<p>Terms like “dismal,” “thriving,” and “party school” are all relative. Thriving compared to what? Thriving in what ways? </p>
<p>From my experience, there were usually social options available Saturday, Thursday, Friday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (in order from most promising to least promising). So yes, there are definitely 2 nights per week that you can go out on. </p>
<p>If you are concerned about the negative comments, here are the two I hear most often and my best explanations:</p>
<ol>
<li>The girls are all ugly/the guys are all short and ugly. </li>
</ol>
<p>“All” is an exaggeration, as there are attractive members of both sexes. But, compared to some of our neighboring schools, it’s not great. college ******* gives us b- for guys/girls, whereas UGA, Vandy, Auburn, Duke, and UNC all score better. It’s easy to look at those schools, and their alums that are drawn to Atlanta for work, and wonder where the talent is at Emory. </p>
<ol>
<li>The [insert group here] makes me not want to go out. </li>
</ol>
<p>Without getting too in-depth, if your style is more relaxed, then you’ll probably hate a venue with blasting house music and loud patrons. Conversely, if you live for the club scene, then a quiet highlands bar is not going to qualify as a social option. Since Emory draws from all over, there are people on both sides that think Emory’s scene is not polarized enough. </p>
<p>Bottom line? I think there are 5-6 schools that offer a similar academic experience, but with a much better social scene. With that said, the social scene here should satisfy all but the most hardcore partiers, provided you take advantage of Atlanta’s vast options.</p>