Boston University students said they have known high school students to attend college parties with friends and family members who live on campus, reflecting an increasing, national trend of prospective students going to college parties.
An Oct. 10 article on The New York Times website reported the growing tendency among high school students to visit colleges for the weekend and attend college parties, sometimes in hopes of getting to know the school’s social scene.
A College of Arts and Sciences freshman, who asked to remain anonymous, said that she attended a BU party in Allston during her senior year of high school.
“I was trying to decide between BU and BC. I was worried because I had heard that BU kids don’t stay on campus for the weekends, [and instead] go to concerts and things in the city rather than go to parties on campus,” she said.
Going to the party helped her decide between the two schools, she said.
However, some students said they noticed high school students here simply for fun, mostly to visit their older siblings.
“I have a friend whose little brother comes here to party,” the CAS freshman said. “He’s applying to college this year, but he used to come even when he was a sophomore and junior.”
“I personally had not partied here before this year. I have, however, seen high schoolers at parties here,” said a School of Management freshman, who also asked to remain anonymous. “Most of these high schoolers are visiting siblings, but some are just visiting friends.”
Many students said that while some high school students have visited BU to party, their presence does not seem to be a big issue.
“I haven’t seen any high schoolers at the parties I go to,” said Sara Puccia, a School of Education freshman.
“I feel like I’ve seen some kids on the T who look young, maybe 15 years old, coming here on weekends,” said Leah Montner-Dixon, a CAS freshman, “but I haven’t really gone to enough parties here to know if this is common.”
The Times reported that much of the partying that has gone on at other schools has occurred while students stay with admissions ambassadors for the weekend, something that BU Spokesman Colin Riley said is not an issue at BU.
Riley said that BU does not offer overnight visits for prospective students.
“Admitted students may be hosted in April, but not on weekends,” he said.
“I definitely wouldn’t bring high schoolers [to BU] to party because I wouldn’t want to be responsible for them,” Montner-Dixon said.
BU’s Overnight Host Agreement states that students “agree to not put [his or her] guest in a situation where he or she could potentially violate any rules of Boston University including those of consuming drugs or alcohol.”
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