What Parents Should Know About Party Schools

If you're the parent of a rising high school senior, you're probably paying a lot of attention to this year's annual release of list from Princeton Review, US News and other organizations. These lists always amuse me because they rank schools in some bizarre ways – mostly to attract attention in the media.

One of the most headline-grabbing is the list of top party schools put out by Princeton Review. It inevitably draws protests from administrators at the "winning" schools and probably lots of interest from potential students.

But most parents look at this list in horror – as they should. You're paying a fortune for your kid to get an education, not for partying.

 Which brings me to a bigger issue: how can you prepare your college-age children to handle alcohol when they're no longer under your roof?

1. Don't ignore the problem. Drinking under 21 is illegal, but we all know it happens. Hiding your head in the sand won't make underage drinking go away. Studies show that by age 18, at least 70 percent of teens have had a drink. And teens who do drink often drink a lot, which can have serious lifelong health consequences.

2. Have clear expectations. Make sure your children know that you do not tolerate underage drinking. It's illegal and unhealthy. Enforce this by modeling good behavior yourself.

3. Explain the very real dangers of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

4. As long as your kids are at home, don't let them go to parties where alcohol is served.

5. When you're looking at colleges, try and get a sense of how successfully the administration deals with underage drinking. Some schools have made considerable strides in this area so it's not impossible to break free of that party school label.

6. In this last year at home and the upcoming first year away, listen even more carefully to your child so you can be sensitive to emotional issues that may make them more vulnerable.

7. Don't accept defeat. Your child's health is at stake here. People who start drinking at a young age are at much higher risk of future problems with alcohol.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has more information on what you can do.