<p>We are looking at Salisbury University but do not see much info. about it on CC. Does anyone know if it is a party school?</p>
<p>Every school is a party school if you want to party. It’d probably be impossible to find a college that didn’t have a prominent party culture on campus, but of course you don’t have to go to the parties if you don’t want to.</p>
<p>Yep, it’s known as a party school.</p>
<p>Some of the universities are being known for major partying/drinking and I don’t want my son in that environment. He also wants a conservative, serious study type of atmosphere.</p>
<p>Hi mdcissp, I remember feeling exactly the same way when I was looking at schools for my oldest (now graduated). I was worried about the influence a “party school” might have on him, and was very protective in the beginning but now I realize I was just being unrealistic. Its impossible to keep them from engaging in that behavior if that is what they choose to do and out on their own they will want to experience things. I ended up sending my son and daughter to elite “serious” type schools but found out that sometimes the more rigorous the academics, the harder the students party. Its really at every school so there is no way to avoid it. I let it get to me a lot in the beginning but I had to learn to trust my children and stop “helicoptering” (love that term!). He will be exposed at any school to sometimes heavy partying/drinking culture but you just have to trust him to make the right decisions.</p>
<p>I think some schools have more party/drinking reputation than other schools. Most important thing in my younger son’s case is to find academic and social fit. i.e. a good business school with similar conservative type of kids. I do agree with you that we have to trust our kids and hope they make good decisions.</p>
<p>If your son qualifies, look into the honors program at Salisbury. This might help with an appropriate social circle. </p>
<p>Bottom line is there is drinking and partying at all schools. Each student needs to find a way to get involved with alternate activities. There are plenty available on every campus.</p>
<p>Mdcissp - You are from Maryland? In my part of Maryland, Salisbury is thought of as a party school. Ask parents/counselors in your area.<br>
As was previously said, if they want it, they will find it - even in Middle School.</p>
<p>Mdcissp - I am from Maryland also. Some very nice kids from my area are quite happy at Salisbury, but I do get the impression that most of the social life revolves around drinking. I don’t think it has the studious, conservative atmosphere you are looking for. If you are looking at Maryland schools, have you considered UMBC? That school seems to attract more studious students.</p>
<p>I don’t think there’s a single school in the University System of Maryland that ISN’T a party school. </p>
<p>But, having said that, I believe nearly all of them offer substance-free dorms. Perhaps that’s a way to put studies first and parties last.</p>
<p>^Disagree completely. </p>
<p>While most of the state schools in MD have a large party scene, some are known more than others for being short on other options and/or strong academics to balance it out.</p>
<p>Salisbury does not have a great reputation in MD, as it is generally students with the lower GPAs and unable to get into UMD-College Park that apply there.</p>
<p>UMBC, of all the schools in the MD system, is seen as the most “nerdy” and “studious.” It also has slightly lower admissions criteria than UMDCP, which makes it even more desirable for a student who is looking for that kind of atmosphere (more scholarship money!). Another poster mentioned this and I think that is a great option to consider.</p>
<p>UMCP, as the flagship in the state, has both a large party and “studious” scene. It’s not going to be as much of a bubble as UMBC, but if you take a walk around the Gemstone or Women in Engineering dorm, you’ll understand ;). Additionally, being close to a major city, options besides “partying and drinking” abound, if you choose to seek them out.</p>
<p>Additionally, there are a lot of LAC-type schools in MD that I know people attend and like (who are not partiers), but as far as the atmosphere overall, I’m uncertain. Those would be St. Mary’s College of MD, Goucher, McDaniel College, Stevenson University. Some of these are in rural/suburban areas with not much to do, so it does make me wonder if just my friends are unusually nerdy…but those would come to mind before Salisbury, for me.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>All the people I know who attended those schools report they’re huge party scenes. </p>
<p>I think the main kernel of truth in both of our posts is that both scenes exist at all schools. It’s up the student to find the college lifestyle that suits him. Blanket generalizations from strangers on a discussion forum are a risky basis for ruling a school in or out.</p>
<p>We visited UMBC and thought it was a very nice school for certain majors. In my son’s case, we ruled out UMBC because it does not have a business or accounting major and does not have any college town walking distance of the campus. It just feels like a commuter school which works well for those who live a reasonable drive from campus.
