I think now would be a convenient time to point out the other thing that sets Wes apart from other NESCACs is its reliance on neighborhood housing stock to do the job of rooming and boarding a majority of undergraduates. Practically every standing single family home within walking distance is owned by the university, furnished and equipped with modern kitchens. This means, beginning sophomore year and really accelerating through junior and senior years, no one has to be held hostage to dorm parties unless they want to. Kids get to pick six or seven roommates and take their chances in the annual housing lottery. So, in addition to drugs and alcohol there is a burgeoning foodie culture that doesn’t get nearly enough play in the rankings monopolies.