Every year, the Princeton Review gives one college or university the ranking of Top Party School. Other magazines and groups, like Playboy Magazine and College Party Texts.com, also pick a Top Party School. While there are lots of college rankings out there, this is the one that gets the most press coverage.
But what does it mean to be a Top Party School? Should students and parents factor in this ranking when they make college admissions decisions?
Here's more about the Top Party School ranking and what it really means.
Top Party School Criteria
The Princeton Review actually develops a list of college rankings about all kinds of things, from best cafeteria food to best library to worst housing. While these rankings aren't exactly scientific, the organization does distribute surveys to thousands of college students. These surveys are used to compute Top School rankings. Although students and parents should certainly not use these rankings as their only criteria for choosing a school, these rankings really can provide some valuable clues into what life at a school is really like.
The Top Party School is just one of the many Princeton Review rankings. According to the website, the Top Party designation is determined based on students' reports about alcohol and drug use on campus, hours that students spend (or don't spend) studying, and involvement in fraternities and sororities.
So should the Top Party School ranking be considered accurate? Again, there's nothing scientific about this kind of research. Nonetheless, a ranking on the Top Party list probably does indicate that the school has more than its share of partying.
What Goes on at a Top Party School?
Well, partying, of course. But not just partying. Here's the thing: almost all of the schools on the Top Party School list are huge research institutions, like Penn State and Indiana University and the University of Florida. There's an awful lot going on at these schools – including sports, campus activities, and some great academics.
A student could very well spend four happy years at many of these schools without taking a sip of alcohol, and still participate in plenty of activities and make lots of friends. Or a student could join a fraternity, party some of the time, and also get an outstanding education.
Party Schools: A Wise Choice?
So should party-leery students (and parents) stay away from schools that make the Top Party School list? Maybe, if they really don't be in an environment where many of their peers are partying. And parents who want to limit their kids' exposure to binge drinking and peer pressure might look elsewhere for college.
On the other hand, these schools have plenty else to offer, so it's important to look at the complete picture. It's also important to keep in mind that plenty of partying goes on at schools that aren't on the list, so staying away from these particular schools might not matter all that much.
For students and parents who want to stay away from party schools – and for those who want to party but also want a great education – a good idea is to avoid schools where partying is the only thing that's going on. Schools like this are usually small and regional, and generally don't make the Top Party list. Employers who see this kind of school on a resume may roll their eyes and say, "party school." On the other hand, an employer who sees Penn State on a resume is more likely to say, "great school."
Top Party School rankings are informative, and students and parents should keep these in mind when looking for a school. But it's also important to keep in mind that parties aren't the only activities going on at these colleges and universities, and that plenty of schools that aren't on the list could also be classified as party colleges. It's always important to use rankings like this as a tool for deciding where to go to college – but not the only tool.
Naomi Rockler-Gladen - Instructional designer and freelance writer, Naomi Rockler-Gladen writes some of Suite101's most read work.
