With all the romantic college movie portrayals of bongs, beer, slutty sorority girls, and nerds avenging themselves against jocks, who wouldn’t want to go to college? But as any moviegoer knows, cinematic tales don’t always match up with reality. Take a look at some of the big college movie setups and learn whether or not you can expect them as part of your college experience.
Where the Boys Are (1960)
Reality check: This movie is about half realistic. Spring-break getaways—with all their drugs, alcohol and girls-gone-wild videographers—are rife with acquaintance rape. However, even in 1960 only the most naïve of coeds would travel to Cancun or Cabo San Lucas in order to find a husband.
Rudy (1993)
Reality check: Rudy is based on the true story of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettinger, and most of the events did happen. However, the real Rudy attended Notre Dame in 1975. These days, between the money and prestige pumped into college football, the chances of seeing a Rudy get accepted by Notre Dame and then get on the football team likely are slim to none.
Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
Reality check: Remember the Duke lacrosse players? Our fascination with college sports is such that, one whiff of a scandal the size of the jocks burning down a dormitory, and Nancy Grace would have been all over it. Forget the rest of the movie; the initial setup is unbelievable.
Sorority Boys (2002)
Reality check: In a grand tradition going back to Shakespeare, straight men dressing as women results in wacky hijinks, emotional awakenings and girls falling in love with the guy they thought was a girl. The reality is that once word got out that a bunch of men had passed as women in order to live with them, these guys would have had outraged feminists, parents, school officials, even anti-gay activists (oh, you know they wouldn’t bother to check the facts) calling for their expulsion or worse.
Back to School (1986)
Reality check: Wealthy people buy degrees all the time, so that isn’t any stretch of the imagination. But given the underfunded, overworked state of American education, no dean is going to spend his or her time harassing a single student, especially when that student donated a building.
Dead Man on Campus (1998)
Reality check: As far as Google searches can uncover, this kind of policy does not actually exist. Schools probably don’t want failing undergrads to encourage their roommates’ demise.
The Skulls (2000)
Reality check: The Skull and Bones society really exists (George W. Bush, John Kerry, and Simpsons’ semi-villain Mr. Burns are all members). Beyond that … I’m not allowed to talk about it.
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