Goucher also does not have a business major. Towson is the best choice in my son’s case, however, need back up schools to apply to. Top priority is reasonably priced, with a business/accounting major available and within walking distance of a town. My other big concern with Salisbury is you need a car which adds to the college expense.</p>
<p>Towson does sound like a better choice for your son. Salisbury is somewhat more selective than Towson, so I wouldn’t consider a back up school. Some other options in the area with a business major are Stevenson, McDaniel and York College. As private schools they have higher tuition, but not as high as many privates.</p>
<p>Do you happen to know anything about the adjacent town to York and Stevenson college?
I am going to look these schools up on the internet. Thank you for the suggestion.</p>
<p>How about Hood college in Frederick? It looks like it’s close to downtown and is reasonably priced for a private school. They also have decent merit $$$. Don’t know about the party scene though.</p>
<p>There’s also the Baltimore consortium. I believe Towson is part of it, and I know UMBC is. They have shuttle buses that run between the campuses so even if he was at Goucher, he could catch a bus to MICA or University of Baltimore and be downtown. </p>
<p>P.S. I can’t believe that UMBC doesn’t have an accounting major. It seems like every school does!</p>
<p>My daughter is also looking for a school with less partying. She’s not so straight laced, but she doesn’t want to live in a dorm where people come crashing in drunk at 3 AM and vomit in the hall. It seems like every school has some of that though, but at least it always tapers off after freshman year. We are looking at Stevenson too, but I think it’s pretty suburban.</p>
<p>What is MICA and the Baltimore Consortium? UMBC has an economics major, but no business/accounting major. U. Maryland business major is at College Park. I’ll check again, but i don’t think Hood has a business/accounting major. Perhaps we should look at U. of Pittsburgh. Did you consider Pitt?</p>
<p>Our neighbors have two kids at Salisbury. One is a senior int’l business, does not party. Moved to a campus apt. soph year. Has done very well academically (3.7) and spent a month in China this summer. Has always been a very good and diligent student, but did not test very well. The other is a freshman and does party. We’ll see how long that one hangs on.</p>
<p>UMBC has some very nice merit $$ deals for folks who are particularly into the sciences (which is the area where UMBC tries to attract good candidates). They are working very hard to reduce their rep as a suitcase college, and the folks we know who attend seldom come home on weekends.</p>
<p>We didn’t consider Pitt because my daughter wants to go to a small school. She’s going into nursing, which Stevenson has (and Salisbury and Towson) but not many others in MD. Pitt has a good program, but it’s too big for her.</p>
<p>In the Baltimore Consortium, you can be an enrolled student at any school, and take classes at the others. I’m not sure of all the nitty gritty details, but remember that you can take one class per semester at a different college. There’s a shuttle that runs north-south along a route that reaches most, but not all, of the schools. We heard about it at MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art) because a different daughter is considering going there, and wanted to still take foreign languages which MICA doesn’t offer. (You can walk to UB from MICA).</p>
<p>As best as I can remember, the consortium schools are: Hopkins, Loyola, Goucher, Towson, UMBC, MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art), UMB (university of Maryland - Baltimore), UB (University of Baltimore), the Peabody (a music conservancy), Notre Dame, Stevenson, McDaniel, Morgan State, Coppin State, Baltimore Hebrew U, and the Community College of Baltimore.</p>
<p>OK, I didn’t really remember all that, I got about half way through the list and then my daughter found an old brochure and rescued me. The brochure is from:</p>
<p>[Baltimore</a> Collegetown](<a href=“http://www.baltimorecollegetown.org%5DBaltimore”>http://www.baltimorecollegetown.org)</p>
<p>Also about UMBC, they were recently in the news because of making it to the finals of the national chess championships. They are perennial favorites in that “sport”.</p>