Princeton Review released its annual list of the top 20 party schools Monday, placing the University at No. 19 for the second year in a row.
Though they agree that they would prefer the University not be known as a party school, some University officials said they are not concerned with Princeton Review’s list because LSU has more than parties to offer students.
“This list needs to be taken with a grain of salt,” said Michelle Gieg, Student Government president. “It’s good for a laugh, but it shouldn’t be too much of a concern for students because academically our student body is stronger than ever.”
Gieg cited increasing test scores, higher grade point averages and more community service among this year’s freshmen class as evidence that the University is moving away from its history as a party school.
“This is the strongest freshmen class that we have had in LSU’s history,” Gieg said.
K.C. White, interim assistant vice chancellor and interim dean of students, said she thinks the rankings can be deceiving.
“These rankings ignore a lot of what goes into a social environment when they call a university a party school,” White said.
Princeton Review uses the results of an online survey of more than 110,000 college students, which asks about alcohol and drug use, hours of study each day and the number of students in fraternities and sororities.
“If you look at social activities such as student organizations, intramurals and community service, LSU is a party school,” White said. “Being a party school is not necessarily a bad thing, if the focus isn’t on alcohol.”
Kristy Miller, communications coordinator for the Campus-Community Coalition for Change, said the CCCC “places no stock” in the rankings because she thinks it is not a scientific survey.
“Even the Princeton Review admits that it is not a scientific survey,” Miller said. “If we continue to validate this survey, it won’t help our public image.”
CCCC is an organization set up to reduce the negative consequences associated with excessive drinking.
Miller said she is not worried that the University remained at No. 19 on the list.
“I don’t see it as breaking even because we at the CCCC don’t feel the survey is valid in anyway,” Miller said.
In 1997, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – the country’s largest health care charity – gave the University a $700,000 grant, making LSU part of a 10-school study examining binge drinking.
In 2000, the University topped the list, however, it has steadily decreased in the rankings since then.
This year the University of Wisconsin-Madison ranked No. 1.
Ohio University-Athens, Lehigh University, the University of California-Santa Barbara followed, with State University of New York rounding out the top five.