If you are sober and/or against drinking where would be a good fit?

[Anonymous]

S/O from Lehigh comment. Obviously frat heavy colleges are out. Aside from Mormon campuses, any specific low party schools to look at?

[Anonymous]

There's the Mormon college.

Also consider colleges in Islamic countries.
In fact, NYU has a campus in Dubai.

[Anonymous]

Some SLACs might work, and a fair number of state schools have sober houses/wellness housing where your kid is more likely to find sober friends.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps not rural schools where there is more to do than party/drink?

Big schools because there will be so many different types of people your child could find a group of other non-partiers.

[Anonymous]

What *is* your child into? That might be a good clue.
As pps said, an urban campus could be a fit, with lots of other activities, or a big school with a variety.

A serious school like U Chicago or a nerdy one like Harvey Mudd will have lots of non drinkers.

If your child is religious a religious school will have non drinkers as well.

Service organizations, people training to be EMTs etc will likely have lots of socialization not involving drinking.

[Anonymous]

I think wherever the kid goes, they will just have to find their people. I went to a SLAC and heck those people were practically professional alcoholics. My kid goes to UVA now and is not even what I'd call a moderate drinker, but he will drink a beer or two to be social. He fits in fine, even in the greek scene. Many campuses have sober housing and clubs focused around that. Find the school they like and I'm sure there will be options for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps not rural schools where there is more to do than party/drink?

Big schools because there will be so many different types of people your child could find a group of other non-partiers.

I agree with this. Colleges like Lehigh may have a non-drinking living community, but there is still the overall campus culture. I’d be wary of most SLACs for this reason, although I am sure there are exceptions. Large state uni’s will by the sheer numbers have more non-drinkers, even despite a big tailgating/party crowd, and also will have more mature students in that all will nit be following the strict path of HS to college and probably have more outside responsibilities. In my experience, SLACs, as wonderful as they can be, are a 4 year LaLa Land.

[Anonymous]

Totally agree with the big state universities. Much easier to find other people and lots of things that will work with your lifestyle.

I went to a SLAC and there was one "alternative" social even ton the weekends (a movie night, for example), but that was it. My non-drinking friends wound up at the parties just to socialize because there wasn't much to do otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some SLACs might work, and a fair number of state schools have sober houses/wellness housing where your kid is more likely to find sober friends.

This is definitely true. I wouldn't assume that a religious school would be a better fit. Kids will find ways to party in most places ... your kid will just have to find their people!

[Anonymous]

Are you against all religious schools or just Mormon ones? Some Baptist schools (like Wheaton in IL) require students to agree not to drink alcohol.

Someone upthread mentioned "sober houses" but my understanding is that those are usually students who are recovering from addiction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What *is* your child into? That might be a good clue.
As pps said, an urban campus could be a fit, with lots of other activities, or a big school with a variety.

A serious school like U Chicago or a nerdy one like Harvey Mudd will have lots of non drinkers.

If your child is religious a religious school will have non drinkers as well.

Service organizations, people training to be EMTs etc will likely have lots of socialization not involving drinking.

Not what I’ve heard about Mudd (which, is small enough that “lots” of non drinkers seems unlikely). Scale is such that it’s a plausible claim re UChicago. Info based on 2020 grads from both schools. Both are definitely schools where there are kids who deal with academic pressure by drinking heavily. Maybe it’s important in this context to distinguish between schools for kids who have no interest in drinking and still want to have active social lives vs schools for kids who are tempted/inclined to drink but whose parents want them to be in safe environments. Mudd’s drinking culture seems more communal/pervasive than Chicago’s (which is more localized and/or solitary — eg kid found dead of alcohol poisoning in his dorm room days after the fact). Neither strikes me as a good school for the tempted kid. My not-interested kid was fine socially @ Chicago. In addition to scale, having other places to do/things to do rather than party on campus probably makes a difference for some kids.

[Anonymous]

If your kid is in recovery, UC-Boulder has an amazing program, I know it doesn't seem right but Colorado has a great sober community. as does Rutgers and St. Joe's in Philly.

[Anonymous]

Based on personal experience of a neighbor, I would avoid VA Tech.

[Anonymous]

Avoid the small colleges. There is nothing to do but drinking.

Larger colleges--12,000 students or more will have more activities

Colleges in the state of Utah

The reality is there is alcohol everywhere in our society. If student is in recovery they need to keep working their recovery program for life with meetings etc. The student health services probably has recovery meetings for young people.

[Anonymous]

Local community college, also work a job, continue recovery program/meetings.

Build strong sobriety before transfer to a campus.