<p>Just my opinion but you shouldn't base your decision of college on which schools have a low level of drinking and which don't. Most schools when going into the dorms ask you what type of roommate you want and if you want no partying or little you can ask for that and almost all dormitories have a study/quite level that would be great for you.</p>
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And I don't know where you get this Otis thing. Did you have a bad experience with a guy named Otis?
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<p>Try Googling "Otis the Town Drunk".</p>
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I never said all colleges were the same on this regard. I said that of the colleges that the OP is looking at, which are Brown, Cornell, Georgetown, Hopkins, and Princeton, there will not be a significant difference in binge drinking rate.
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<p>Really? I'm not so sure about that. I see some candidates for high binge drinking rates on that list as well as some schools that likely have fairly low binge drinking rates. Try Googling on the term "binge drinking" and the name of a university or college.</p>
<p>Princeton</a> Alumni Weekly: Features Web Exclusives</p>
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At this university, 40% of women have reported being sexually harassed in the alcohol-laden social scene. Many minorities feel alienated by the heavy drinking on campus, and Black Enterprise magazine failed to list this college in the top 50 schools for black students despite the university’s high academic reputation. Binge drinking is a significant problem; 19.5% of students had reported bingeing three times in a two-week period, and 45.8% of students had binged at least once in that time. The most troubling statistic is because of the college’s culture of alcohol abuse, 6% of students say they have thought about transferring to other schools. Is this a university you would encourage your child to attend? </p>
<p>...</p>
<p>University research shows that these rules are largely ignored. Because of others’ drinking, 38% of students have their living space "messed up," 34% have studying interrupted, and 19% of students feel physically unsafe. 12.6% of drinkers say they have damaged property while under the influence. </p>
<p>...</p>
<p>In addition to being physically and emotionally disruptive, alcohol use at Princeton is also divisive. Women and minorities feel especially frustrated with the current system. Many women feel intimidated by the alcohol consumption on the "Street" on Thursday and Saturday nights, but feel there is no social alternative. Many minorities dislike the atmosphere and heavy-drinking at the clubs; while more than half of white Princeton students binge drink, fewer than a third of non-white students binge. Some minorities "feel that the administration, by continuing to distance itself from the eating clubs and their undeniable effect on the campus atmosphere, is in essence turning a blind eye to their precarious situation."
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<p>And this from a school just slightly above the national average for binge drinking. Add another 10% to that figure and see how much a non- or light- drinker enjoys dorm life.</p>
<p>Here's Cornell's data:</p>
<p>Binge drinking:
2003 47.7%
2005 44.9%</p>
<p>Fall 2005: Has other students drinking prevented you from enjoying events (concerts, sports, social
activities, etc.)? Yes 36.1%</p>
<p>Fall 2005: Has other students drinking messed up your physical living space? Yes 32.9%</p>
<p>Fall 2005: Has other students drinking made you feel unsafe? Yes 19.3%</p>
<p>Fall 2005: Has other students drinking interrupted your studying? Yes 40.3%</p>
<p>have you been hurt or injured due to your drinking or drug use in the past year? Yes. 14.1%</p>
<p>How often have you had a memory loss due to your drinking or drug use in the past year? (a blackout) 32% reported an alcohol blackout in the prior year.
Never 67.6
Once 11
Twice 7.8
3-5 times 6.4
6-9 times 2.7
10 or more 4.6</p>
<p>How often have you got nauseated or vomited due to your drinking or drug use in the past year?
Never 48.3
Once 20.2
Twice 14.3
3-5 times 10.9
6-9 times 3.3
10 or more 3.0</p>
<p>Drinking til you puke is not normal adult drinking behavior. More than half of Cornell students drank til they puked in the year prior to the survey.</p>
<p>26% have gotten into a fight or argument due to their drinking or drug use.</p>
<p>OK fine, but are you saying that Cornell and Princeton are that much worse than Hopkins and Georgetown when it comes to alcohol?</p>
<p>I would think so, yes</p>
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OK fine, but are you saying that Cornell and Princeton are that much worse than Hopkins and Georgetown when it comes to alcohol?
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<p>No. I haven't really looked at any of those schools except for a quick google search on a couple of them. Based on everything I know about JHU, I would guess that it has a below average binge drinking rate, but that would have to be confirmed by searching for the data, searching the on-line archives of the college paper, etc.</p>
<p>Georgetown is anybody's guess. Its urban location would tend to predict a lower binge drinking rate, but someone interested in the school should do their own research.</p>
<p>The point is that an applicant who does not want an Animal House drinking scene shouldn't fall for the nonsense that "all colleges are the same when it comes to drinking". All colleges are **not **the same. Just like they are not the same in commitment to varsity football or theater or whatever.</p>
<p>My daughter attends NYU. She was just asked by a friend about the prevalence of drinking on campus and said that kegger parties and such don't really happen there, at least in the dorms. There is too much else to do in NYC!</p>
<p>I can't thank everyone enough for the data and even the arguments of this thread. I had been a bit wary about Cornell's drinking scene due to it's rather isolated location. I've been following your advice, interesteddad, you've been a huge help - I've found some information about JHU and a bit about Georgetown. I probably won't be able to know for sure until I visit schools in August, but thank you everyone who has contributed! Keep the discussion going! :)</p>