After debate over which university is the No. 1 party school, some UF students have developed their own ways of deciding.
Five students launched partyschooltexts.com, an interactive Web site similar to textsfromlastnight.com that will allow users to vote for the No. 1 party school starting March 23.
The Web site lists text message conversations categorized by universities and gives viewers a chance to vote on their favorites. The most popular posts will help determine the ranking.
“It’s ridiculous how the same company who produces SAT reviews also does party school rankings,” said Nick Gilboy, one of the creators. “College students know much more about partying than the Princeton Review does.”
Gilboy, 22, and Alex Baden, 21, came up with the idea two months ago after believing textsfromlastnight.com was misleading viewers with the use of area codes.
“College students rarely have phone numbers with the same area codes as their college town,” Baden said. “Their school doesn’t get credit for all the crazy things that happen.”
In collaboration with Kevin Ruiz, Sunil Tangri and Tony Feria, Gilboy and Baden equally financed the $1,000 start-up fee and hired a Web designer for the site’s design and coding.
“At this point, we aren’t asking for ads or trying to make a profit,” said Ruiz, who controls the marketing aspect with Feria. “We are trying to create an entertainment service for college students. It is interesting to see what school they think is really No. 1.”
The Web site has already received about 1,000 unique views, but the creators are hoping word of mouth will increase popularity out of state.
All five members plan on staying in Gainesville after graduation in May to concentrate on the new business, and they hope the site matches the level of textsfromlastnight.com.
“We are trying to add a level of accountability to schools who claim they party hard,” Ruiz said.
