<p>If there were lloking to go to a school primarily to party, I would be sure they were not going on my dollar.</p>
<p>You don't NEED to help a student look for a party school. Unless you are sending them to one of several very restrictive schools ALL colleges have partying.</p>
<p>I hear about partying just about everywhere. I trust my son to handle it responsibly because he loves to learn and picked an academically rigorous "work hard/play hard" school.</p>
<p>In our case, DD's top three picks just happened to have large Greek populations, not that she will end up going Greek (she's not a big partyer). When it came down to her final choice, she chose the one one that had the largest, most active alumni network. In her way of thinking, big party atmosphere + strong alumni network = better chance for a great job at graduation.</p>
<p>I interpreted the OP's question in a way that might not be correct. I saw it as, if my kid's <em>primary</em> motivation to attend college and choose among the zillions available, was the party scene.... would I help him or her find a great party school. As the primary, maybe even sole, criterion. I would not. Wouldn't encourage that approach in any way.</p>
<p>That's different from a kid wanting a school where he can "work hard, play hard." Or a school where s/he can anticipate a great social life. Or even a school whose reputation is "top party school" if my kid was focused on it for other reasons and not just that. I have nothing against an ASU (my niece goes there), a UW, USC or any other school with a party rep. Hey,my kid went to Tulane.</p>
<p>As others have said, you will find a party and drinking culture or sub-culture at virtually any school, with or without that reputation. You will also find an academically motivated group or sub-group at virtually any school.</p>
<p>So pretty much any school would be open to a kid I was advising (and footing the bill for ;) ). But I wouldn't play the game if my kid said, "Hey... let's find a great party school; that's what I'm looking for." If that's all he said, I'm with the poster above - let him cobble together the $$ to go find parties somewhere where I'm not paying tens of thousands for an education.</p>
<p>As an aside, some of the most successful people I know today, were hard-core partiers/drinkers in college 30 years ago. (Including my own H).</p>
<p>When my kids were applying to colleges, I told them I had two restrictions on where they could apply: no colleges that accepted 100% of applicants (<a href="http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/webex/hiacc_brief.php)%5B/url%5D">http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/webex/hiacc_brief.php)</a>, and no colleges that appeared on a "top ten party schools" list ever (<a href="http://encarta.msn.com/college_article_partyheartyschools/that_party_the_heartiest.html)%5B/url%5D">http://encarta.msn.com/college_article_partyheartyschools/that_party_the_heartiest.html)</a>.</p>
<p>dmd, neither of your links work.</p>
<p>To answer the OP in a word: No.</p>
<p>Extended answer: I would never help my child search for a party school. How stupid is that? As other posters have said, some party schools do have good academic reputation. But those schools, like Duke, really aren't the party schools we're talking about. I like dmd77's method of eliminating all top-10 party schools.</p>
<p>Here's the Princeton Review's list:</p>
<p>1 The University of Texas at Austin<br>
2 Penn State--University Park<br>
3 West Virginia University<br>
4 University of Wisconsin-Madison<br>
5 University of Mississippi<br>
6 Ohio University-Athens<br>
7 University of Massachusetts--Amherst<br>
8 Louisiana State University<br>
9 University of Iowa<br>
10 University of California-Santa Barbara</p>
<p>It would take much convincing for me to let my kid go to one of these schools.</p>
<p>Not that I've never enjoyed a good party, but I would steer my S or D away from a party school if possible. I think you can party and have fun at any school, but it's better for it to be a true choice rather than an environmental imperative.</p>
<p>The crowd you meet at a party school may become your lifelong friends, which means your child is now in a friendship group that drinks or smokes a lot. Many adults just never truly leave those college years behind.</p>
<p>There is always going to be sex, alcohol, and drugs on a college campus. Just how much of it would you want for your S or D?</p>
<p>I think I'll start a thread asking about the partying life at most competitive schools on the admisssions forum to see what people say.</p>
<p>I agree completely, spideygirl. There are plenty of other schools on an academically equal level as the schools I listed, without the partying. A parent should not shelter their kids from what goes on, and there will be parties at any school. But, like spideygirl said, the presence of partying is different at all schools.</p>
<p>I am the biggest proponent on CC for finding a "good fit" school, but I do not believe that a "party school" is a good fit for anyone.</p>
<p>My first post here was "no" to the OP question. And I stick with it. However, this is the first time i have seen the Princeton Review list. </p>
<p>Now I know why I don't put any credence in those PR lists at all. Out west there are several schools that are WAY MORE noted for partying than UCSB..............</p>
<p>Cal State San Diego, Cal state Chico, U of A, ASU, UW............!!!</p>
<p>UCSB is a highly academic university with mulitple Nobel prize winning faculty. Some of the departments are nationally in the top 5 (Marine Biology being one of them). It has rigorous standards for admission (same as UCLA and Berkeley, but not quite as competitive to get in to). UCSB falls under the heading of an excellent university with excellent academics. Greek life is minor. What it has is a gorgeous location on the beach and so it does attract a certain type of student that loves that beach lifestyle. The surrounding community is truely a student-ghetto and so weekends are hugely "festive." Yes, many students party big time there, but I would never discourage my kid from applying to any of the UC's. </p>
