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From the AJC.com:

No one parties like a Bulldog.

The University of Georgia was named the No. 1 party school in the nation Monday, adding to the beer-soaked reputation UGA leaders are trying to shed.

UGA climbed up from No. 4 to snatch the top spot on the annual list compiled by the Princeton Review. The university has the distinction — or disgrace, depending on your perspective — of being on the top 20 party list for 10 of the past 13 years.

“UGA does have a party atmosphere, there’s always a party going on,” said Catherine Hobbs, a senior with a double major in finance and sports management. “This list is funny. It sounds crazy, almost like a cool factor. But people need to understand the parties go on at night. We do actually go to class and study.”

Joshua Delaney, the student body president, joked that the list isn’t used as a recruiting tool.

“It’s not like anyone is saying come here and party,” Delaney said. “If students want to do that, that’s their decision. It’s just important for people to do it responsibly.”

University leaders have long pooh-poohed the rankings, which are based on student responses.

“UGA has been on the party school list for a while, but it’s one we prefer not to lead,” spokesman Tom Jackson said in a statement. “We’d rather focus on the Green Honor Roll listing as a top environmentally conscious campus or the top 50 ‘Best Values’ listing. The University of Georgia takes student alcohol education programs very seriously and will continue to do so.”

President Michael Adams has launched several initiatives to curb student drinking and eliminate the school’s party image.

The university has instituted tougher sanctions against students caught drinking, and it has tightened rules for game-day tailgating. UGA officials have emphasized books over bars, noting that the average SAT score and grade-point average of incoming freshmen increases each year.

But consider this past year.

Former athletic director Damon Evans resigned last month, shortly after his drunken driving arrest. Prior to that, Evans had appeared in university public service announcements urging people not to drink and drive.

Tailgaters trashed the historic North Campus following a September game, dumping about 70 tons of garbage. Some people urinated and defecated on buildings.

Students who don’t like the party atmosphere at UGA could attend its polar opposite. Brigham Young University in Utah has been No. 1 on the “stone cold sober” list for 12 consecutive years.

Read more and look at the complete list by clicking here.

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