UW-Madison shot its way to the title as the nation's top party school Aug. 22 by consuming more shots, beer and marijuana than any other school in the country, according to The Princeton Review's 2005 annual rankings of the \Best 361 Colleges.""
The university not only received top honors as the No. 1 party school, but also placed third in both the ""Lots Of Hard Liquor"" and ""Lots Of Beer"" categories. The university also ended up seventh for ""Reefer Madness.""
Students at UW-Madison said they believe the party school ranking is accurate, but that it does not reflect the university as a whole. People should take into consideration UW-Madison is one of the top universities in the country, according to some of its student body.
""We definitely show that we like to go out, but also that we're one of the top schools in the country ... people should take that into account,"" Associated Students of Madison Chair Eric Varney said.
The Princeton Review's announcement is based on an online survey in which more than 110,000 students participated-roughly 300 students from each of the 361 universities. And though the Review's web site says its rankings are ""qualitative and anecdotal,"" the American Medical Association asked the Review to stop ranking schools as it may legitimize students' drinking.
Varney said the rankings are based on many factors that are not taken into account.
""Not everyone drinks ... we're a school of 40,000 people,"" he said. ""There are different viewpoints, activities, entrance here is also really stringent ... and the athletic department is one of the largest in the country and the students are very supportive of the sports here. Sometimes that includes drinking.""
However, around the country, some students from other schools have a dissimilar perspective.
""The survey is probably pretty subjective,"" Tulane sophomore Jake Loyd said. Tulane, located in New Orleans, was named the No. 11 party school this year. ""Here, we think it seems like everyone there is an alcoholic. People don't drink for fun, they drink just to drink.""
Even if this is a common belief among universities from around the nation, UW-Madison was not always No. 1. The ranking comes after the university finished second to the University of Colorado at Boulder two years ago and earned the bronze medal last year.
In 2005, the university was also named a ""College With A Conscience,"" as well as being voted the No. 20 school for best college newspapers.
Though many factors contribute to the reputation, the bar scene is a primary reason for the title. Joe Goldfine, a supervisor at State Street Brats, 603 State St., said the bars add to the fun-but not to overdrinking.
""There are so many bars close to campus, so it's an easy choice for students,"" Goldfine said. ""But, drinking isn't a problem. We're used to the atmosphere and there are very few people who drink so much that they can't function.""
""There's just something about Madison that you can't explain. Having fun isn't an event, really, it's more of a routine,"" he added.
