Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus Top Questions

I do not think there is one. Everyone is different.

Everyone thinks IUP is a huge party school. They are lead to believe that everyone goes out and gets trashed just about every evening. The stereotype is believed when you take a quick look at IUP, but it is honestly is played up. Every college is a party college. When you dig deep IUP is a really good school.

Partiers. Yes, there are people at every college that party so that is accurate.

To many in the surrounding areas, IUP is a party school. I'll admit, before I came for my visit, I was skeptical. IUP's "I Usually Party" reputation dates back to the 1970s and 80s when our PARENTS were partying here. My aunt still recounts stories of her wild nights spent at good ol' Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Truth is, every school is a party school. Are there parties here? Yes, of course, it's college. Do these parties manifest themselves in every aspect of University life? Absolutely not. There are students who come here for the thrills, ready to drink themselves into oblivion and smoke like a chimney, but those students don't usually make it past first semester freshman year. I am a junior and in my experience, the students of IUP are hard working, ambitious individuals with an eye on the future balancing the demands of classes and the fun of being a college student.

Yes, this school has a reputation for being a "party school" but most schools do. Everybody is away for the first time from their hometown and parents and it's inevitable that many students are going to "push the edge of the envelope". I think, though, relative to the other universities I attended, there's no more drinking here than anywhere else. As far as I can tell, there's hardly anyone on campus that's a caricature of what you see in high school. People are people here ... they don't wear costumes except on Halloween.