Hello! I am currently a sophomore in high school who is seriously starting to look at colleges. I am hoping to get out of the state and explore new horizons, but I get free tuition at SMU due to connections, so my parents want me to take a serious look. I am looking for challenging academics, specifically Journalism/English and Economics. I would like to have travel abroad and internship opportunities. I have a good personality (lots of sarcasm and wit), but just as a warning, I don’t have the best of looks. I’m a hardcore liberal and an agnostic. I am not lesbian, bisexual, etc., but I do hope to be involved in the LGBTQ community as an alliance. I am not a huge party-goer (I would rather be reading with a hot mug of tea 
), and I would rather drink cyanide than join a sorority. I am a bit concerned because I have heard SMU is somewhat of a party school. Do you think I would fit in there.
Also, for those of you that can answer, how does SMU compare to NYU (my other very serious consideration). I have yet to visit SMU’s campus, but I visited NYU a couple of weeks ago and absolutely fell in love. Which do you think (based on what I’m looking for in terms of academics, community, etc.) would be a better fit for me?
Thank you!