Some of the colleges I’m considering are famous ‘party schools.’ Having a good time wink wink in college is definitely near the top of my priorities. The only issue is when I’m writing my essays, how do I phrase that "I want to go to college for the party life* properly? Using phrases like ‘social scene’ or ‘vibrant student body’ sound cliche and boring among all the applications. Can I be honest and talk about how I want to party, or does that make me sound like a bad student? I’ve gotten lots of differing opinions on this
This is a joke, right? Just in case it isn’t, find other reasons for your essay.
I would strongly suggest not saying that you want to party in your essay.
… why would this be a joke? I’m not alone when it comes to this. I’m pretty annoyed that you think that someone valuing an experience is considered a ‘joke.’ It’s not like I’m not getting an education, I just think that it will be comparable in quality wherever I go.
@chicagocubs so I should talk about the student social scene, strong sense of community as well as academics instead
New poster… Stirring the pot. Say it if you want. Just don’t come back here whining if you don’t get in.
What @intparent said.
Also, I recommend asking how drug availability is on campus. “Is coke easy to find or will I have to get it by mail order?” and such.
Good luck!
I don’t see why you needed to be rude about this… chicagocubs gave a pretty good response, and to the person who was actually nice, I asked a follow-up question. Clearly the point has been made that I shouldn’t even mention the word ‘party,’ and I thank you for that. But there is absolutely no need to degrade me. I just want to learn how I best maximize my chances of getting into the colleges I want.
Yes maybe you should discuss your extracurricular interests and the programs the school offers that you would like to participate in. Talk about academic courses they offer that interest you and maybe potential majors you see fit. It would be a good idea to talk about how you like the strong sense of community and how that is important to you, but stay away from talking about the social scene etc. Although you may like the social scene, they want to hear about why you will be a good student there and how you will participate in their extracurriculars to better yourself and the school. Good luck
I would avoid references to the “party scene” as many schools do not value that distinction. They also most likely have an honor code which you would be violating if drinking while under age.
Yeahhh this is kind of like how you should tell your parents that you want to be part of Greek life for the community and connections and keep the substances/partying to yourself. Maximize your chances of getting into those schools by demonstrating your interest in other ways. No shame in it really. But CC is full of nerds and try hards. I’m one, and if you’re here, there’s a chance you secretly are too 
The best way to give yourself the best shot for admission (and therefore access to the party scene at a given school) is not to mention partying as any kind of priority when applying. Not all “famous party schools” are particularly proud of being known for that. For example, a school in my area has taken a lot of heat lately for the problems students have had with alcohol, and is trying to shed or at least downplay that rep. If you talk about partying in your essay, partying will come across as a priority for you over the many other things the school takes pride in that you could have mentioned. You run the risk that the admissions officer won’t take you seriously if s/he perceives you that way.
Alternatively, you could go ahead and use the essay to let the school know that you plan to fervently avail yourself of its party scene. I guess if a kid can get into Stanford by writing “Black Lives Matter” 100 times for an essay, there’s hope for you to get into a party school by writing about how much you want to party. But if you go that route, come back next year and let us know if that worked for you. I would be interested in knowing.
I think we are beating a dead horse at this point.
The danger of making it clear to colleges that you think the academics will be the same wherever you go (so you may as well choose based on which one has the best party rep) is that they may not agree with you. It’s fine to describe why you think each is a fit for you, but the main point of your essay is to show what you bring to the school. Don’t waste it.
Maybe best to save the money and go to your local community college for now as going to college is a full time job.
Look, if you wanna talk about the “social aspect” of the university, do so. I would talk about the community of the university and how students interact with each other in the university. If you do talk about this, try to also talk about the opportunities the school will give you, if you only talk about how you want to go there to party, they will most likely not like you as a student, I may be wrong though.
Yes, I’d definitely go with honesty. Honesty is the best policy. If partying is a priority for you, then I’d definitely tell them you’re going there to party. :-bd
OP, but it that case, don’t send in the fee along with application - maybe just send it to @sushiritto
My advice is free and it’s worth every penny.
Not only should you let them know that you want to party, be sure to describe IN DETAIL the kind of partying you like to do. Don’t worry about anything illegal…cause you know…it’s college after all! Just be honest. Admissions officers would probably enjoy the novelty of someone including a list of their favorite party games, substances they enjoy consuming and the high priority of these activities in their life. And don’t shy away from talking about the kind of activities you enjoy exchanging with other people at these sorts of gatherings. In detail. Be sure to let them know you’ve listened to all of the party-safety propaganda and don’t need any more information on staying safe or respecting others. Why harsh your buzz? OF COURSE they’re going to want you! Look how awesome you are! They’re lucky to have you, right? Piece of cake, Dude…you’ve got this!