In her review for "The New York Times", Janet Maslin wrote, "the film is best when it takes students seriously, though it does so only intermittently". David Ansen wrote in his review for "Newsweek", "When it's good, the dormitory high jinks feel like the genuine release of teen-age tensions and cruelty. Too bad the story isn't as smart as the kids in it". In her review for the "Washington Post", Rita Kempley wrote, "Many of the scenes, already badly written, fail to fulfill their screwball potential... But despite its enthusiastic young cast and its many good intentions, it doesn't quite succeed. I guess there's a leak in the think tank".