<p>How are the parties at Yale? How often (per week) do they occur? And to what degree are they "accepted" by the administration? By partying I'm referring more to a loud music blasting, shotgun a six-pack before seizing control of the beer pong table kinda event than a sit around the dorm with a few friends sipping brews and reminiscing about the 8th grade sorta thing. Of course, both examples are extreme. You get the idea.</p>
<p>I don't know anyone who's ever been disappointed by the party scene... there's always something going on (and i mean always, you just have to look harder/be better connected to find parties Sunday-Tuesday). And there are a lot of different kinds of parties... frat parties for six-packs and shotgunning, suite parties/pregames for mixed drinks, parties sponsored by residential colleges/campus organizations for dancing, ethnic parties or gay/lesbian parties if you're looking for a certain scene. There's a little of everything, which adds up to a lot. </p>
<p>And that's just on campus... there are also a lot of clubs, particularly on chapel st., that are available 7 days a week. And Wednesdays and Saturdays are popular concert/dancing nights at Toads.</p>
<p>If your party isn't out of control (ie not spilling out into the streets) the administration is totally fine with it, honestly. Yale treats its students like adults and they tend to live up to the expectations! My friends from other schools have been impressed by our "party scene."</p>
<p>For those of you reading this who don't like huge parties: just as there are lots of kids at Yale who "party hard," there are also lots who are teetotalers/nonpartiers. There are a million social events on weekends that don't involve "illicit" substances of any kind, so fear not!</p>
<p>The Yale administration has always been much more interested in student safety regarding drinking than punishing students. There are numerous parties every weekend consisting of loud music, lots of people, and a keg (and perhaps hard alcohol to shoot or in a specialty drink) in the suites throughout the residential colleges. There is usually a frat party every weekend and at least once a month there is a residential college's official party (where only those 21+ can drink openly). In February, there's something called Feb Club where there's a party every night of the month. Don't know if it still exists, but there used to be Tuesday Night Club in a suite that guaranteed that if you wanted to party on the least party-going night of the week you had a place to go. Bars are also popular and in my day there was a different bar to go to every night during the school week that was having a special. For instance, if it was Monday and you wanted to go out, you'd go to Richter's where half-yards of beer were half price. </p>
<p>The state of Connecticut decided to go hardcore on underage drinking a couple years ago. There are much stiffer penalties that can attach to not only the people in a suite who are throwing a party but also to their residential college master if the police catch them. I'm assuming that this has forced parties to be more discreet and has also affected that ability of those under 21 to go to bars.</p>
<p>To echo mochamaven, there is plenty to do if you don't drink. You can definitely still have fun on weekends. My group of friends had people who didn't drink but still went to all the parties and bars and it wasn't an issue. No one hassled them at all. I thought the Yale social scene was great because everyone could do what made them happy.</p>