<p>Now, if my kid was borderline with motivation, maturity and self control, and was looking for a " party school" I might not encourage UCSB. </p>
<p>But then, if my 18 year old was looking at "party schools" i would probably insist that he/she go to CC for 2 years, grow up a bit and then go away to school. </p>
<p>I have no idea about the rest of those schools listed but it definitely makes me discount the Princeton Review lists once again.</p>
<p>It's interesting to read the resounding "no"s. Of course, almost no parent would say, "I know you want a school where you can drink a lot, meet a lot of boys, hook up all of the time, go to crazy Greek parties, and ace the academics easily. Of course I'll help you find your 'fit'!"</p>
<p>That said, my own parents reinforced the importance of social fit over academic fit several times during my college search (or rather, wishful social fit!). For example, although they repeatedly said I could "get a good education anywhere", they encouraged me to apply to "work hard, play hard" schools like Duke, UVa, and UNC. My own mother pressured me multiple times to consider rushing a sorority. When I expressed more interest in "nerdy" schools, like Wellesley ("You know there's no boys there, right?") or UChic ("Won't you be bored and stressed?"), their noses turned straight up.</p>
<p>I do think if I had been interested in "party schools", my parents would have fully facilitated the search.</p>
<p>
[quote]
My son didn't need any help finding a party school. It happened to be an Ivy!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well I found a party school (w/o any help..) which is better than most of the Ivies!! :p</p>
<p>You wouldn't allow your child to attend UT-Austin, U of Wisconsin, or Penn State? All of those are actually great academic schools if you look at other rankings.</p>
<p>HTI, we're the opposite of your parents: Wellesley and U/Chicago would have been looked on with great favor (and W as in fact D's bridesmaid), whereas Duke would have prompted some twitching of eyebrows. It was her choice all the way. But. Fortunately, higher percentage of Greek life was a negative for her and of her seven applications, only her Safety could be said to be something of a party school.</p>
<p>BusinessGuy, I know what the party scene is like at PSU first hand, and if the other schools are anything like that, my answer to your question is, "Correct." I really don't care what US News has to say, they're not the ones that are going to be paying $30k a year. As I said before, there are literally dozens of other schools of equal academic value where the students don't have to hear "Dude, let's get wasted!" every five seconds. That's just my standpoint.</p>
<p>For example:</p>
<p>George Washington University
New York University
University of Pittsburgh
Villanova University
University of California—San Diego
Georgia Institute of Technology
Tulane University
University of Connecticut
Syracuse University
Pepperdine University
Wake Forest University
Rutgers—New Brunswick
University of California—Irvine
Case Western Reserve University
Yeshiva University
Miami University—Oxford
Boston University
University of California—Davis
College of William and Mary
Brandeis University
University of Washington </p>
<p>And those are just a couple major universities... Not to say that these schools don't have parties, just that parties aren't the major social option at these schools. These are all excellent universities and (ignoring geographics) I would choose just about any one of these over any of the top 10 party schools.</p>
<p>I did go to a party school, although a most competitive one. It is in the middle of nowhere and has a big Greek system. I wanted to go to a certain non-party school Ivy (one at the less prestigious end of the list). Both schools wanted me, but my parents simply would not pay for the Ivy. They thought I was becoming too intellectual and liberal (I wore no make-up, questioned conservative politics, and read big books for pleasure). They bought me preppy clothes and shipped me off to school, where I promptly became an expert in my new environment. I stopped caring about academics (because while there were good students there, I was uninspired by the non-intellectual, group-think atmosphere), acquired a serious boyfriend really quickly, and focused on him while I gathered my miserable GPA by barely opening a book. I looked great, though, and joined the best sorority. My parents were disappointed with my grades. They finally wanted to let me go to that Ivy as a transfer sophomore year, but by then I was too in love to leave and had completely brainwashed myself (so I no longer knew where I belonged). All in all, however, my parents thought their original strategy was a success, as I became a very socially savvy conservative who could be effective in a money making endeavor. I really don't think I agree.</p>
<p>My point here could be that you should let kids follow their hearts, but it isn't. I think party schools are a complete waste of time, and I don't want any student to go to one (and I hope party-people can de-party themselves at a serious school). There are important things going on in the world, and BSing your life away on booze and superficial partying is no way to get an education. Maybe there are different kinds of party schools than the one I attended (and frankly, I had a lot of fun there), but as an adult now I just can't justify that lifestyle (even for a young person).</p>
<p>Moms usually hate me for saying this and get all defensive but...</p>
<p>you've had 18 years to get it right, if you can't trust your kid after 18 years, what have you been doing? Let go of the handlebars and let em peddle the bike by themselves. </p>
<p>Let go a little bit, you might be surprized. You might have done OK as a parent during your parenting years. You might have done well. You'll never know until you let your beast loose on the world.....</p>