm. </p>
<p>It might not be obvious, but there are incoming freshmen who are already attempting recovery from addiction and substance abuse. Chem-free dorms might help them stay sober/clean. </p>
<p>For my D’s school, the options for dorms are smoke-free (by state law anyway) or smoke/substance free. My D has to pick just the smoke free one on the application or she will have a higher chance to be put in a much less popular dorm (in terms of location). The school is very strict on alcohol as the legal drinking age is 21 here. Two girls got kicked out of the orientation this week after partying the first night with alcohol before even registered for classes.</p>
<p>“The implication is that the other dorms are probably raging alcohol-fueled party dorms if kegs are allowed.”</p>
<p>My son lived in Rand his freshman year - he chose it not because it was low chem - but because it was mixed classes. The all freshman dorms are quite the party place and very noisy - espeically one of the all freshman dorm. Bates does not have a strict no alcohol policy. Beer and wine are fine but hard liquor is not. If you do get caught with hard liquor by security all they do is make you throw it out. </p>
<p>There are only two no chem dorms on campus and they both are houses with only about 30 students living in each. One is only for freshman and the other is only for upper classman. </p>
<p>There is also a pub on campus where anyone over 21 can drink. </p>
<p>“The implication is that the other dorms are probably raging alcohol-fueled party dorms if kegs are allowed.”</p>
<p>My son lived in Parker this past year and chose it for the same reasons @emilybee’s son did - primarily because it was a mixed class dorm. It wasn’t a no/low chem dorm I don’t believe. He really liked being able to interact with kids in other classes. </p>
<p>Another mom with a Bates kid who chose a “low chem” dorm. In his case it was strategic. Incoming freshmen are allowed to choose a type of dorm but not a specific dorm. Some of the nicest options open to freshmen were low-chem dorms so he asked to be in low chem housing. Besides, as I told him, it’s the best of both worlds. You can have a beer with your pizza while hanging out with friends in your room but your common room won’t smell like stale beer from a dorm party thrown the weekend before.</p>
<p>And adding, since I see your son will be at Bates, the worst current freshman housing is Smith, which is a large, overcrowded 3-section freshman dorm. Since it’s neither chem free nor low chem your son may be able to avoid it by requesting one of these options.</p>
<p>Bates is currently building new dorms on Campus Ave., set to be completed in time for fall 2016, the idea being that they can then renovate Smith and turn what are currently overcrowded quads into spacious doubles, taking it from among the worst to among the best dorms on campus.</p>
<p>Just want to mention that most of the partying is on the weekends at Bates, according to my S, and they are not in the dorms. Most parties are at the residential houses the college owns. Also, partying is pretty much only a weekend thing - as the workload at Bates is pretty heavy. </p>