Click here to go to the NEW College Discussion Forum

I find it kind of confusing when a school can make the Top Ten Party School list but also have a fairly high US News academic rating and also have quite a few highly rated departments. Several large state schools seem to fall into this dual ranking category. Is this a case of "work hard, play hard," or what? Should I be concerned if my kid is interested in several of these schools? I don't expect him to live like a monk, but I do want him to take a serious approach to his studies.

By R Storm (Anonrs) on Wednesday, December 26, 2001 - 12:55 am: Edit

There are small schools that fall into this dual category as well. Bottom line, I think it depends upon the individual student. A serious partier will find (or throw) a party any desired day or time -- at ANY school, regardless of reputation. By the same token, an individual CAN CHOOSE to put his studies first and a serious student will choose an appropriate mix of social activities and class / study time.

As far as concern for your own kid -- I guess if I were you, I would not question the school reputation as much as question whether he is an independent person or unduly subject to peer pressure? Can he say "no" when the rest of his crowd is heading out to party but he's got a paper to do? Or does he need to be in a more "studious atmosphere" to knuckle down?

By Dadster on Wednesday, December 26, 2001 - 11:38 am: Edit

I second R Storm's advice, BP. It's all up to the kid - just about every school has studious types and party types, though the mix may vary somewhat. State schools may fall into this "dual" nature because they may have modest admissions standards for in-state students and may get a fair number of kids who don't have well defined academic objectives. State schools often attract kids who find college a convenient and not-too-expensive place to hang out after high school; it often takes 6, 7, or more years for some students to graduate. I heard that a few states may be cracking down on perpetual students taking advantage of cheap in-state costs.

At the same time, many state schools have extensive resources and are major research centers. Hence, one big school can easily combine strong academics and a major party culture.

(I realize I'm generalizing about state schools, which vary tremendously in selectivity and environment.)

BP, I wouldn't worry too much about a college being labeled a "party school" if the academics and other aspects of the school are right. You'll want to have a chat about the potential pitfalls of freshman year and adapting to life away from home, but most kids survive this transition without a problem. Of course, as R Storm suggests, if you have some real concerns about peer influence you could always look for schools with more studious reputations. State universities often offer honors dorms which may feature a somewhat more academic peer group.

By rmcpeak on Wednesday, August 14, 2002 - 07:02 pm: Edit

My husband has heard that St. Norberts University in DePere, WI is a party school. The school has all the other aspects we are looking for including top 3 schools in the midwest by US News. Where would we find more information about this?

By Dadster on Wednesday, August 14, 2002 - 10:12 pm: Edit

Try talking to current students and/or recent grads. If you do an overnight visit, that could definitely be a topic to explore.

By Scott on Tuesday, August 20, 2002 - 04:24 pm: Edit

If a school is a party school, it may mean that a student could have a lot of trouble finding a peaceful and affordable place to live. I know, I just left a major university for just that reason. The PCP smoking party hounds of today are up getting loaded and blasting music until 5:00am. University police often see this as harmlees, and do little to stop it. It's far from harmless when you're the serious student who only gets 2 hours of sleep Thur to Sun because some drug addicted idiots have no life.

By Beth on Friday, October 18, 2002 - 07:54 pm: Edit

I am currently getting a 4.0 at Cornell University: a school which can be classified as both "work hard" and "play hard." And yes--- I do "play." Most students at good schools, however, put school before parties. If your son is going to go to a good school, it is almost guaranteed that he will be surrounded by intelligent and motivated students that will encourage him to excel. If, however, he is going to a school which stresses partying over academics, it will be more difficult for him to do well in his classes- but it is certainly not impossible. A good student can do well anywhere.

By Phishin219 (Phishin219) on Sunday, December 15, 2002 - 02:42 pm: Edit

UW Madison is a quality school regarding academics and no other school in the nation is even near UW for crazy parties. 90,000 people on State St. for Halloween, 15,000 for the Miflin Block Party. From thurs to sunday, one would be able to walk into atleast 50 different houses full of people