<p>Bottomline: I don't drink or smoke. I like to go out have a good time, club, etc, but I don't enjoy being around people who drink/smoke all the time. I have heard it is pretty bad at many of the ivies, and my fear is that the only way to escape this is by going to a religious school.I don't particularly want to go to a religious school(Georgetown is the only exception). Although I don't drink/smoke I am a laid back person (tofu-eating, Birkenstock-owning), and I am very liberal. I am third in my class, and I want to go to a top 40 school. Any good ideas? Thanks SO much!!</p>
<p>Look, there are only a few choices you have if you're going to place limits like that.If you WANT to be surrounded by geeks, nerds, oddballs and people who don't have fun because they don't know how, more power to you.</p>
<p>Look into these schools:</p>
<p>California Institute of Technology (Where fun goes to die)
Bob Jones University (Religious wackos, very strict on girls)
Pensacola Christian College (Religious wackos, very strict on girls, unaccredited)
Brigham Young University (The people here are actually pretty cool. They are the exception to the above.)</p>
<p>I don't sugar-coat what I say very much, so my very blunt suggestion is that 1) you get over yourself and 2) acknowledge the fact that there is a party scene at 99.9% of colleges in the US.</p>
<p>Since my other account's posts are invisible for some reason, here's the response I wrote...</p>
<p>Look, there are only a few choices you have if you're going to place limits like that.If you WANT to be surrounded by geeks, nerds, oddballs and people who don't have fun because they don't know how, more power to you.</p>
<p>Look into these schools:</p>
<p>California Institute of Technology (Where fun goes to die)
Bob Jones University (Religious wackos, very strict on girls)
Pensacola Christian College (Religious wackos, very strict on girls, unaccredited)
Brigham Young University (The people here are actually pretty cool. They are the exception to the above.)</p>
<p>I don't sugar-coat what I say very much, so my very blunt suggestion is that 1) you get over yourself and 2) acknowledge the fact that there is a party scene at 99.9% of colleges in the US.</p>
<p>PS: If you're freaking out about issues like this, you are ANYTHING but laid back...</p>
<p>you could also try UChicago (from what I hear)...</p>
<p>ehhh...there are drugs at every college no matter how hard you try to avoid them. however, im guessing you just want a school that isn't notorious for it...</p>
<p>but so i can help you better... do you want a big or small school? private or public? west coast, east coast, midwest, etc??</p>
<p>MIT, Cornell, Hopkins, Chicago, Rice, Carnegie Mellon</p>
<p>definately not Rice. I would say Cornell, UChicago, or Hopkins.</p>
<p>IF you tell them you are a pastor's kid or something, i'm sure they'll leave you alone.. although that might be lying. (well not in my case) this is how my bro got out of drinking and stuff (or so he says... hmmm) and cornell is known for (like many other colleges) heavy drinking.</p>
<p>Don't get me wrong. I don't mind when other people drink/smoke. They can do what they want. It's just something that isn't a good choice for me because I lost a friend in an accident this year. So, I guess I will "try to get over myself".</p>
<p>I am well aware that all schools party, I just want to go somewhere that isn't focused on parties, you know? I would prefer private, east or west coast (WashU, anywhere in Chicago being exceptions). Size isn't a big concern. Thank you so much for your help!!</p>
<p>I visited WashU and completely loved it. there is a party scene there (as there is a greek presence on campus) but when i visited it did not seem to focused on parties at all. i mean, you could go to the parties, but you don't have to.</p>
<p>uw-madison, ohio university-athens, and lehigh university just to name a few.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I am well aware that all schools party, I just want to go somewhere that isn't focused on parties, you know?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You're going to find parties at pretty much wherever you will go, but nowhere will you be forced to attend. If you want to go somewhere that isn't a party school, I suggest that you make a list of a few schools that you are seriously considering and then try to find out the party scenes there. There are too many party schools / schools not entirely focused on partying to list here.</p>
<p>look at the all womens schools- there tends to be less crazy partying there.</p>
<p>Look at schools with no greek life, this tends to remove a lot of the pressure. Lots of small liberal arts schools have done away with them: Middlebury, Colby and Connecticut College do not have them.</p>
<p>jnesse- conn coll and colby are definitely heavy on the booze. for example, every thursday and saturday at conn, there are kegs in the dorm common rooms. conn has a very open policy with drinking. while there are several options for substance free living, the majority of students work hard and play hard.</p>
<p>go to Lehigh, Providence, Villanova, Notre Dame, or Washington and Lee</p>
<p>Another thought is the specific department within the school. For example, University of Southern CA is rumored to be/have been a party school, BUT the engineering school is more serious (what rank it is depends on what you're looking at & who you speak with). I believe in general this is the case for most engineering schools. Santa Clara U (in CA) is not top 40, but a good school & I don't believe too much partying (at least on-campus since a faculty member lives in each housing complex).<br>
I've heard UPenn has a lot of heavy drinking BUT the engineering school again is more serious & that dorm is quieter & has less drinking as well.</p>
<p>case western?</p>
<p>Ahhh lay off MIT and Caltech guys! MIT is actually quite a party school (yes...MIT) and I believe UChicago is where fun goes to die...not Caltech :P I'm sure Caltech kids can have fun too.</p>
<p>Maybe try looking at Swarthmore College (in PA)?</p>