<p>The majority of the honors kids I associate myself with from my high school end up at Georgia Tech or UGA, and seeing as how I am not an engineer type person I'm looking into UGA.</p>
<p>I toured a few colleges last week (Mercer, GSU, and Valdosta). I decided that Mercer was too small for my liking, Valdosta was beautiful but I'm not sure if its as academically competitive as I prefer (average ACT of 21), and I didn't really like the location of GSU as it was in a small town away from city life. </p>
<p>I think UGA fits what I want as an academic challenge, but I'm worried I won't fit in because I do not drink.party/smoke. I can also be shy as people tell me I'm unapproachable, but I want to make new friends in college and try to be more outgoing. I also know I do want a decent sized school so that's why UGA has become a top choice.</p>
<p>Do you think I will fit in at UGA and is there a good social scene that doesn't party?</p>
<p>And if you have any other suggestions of a good academic, decent sized, city school in the southeast?</p>
<p>(By the way, if it matters I want to major in biology or psychology and then go to grad school for a masters in Occupational Therapy so that's another reason why I prefer a more prestigious, recognizable college)</p>
<p>There are 34,475 students at UGA. You can’t really sum the entire college down to a single scene; I’m pretty sure you’re not going to be the only person who doesn’t party/smoke. In fact, that’s a common state-school reputation- partying, fratty, etc.- but state schools are huge. If your friends are going there, that’s already a good sign. But it’s large enough for you to find your own niche and get exactly what you want out of the experience; there’s a ton of variety.</p>
<p>And if you’re majoring in something serious like bio/psych with the aim of going to a grad school, you’ll probably find other, more serious people like you who’ll help you find the social scene you want.</p>
<p>1) I would repost this on the UGA thread since it is very school specific.</p>
<p>2) The poster above is right, in such a large school you should be able to find a group of people that shares your interests/values etc. You may need to work at it a bit – ex. get involved in some clubs/activities where you might meet like minded people</p>
<p>3) See if there are any substance free/wellness type of freshman dorms at UGA. My son went into a wellness dorm at his school freshman year and it helped him meet others who weren’t into the party scene.</p>
<p>When you’re in your room, keep your door open. You’ll be amazed at the number of people you’ll meet as they walk by, especially in the first few weeks. UGA has a great many non-drinking students. You’ll find them.</p>