MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- To the disappointment of school administrators -- and the pride of some students -- West Virginia University is No. 1 on The Princeton's Review's annual list of the top 20 party schools.

Penn State University isn't far behind at No. 6.

Grove City College is at the other end of the partying spectrum, ranking No. 5 on the "Stone Cold Sober" list.

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The University of Pittsburgh did not make the Top 10 list, but a number of neighboring schools were ranked in other categories.

Penn State placed third when it comes to career placement after graduation.

Carnegie Mellon University rounds out the Top 10 on the bad food list and Duquesne University was rated as having the 10th worst on-campus library.

Senior Katie O'Hara, 22, said WVU is No. 1 on the party list because "no matter what kind of party you want it's here -- bars, fraternities, house parties. ... If you want to take shots all night, there's a bar; no matter what you want to do, it's there."

Still, O'Hara said her friends "know how to manage their time. They know when to party and when not to," which wouldn't explain the school's No. 1 ranking in the category of Their Students (Almost) Never Study.

West Virginia's No. 1 ranking is just speculation, said sophomore Stuart Sauer.

"I think there's no way to measure that," said Sauer, 20, of Richmond, Va. "Every school's a party school."

"I'm focused on the way this university changes people's lives, the research that we do and the service we provide to the state of West Virginia," said incoming WVU President Mike Garrison, who officially replaces President David Hardesty on Sept. 1. "This is a special place, and the whole state is proud of it."

The rankings are contained in the 2008 edition of "The Best 366 Colleges," which goes on sale Tuesday and is based on a survey of 120,000 college students, mostly during the 2006-07 school year.

The book has 62 categories. WVU is among the Top 10 in several of them, including: No. 4 in Students Pack the Stadiums; No. 5 for Best College Library; No. 6 for Lots of Beer; No. 7 for Lots of Hard Liquor; and No. 8 for Best College Newspaper.

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Here's what you're saying about this story so far:

On a recent trip to Morgantown my girlfriend and I stopped in a bar. I would estimate 50 percent of kids drinking there were not 21. In fact I asked a couple of very young ladies their age and they were 17 and 18. One young lady not even close to 21 was staggering all over the bar and no one said a word to her. A number of the kids were very drunk and the police watched them walk by without even a glance. I know several underage kids who attend WVU and all of them say that getting into bars is no problem. I guess it is easy to be the number one party school when you will serve anyone who can see over the bar.
- Jeff Massetti

I'm sick and tired of this "party school" crap! Families save and scrimp for years to finance children's educational costs so that they can have successful careers and productive lives. Students who are ingaged in the "party hardy" mentality easily fall into alcoholism and drug use. When they are sent to school they have a HUGE job to get done. That's what parents are paying for! It's nothing but a total waste of hard earned money when a student drops out due to academic deficiencies because of an out of control social life. Even worse can be the destructive effects of alcohol and drugs which can lead to safety and health issues throughout their adult lives. Students usually have only one chance to get their advanced education completed without incurring wasteful costs. Forget the "party-hardy" mentality. Hit the books! Get it done right once and for all!
P.S.: Note to parents: If you hear bragging that some school is a "party school", investigate the matter and, if nesessary, send them somewhere else. It's your money and it's their health and safety. CHOOSE and INVEST wisely!
- Ronald J. Yamka, Canonsburg

Having attended WVU for four years, I have to say that the comment made about the underage drinking is quite a bit overblown. First of all, neither the Morgantown bar owners nor police are stupid. Granted, a lot of drinking goes on but not by those who are 'underage' Most freshman are 18 which is (was?) the legal drinking age in WV. Great, at the time for someone like me who lived in a state where 21 was the legal drinking age. WVU is and will continue to be a great 'party' school but if you've got some brains and a decent sense of time management, you can party with the best of 'em for four blissful years then graduate Magna cum laude with a BS degree. West (by God) Virginia!
- Debbie

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