<p>Cornell is a university, not an LAC. With atypical diversity among students and goals, due to the diverse programs of study at its separate colleges. It’s not as appropriately pigeonholed, as far as culture, as a small liberal arts college where people attend precisely to be among like-minded individuals. Most people don’t come to Cornell to be part of a common social milieu. </p>
<p>To give you an (old) example, during the huge campus demonstrations in the late 60s, a bunch of the engineering students launched a counter-protest. Keith Olbermann and Ann Coulter both graduated from Cornell. (This is certainly far from a bragging point, just to illustrate diversity…)</p>
<p>Lots of college students there drink, at least sometimes. Some people drink too much, Some people rarely drink. Some people don’t drink. Each of these groups will be large. My guess is the first group would be by far the largest.
On a weekend night people tend to go out, and go to parties.</p>
<p>One associates the word “fraternity” with “drinking”, not specifically at Cornell but in general. Cornell is no exception though, frats have long had that reputation there, Traditionally they hosted parties to lure freshmen potential future pledges,etc… However a couple of years ago, IIRC, there were a few particularly horrendous incidents, at frat parties and as part of pledging, that caused the university to change some rules. I don’t know what it’s like at frat parties there now, but it’s probably different.</p>
<p>But the fact is, at least 2/3 of students (I forget the exact %, you can check if you want) do not participate in the Greek scene there. Upperclassmen who are not in frats rarely if ever attend frat parties. And the fraternities themselves vary tremendously. My friend’s son just graduated, he was in sort of a “nerd” frat. There is at least one fraternity that advertises explicitly that it is for non-drinkers.</p>
<p>The point being:
- there is much less of a predominant campus culture there than at the LACs I’m personally familiar with;
- if you want to “binge drink” you will certainly have company. However you will not be at all uncomfortable if you don’t.</p>
<p>If you are actually offended by the mere presence of people drinking near you, at all, at a party or at a bar or something, that may be more of a challenge. You will have to make an effort to find your group of like-minded individuals. But they will be there. In greater numbers than at most LAcs.</p>