Hi,
I was recently admitted to both Macalester and St. Olaf, and they both seem like colleges I would love to go to – so I’m trying to find some distinguishing factors to help me choose. I haven’t visited them yet, I plan to in a couple weeks, but on paper they both seem really good. However I was talking to a current St. Olaf student (St. Olaf is currently my top choice) and when I mentioned Macalester he said he has several friends there who have told him that the party scene there is quite prominent. Is it a party school? Or is that an exaggeration - and if so how much of an exaggeration is it?
I know a kid at St Olaf who was taken to the hospital after overdrinking. My kids’ HS feeds both schools. Both have a party scene if you want it, and non-partiers if you don’t. I wouldn’t make it a big factor in your decision, they are pretty comparable in that regard.
Put thousands young people together and you’ll find parties. The great thing is that neither Stolaf nor Macalester promote that and both offer plenty of alternatives for the many, many kids who don’t like to drink.
All colleges are party schools. Some colleges are more into it than others, but most likely, you’ll probably find something to keep you occupied on a Friday and Saturday night.
I know kids at both schools. Both have great programs and academics,so hard to go wrong. But as someone else said, they have different feels, so glad you can visit. Macalester is more urban and easy to get off-campus to events, museums, etc in the Twin Cites. For some that is a positive and some a negative. Just depends what you are looking for.
Although some say that all schools are party schools, I have not found that to be true. You can find a party at any school if you want one, but sometimes the opposite is not true - at real party schools, it is hard to avoid parties, even if you want to, if you live off campus. My youngest wants to make sure he avoids the latter. That said, I don’t think either Mac nor St Olaf is a big party school.
When I hear “party school” I think of a school where parties are large, numerous, wild, and often the only, or nearly the only, option for socializing with other students in the evenings. Mac is absolutely not a party school by that definition. I think the complete absence of Greek life has a lot to do with this as well. My daughter is not a partier and his tried out a couple of parties but so far they are just not her thing. Instead, She hangs out with friends in smaller groups both on an off-campus, sometimes watching movies, or playing games, or going out to movies, concerts, or 18+ dance clubs in the Twin Cities. She participates in a few student-organized activities that keep her busy some nights as well.
So sure, If someone coming to Mac wants to party they certainly can, but if they don’t there are tons of other things they can do and plenty of people to do them with.
good to know one of them isn’t like “much worse” than the other or something