<p>Modadunn, Do you/your friends think 50% of St. Olaf male students, and 38% of female students, binge drink? That’s the college average across the US, so if St Olaf students manage to slip under that very high bar, then St Olaf is a low-drinking school compared to other schools. I’m sure there is pregaming at St Olaf, but I would have expected there to be less. On the other hand, Midwestern schools tend to be higher drinking schools.</p>
<p>Cardinal…</p>
<p>I completely agree that Catholic colleges (in general) won’t provide a sober environment - Catholics are party people !!! LOL (this is coming from an Italian Catholic here, now where did I set my wine glass down?)</p>
<p>I was suggesting the Catholic schools as a more controlled dorm enviroment (but not perfectly controlled, I know that. LOL All kids have sex drives!)</p>
<p>Thanks everyone!
It is just scary to accept the reality.
-hypermom</p>
<p>hypermom - if this is any consolation to you at all, many kids in college do not drink, take drugs or are promiscuous.
i had the same concerns with my oldest - she went to a Catholic college (and yes it was known for partying!) but she never drank underage.
She is 26 now and tells me this honestly so, no, I don’t have on blinders.
She found a group of like minded kids, lived in <em>wellness</em> housing and had a terrific college experience. Some kids do fall into the trap but when my kids say half the kids drink then I counter with then half the kids don’t drink.</p>
<p>You know your own daughter. If you think she doesn’t want a drinking environment then it possible to seek that out - even at a <em>party</em> school.
As a parent, investigate the culture. Check on the dorm rules - these vary widely among schools and finally talk to your daughter.</p>
<p>My eldest went to Colgate, know for being quite a party school (you should have seen the torch ceremony at graduation - kids with cans and even kegs of beer marching down the hill with these real TORCHES swinging them around!). But she, like justamom’s daughter, found like-minded friends who enjoyed activities other than big drinking parties and had a blast. She was in a cello group. She was in InterVarsity. She was in several environmental type groups. She kept busy, and avoided most of the things you are concerned about.</p>
<p><em>hugs</em></p>
<p>I’m not a parent; I am an older student who is in school for the second time, but I thought I’d share my experience on the matter.</p>
<p>I went to a state school that had a dry campus, but people still drank. I lived off campus, so I can’t say what the dorms were like, but almost all of my friends lived on campus and drinking was somewhat common in the dorms. Personally, I had my first sip of alcohol at 18, didn’t drink again until I was almost 20, and then was a casual drinker once I turned 21. I might have hung out with an odd crowd, but I was never pressured to drink or do anything else, for that matter. And I hung out with a crowd that enjoyed partying. People would offer me a drink, but it wasn’t a big deal if I said no. Honestly, no one cared if I was drinking or not.</p>
<p>I have a friend whose daughter was in the honors dorm at SMU. She moved out after one semester into a regular dorm. The d wanted more of a social scene.</p>