Party school
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Party school" is a term used to describe a college or university (usually in the United States) that has a reputation for heavy alcohol and drug use or a general culture of licentiousness. The best-known[1] list of alleged party schools is published annually by The Princeton Review. The magazine Playboy also releases a list of party schools on an irregular basis. Many schools bristle at the party school label, and the lists have been condemned by groups such as the American Medical Association for promoting dangerous behavior.
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[edit] The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review bases its "Top Twenty Party Schools" list on "a combination of survey questions concerning the use of alcohol and drugs, hours of study each day, and the popularity of the Greek system".[2] The 2007 rankings were contained in The Princeton Review's book The Best 366 Colleges and were based on responses from 120,000 students at those 366 schools. Topping the 2007 list was West Virginia University, followed by the University of Mississippi, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Florida and the University of Georgia.[3] Robert Franek, who edited the most recent book, noted that despite the schools' reputations, each was "a best when it comes to academics".[4]
The Best 366 Colleges also contains a list of "Stone Cold Sober" schools, led by Brigham Young University, Wheaton College, and Thomas Aquinas College.[4]
[edit] Playboy
The magazine Playboy has published a list of party schools three times: in 1987, 2002, and 2006. The 1987 list included forty schools, with sixteen honorable mentions; California State University, Chico ranked first, a distinction that, according to the magazine, some students considered a burden.[5] In 2002, the list featured twenty-five schools and ten honorable mentions and was topped by Arizona State University.[6] The University of Wisconsin-Madison placed first among ten schools in the most recent list, which was based on discussions with students and professors at 250 college campuses. Wisconsin was followed by the University of California, Santa Barbara, Arizona State University, and Indiana University Bloomington.[7]
It is widely believed that Playboy released additional lists of party schools in the past, but this claim has been debunked by Snopes.com.[6] Playboy did describe the University of Wisconsin as "the party school" in a September 1968 issue, and deemed the University of California, Los Angeles "tops in campus action" in 1976. However, the magazine did not actually rank schools until January 1987.[8]
[edit] Criticism of party school lists
In 2003, the American Medical Association requested that the Princeton Review remove the party school rankings from its college guides. Dr. Richard Yost, director of the AMA's Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, said, "The Princeton Review should be ashamed to publish something for students and parents that fuels the false notion that alcohol is central to the college experience and that ignores the dangerous consequences of high-risk drinking. College binge drinking is a major public health issue and a source of numerous problems for institutions of higher living."[9] The accuracy of The Princeton Review's rankings has also been questioned, especially with regards to the larger schools. Experts argue that the sample size of students surveyed at each college (three hundred students, on average) is not enough to provide a truthful depiction of student behavior. "It's positively unscientific," said Dr. Henry Weschler of the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Studies Program.[9]
Administrators, professors, and many students at so-called "party schools" have tried to disassociate themselves from the rankings. For example, West Virginia University president Michael Garrison refused to give interviews about his school's appearance in the 2007 Princeton Review list. "I've talked to thousands of our students over the weekend and during the first days of classes. Their concerns are with their education, with their futures, and with the great year we have ahead at WVU," he said in a prepared statement.[10]
[edit] Rankings
The following table shows a comparison between the top 10 colleges in the 2006 Playboy ranking and that of the 2007 Princeton Review.[2][11]
| # | Playboy | Princeton Review |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Wisconsin | West Virginia University |
| 2 | UC Santa Barbara | University of Mississippi |
| 3 | Arizona State | University of Texas |
| 4 | Indiana University | University of Florida |
| 5 | San Diego State | University of Georgia |
| 6 | Florida State | Penn State University |
| 7 | Ohio University | University of New Hampshire |
| 8 | University of Georgia | Indiana University |
| 9 | University of Tennessee | Ohio University |
| 10 | McGill University | University of California, Santa Barbara |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Laurie Rozakis. The Complete Idiot's Guide to College Survival. Alpha Books, 2001. 211.
- ^ a b Ten Schools That Party the Heartiest. Encarta.com. Retrieved on April 12, 2008.
- ^ Vicki Smith. "Mountaineers claim party title". The Commercial Appeal. August 21, 2007. A3.
- ^ a b "Lehigh drops off list of party schools". The Morning Call. August 21, 2007. A1.
- ^ Alison Prato. "Playboy's Top Ten Party Schools". Playboy. November 2002. 89.
- ^ a b Barbara Mikkelson. Playboy's Party Schools. March 4, 2007. Retrieved on April 13, 2008.
- ^ Ryan J. Foley. "Books, babes, beer - Playboy says UW is No. 1 party school". The Capital Times. April 5, 2006. C4.
- ^ Doug Moe. "Playboy dresses down UW myth". The Capital Times. November 27, 2001. 2A.
- ^ a b End of Top Party School's Ranking?. The Early Show. CBS. August 27, 2002. Retrieved on April 13, 2008.
- ^ James I. Davison. "Party school". Charleston Gazette. September 2, 2007. P1A.
- ^ Playboy's Top 10 Party Schools. Playboy. Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
