<p>Thank you, Karl Marks! That is exactly what I was thinking.</p>
<p>And i just want to repeat what i said about vanderbilt. If you just want to impress someone with a name, Vanderbilt looks better on paper than a state flagship and it's a good distance away from you (well, i think so. maybe you don't). They used to be in the top 20 for party schools by Princeton review and are still ranked 18th for academics in USNews.</p>
<p>In the long run, mastering social skills gets you wayyyyy farther than good grades. Having a good social life is essential for improving social skills. Therefore, having a good social life is more important than academics. Of course it's best to have both, and that is what the OP seems to be looking for.</p>
<p>Wisconsin. </p>
<p>It's ranked by Playboy as the number one party school in the country. But your parents will also like it because it's also one of the top state schools in the country for academics.</p>
<p>Also, in response to qwilde, UNLV is not a party school in the traditional sense. </p>
<p>It's mostly a commuter school, so you won't find a great sense of "dorm life". And from what I've heard from friends, the parties suck. </p>
<p>UNLV appeals to a lot of college students because, well, it's in Vegas. The school itself isn't huge on parties, because the strip IS the party scene (in fact, the biggest party scene in the world). But only if you're over 21. If you're younger...good luck finding something.</p>
<p>That said, even if you are too young to get into the nightclubs, Vegas is still a pretty fun place. Just don't expect great parties at UNLV.</p>
<p>Clendeneator you still haven't answered any of my questions about college partying. Just proves your arguing an indefensible position.</p>
<p>Hmm...I'm not really sure why you want a party school so badly. There are plenty of great schools where you can just have a good time without partying non-stop. You can enjoy your college years and get a great education at many schools - I would focus on the characteristics that you are looking for in a school and its class. If you find the right people you'll be fine.</p>
<p>all universities have parties...it would be hard to find a school without at least some decent social life. </p>
<p>so look for one with your interested academics and enjoy the ride.</p>
<p>Emory... I'd say its the best academic/ social scene package in the top 20. It has great Greek life and Atlanta has all the bars/ clubs you'd ever want.</p>
<p>MK, i wasn't going to answer your questions because i thought they were a little silly. I don't understand how people who are for some reason opposed to drinking think that everyone who does drink wants to drive drunk or wants to drink so much that they die. The number of people in that latter group is actually very small, and drinking does not equal drinking and driving, unless if someone is dumb enough to do so. And if you really think you're going to change anybody's opinion on drinking with your regurgitated holy argument, keep in mind that the vast majority of high schoolers are looking for a school that has a good party scene.</p>
<p>Anywhere you go you can usually find a group of people to party with. I go to MIT and you can find people to drink with almost any night, a frat or floor party to attend any weekend, or an apartment party if you know people with their own place. Seriously almost anywhere will have a place to party if you look hard enough (or travel down the street to another university).</p>
<p>MK, you're taking up an unreasonable position unless you're some sort of neo-prohibitionist, running with the folks at MADD and others of their ilk (which I'd call an indefensible position). To argue that no one should party simply because others might get hurt is ridiculous. I'd like to seem some stats from you that show that college students are more likely to be involved in an accident than older individuals who drink with the same intensity and frequency. Most universities have hosts of programs designed to help manage the risk of drinking from free cab rides to sober driver programs sponsored by the fraternities and sororities, to alcohol education and alternative programming.</p>
<p>I'm not saying that students shouldn't be more careful and should perhaps take everything down a notch or ten, just saying that your argument that simply because someone is hurt by partying means that "sane" people should never party is ridiculous. If youre going to say that simply because one's action might cause harm to others, then there is a whole list of things that we might as well start outlawing: cars, cholesterol, guns, pesticides, noise pollution, light pollution...hell, oxygen in high enough concentrations is toxic, and so is water.</p>
<p>And sfgiants is right on - it's called social capital. There are plenty of studies out there that show it's one of the best predictors of future earnings. I posted a study a while ago that showed that those who drink in bars have higher incomes b/c they have greater social capital.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt, University of Southern California, UNC, Boston College</p>
<p>Bigredmed please link me to these studies! Also, do the studies include hobos and the like who are so poor from their alcohol addiction that they are rarely allowed in bars anymore ??? </p>
<p>Social skills I understand, but you honestly don't need to get wasted at parties in college to develop social skills.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your responses!
I was glad to see that a few of you said Vanderbilt since that is one of the schools I was looking at anyway and had no idea they had a good party scene!</p>
<p>MK- sorry if you think I'm throwing my life away or planning to kill myself from alcohol poisoning, but I'm really just looking to have some fun after the stress of highschool and before the stress of grad school</p>
<p>Oh and for those who asked about my gpa and sat.. I have a 3.9 unweighted and a 4.8 weighted.. 34 on the ACT and 2280 on the SAT.
So not ivy level but probably good enough for teir II</p>
<p>If that's not "Ivy Level," I don't know what is.</p>
<p>And TheMK99, how many of those hobos had a 4.8 weighted GPA and a 2280 on the SAT?/How many of them became "hobos" because they had fun at parties. I'm betting almost none of them.</p>
<p>Sarebeth is clearly a committed student who enjoys unwinding now and then, I doubt she is going to end up on the street because of that. Perhaps you too should try unwinding sometime.</p>
<p>um are you a senior because if you are you're kind of screwed</p>
<p>I think its ridiculous to think people can't party and be intellectual and successful at the same time. My most social friends in many ways are actually the most successful. I had a blast in college, did well, and managed to have both a great social and great academic experience.</p>
<p>Anyway, I too wanted a great and fun college experience. These are the schools I feel have the best social scenes:</p>
<p>Ivies: Dartmouth, Penn, Brown, and Princeton. The other Ivies are so-so socially
Other top 25 schools with great social scenes: UNC, UVA, Michigan, and a few others</p>
<p>haha thanks just_browsing</p>
<p>and ajr62807, nope I'm just a junior who's thinking ahead and beginning the whole process</p>
<p>sarabeth your stats are in fact ivy level, so do not hesitate to apply to at least Brown or Cornell, as you have a good shot at both of those schools.</p>
<p>And Brown is pretty big on having a good time. I always think of it this way: would you rather party with a bunch of dumb kids or a bunch of kids who are intelligent and focused on the future. I think you'd get the latter at Brown and still have an amazing time.</p>