<p>Housing includes options that are substance free in which I think you’ll find like-minded students, so I doubt that would be a problem. As for finding parties where people don’t drink, I’m sure they exist, but also be aware of the fact that not everyone that drinks in college is trying to get blacked out either. While I did drink in college, if there was a night I didn’t feel like drinking, I was never pressured to. In fact, I had a good buddy my freshman year who didn’t drink at all, but went out to all the parties with us and always seemed like he had a good time, but I do know that being around drunks when you’re sober can be miserable sometimes too. </p>
<p>The B-school and Jepson are emphasized at UR because they are nationally renowned. Jepson for being the first leadership school in the nation and the b-school for its national rankings. Our sciences have been an emphasis over the last few years, and I think that with the new Gottwald, they’re making great strides. We’ve had a number of Goldwater Scholars over the last few years and undergrad research and collaboration with professors has dramatically increased. Honestly, if I were a science person, UR wouldn’t haev been on my short list 10 years ago, but with the new emphasis on improving the sciences, you can’t go wrong with it at UR. Being able to do research with the same professors that teach you is a nice bonus. And you’ll NEVER have a TA at UR and will have the opportunity to conduct research starting your freshman year. Here’s a link to a couple of students that just recently were given post grad scholarships ([University</a> of Richmond senior and 2007 graduate awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowships](<a href=“University of Richmond)%5DUniversity”>University of Richmond)). Here’s a recent example of a faculty member receiving a grant which will allow for two more students to do research during the summer ([University</a> of Richmond professor awarded National Institutes of Health grant to research rare, inherited brain diseases](<a href=“University of Richmond)%5DUniversity”>University of Richmond)). </p>
<p>Best of luck with your decision!</p>