Party and Non-Party Schools

<p>Okay, so, I'm a freshman at Wake Forest now, and... well... I hate it. I really don't like Greek life and my idea of fun isn't getting wasted on a Saturday night, but the rest of the school population seems to disagree with me on this. So, I'm looking to transfer to a school where the party scene isn't so big. I understand partying is going to happen at every college and that's fine (it's college, for chrissakes... partying happens), but I'd like to find a find a college that isn't quite so into it.</p>

<p>So, I'm wondering. Of these schools, which have reputations for partying hard and which ones don't? I haven't done a ton of research towards these schools; they're just ones that have been suggested to me.</p>

<p>University of Michigan: Ann Arbor
Boston University
NYU
Northeastern
McGill University
Concordia University
University of British Columbia
University of Delaware
University of Wisconsin: Madison
American University
Pitzer
Claremont-McKenna</p>

<p>In a recent thread someone said that students in urban colleges tend to disperse into the city on the weekends. You may have less of a community feeling that way, but you also might feel that students are doing something other than partying. Also I would guess that schools known as being intense or nerdy academically might be a little less into partying. Carnegie Mellon or Brandeis maybe. U. Chicago.</p>

<p>Wisconsin-Madison has a party-hard reputation; Princeton Review usually ranks it pretty high on its party school list.</p>

<p>Pitzer and Claremont-McKenna are not a party schools, but not boring either.</p>

<p>At northeastern, most students are going to be partying on weekends, but greek life isn’t popular and the social scene doesn’t revolve heavily around big house parties (usually smaller since we live in apartments, or out to the bars). But, it’s a big school (15k undergrad) so you’ll be able to find kids who don’t drink, but they’ll be in the minority. Same goes for BU–big party scene but with so many students there’s bound to be a population who is spending weekends doing other things.</p>

<p>At one point, UW-Madison ranked #1 in partying.</p>

<p>People tell me there is much drinking at U. of Delaware on weekends.</p>

<p>American U. is officially a dry campus. That means alcohol is prohibited on the campus, even if the student is over 21. For people who want to drink, I think most people head to off campus parties. Unlike GWU, it is not near many clubs. These factors may may tend to attract people who are less interested in binge drinking.</p>

<p>Other colleges that have a reputation for attracting serious non-binge drinking students include Swarthmore, Haverford and William and Mary. Villanova has a reputation for being somewhat sedate within the campus - people who want to party travel into Philadelphia.</p>

<p>A Pacific northwest alternative is Willamette University in Salem, OR. A great small LAC with simlar academics to Wake Forest, but with a warm and fuzzy feel. Seriously unpretentious. My son loves it, and so do I. Alot of emphasis on community service, and so forth. A small (and friendly) fraternity scene, but not a major part of things. It’s a wonderful place.</p>

<p>From what I’ve learned about CMC it’s quite a party school…they serve beer in the cafeteria. Check out **************.com for info about partying</p>

<p>Every year Princeton Review publishes a list called “Got milk?” the bottom 20 party schools.</p>

<p>Beyond that, I would think any school with a strong religious connection …</p>

<p>My son went to American and the reputation was that the dorms on one side of the campus were where the parties happened and the dorms on the other side (where he lived) were much more studious. I can confirm at least the half that refers to where he lived was true.</p>

<p>I’d say Michigan and Wisconsin definitely, not sure about the others…glad I didn’t end up applying to wake forest!</p>

<p>They do not serve beer in the cafeteria at Claremont McKenna…</p>

<p>There is partying at CMC, but work comes first. There will of course be a small group of people that parties 5 nights a week, however, I would say on average people party 1-2 nights per week. There are also plenty of people who do little to no partying.</p>

<p>I graduated from The University of Michigan in '83 and although you could certainly find a party, there were students in the library studying every Friday and Saturday night and that was totally normal.</p>

<p>I don’t think Wake Forest has a big reputation for partying, so you might want to stay put and adjust your expectations.</p>

<p>Or, transfer to a very small liberal arts school in the middle of nowhere.</p>

<p>Michigan and Wisconsin both have student populations the size of a city. You’ll find tons of everything at either one, whether it’s parties, people who live in the library, or anything in between. If you’re living in a random dorm, though, expect a lot of partying.</p>

<p>The legal drinking age in Montreal is 18, so for McGill - no.</p>

<p>Here is the list:</p>

<p>Princeton Review 2011 Top Stone-Cold Sober Schools</p>

<ol>
<li>Brigham Young University</li>
<li>Wheaton College (IL)</li>
<li>United States Coast Guard Academy</li>
<li>United States Air Force Academy</li>
<li>Wesleyan College</li>
<li>College of the Ozarks</li>
<li>United States Naval Academy</li>
<li>United States Military Academy at West Point</li>
<li>Calvin College</li>
<li>Thomas Aquinas College</li>
<li>Grove City College</li>
<li>Wellesley College</li>
<li>Mills College</li>
<li>Marywood University</li>
<li>Berea College</li>
<li>California State University Stanislaus</li>
<li>Queens College, The City University of New York</li>
<li>Mount Holyoke College</li>
<li>Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering</li>
<li>Agnes Scott College</li>
</ol>

<p>BIGeastBeast, just curious, but what makes you think so? Literally everyone I’ve talked to about the school has admitted (after I enrolled, of course haha :() that they were surprised I chose the school because the frat/drinking scene is so big. It’s even listed as 8th for the frat scene on Princeton Review.</p>

<p>Don’t get me wrong; I’m not anti-partying or anything. I’d just like to find a school where there’s at least a handful of kids who lean on the more introverted and less wild side.</p>

<p>Wisconsin, Michigan, and BU are total party schools. Michigan has a day called “Hash Bash.” I think that pretty much sums it up. Everyone at McGill will probably drink because you’re in Canada and theres nothing else to do. Plus, the drinking age there is 18.</p>