Best party Schools in the US

IU freshman Anya Simonova said her school may be perceived as a party school, but noted that "it's getting quieter because they're cracking down more." Junior Erin Pritchard agreed."I'd be surprised to hear we're number one," she said. "Even though most people party three or four times a week, this past year they've been a lot more strict."

The party school designation is based on student reports on alcohol and marijuana use, the amount of time spent studying outside of class and the popularity of fraternities and sororities on campus.

Princeton Review, a test-preparation and college admissions company with no connection to Princeton University, defended its survey. "We simply are reporting on the conditions that exist on those particular campuses, and if social life continues to be an aspect that students comment on, then I will continue to include that list in the book," said Robert Franek, the company's editorial director.

Franek noted that the survey also lists the top-20 "Stone-Cold Sober Schools," where students say there is little drinking. Brigham Young University topped that list for the third straight year.The American Medical Association has repeatedly criticized the "party school" rankings, saying they irresponsibly legitimize high-risk drinking and portray alcohol as central to college life.

These are top 20 party schools of 2002  1 Indiana University - Bloomington  2 Clemson University  3 University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa  4 Penn State University Park  5 University of Florida  6 University at Buffalo  7 University of New Hampshire  8 University of Colorado, Boulder  9 Florida State University 10 University of Wisconsin-Madison 11 The University of Texas at Austin 12 Michigan State University 13 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 14 Louisiana State University 15 University of California-Santa Cruz 16 University of Tennessee 17 New York University 18 Ohio State University-Columbus 19 Virginia Tech 20 Tulane University source THE ASSOCIATED PRESS rieview.com