What are the top rated schools that nonetheless have a strong drug culture?

[Anonymous]

poster whose best friend went to MIT. I went to Reed, which is one of those schools people are terrified of the drug culture. I will say at MIT she did way more drugs than I did at Reed, and even schools that do not have a "drug culture," if they have residential dorms with a certain character will have a "druggie dorm." Both of us have graduated and gone on to have productive lives. Also schools that are in the middle of nowhere (e.g. Kenyon) there isn't much to do besides drugs and binge drink. From what I have heard about Dartmouth (and most of the ivies) drinking is out of control.

I think worrying about whether your kid is going to experiment with drugs and binge drink is kind of akin to worrying about whether your kid is going to have sex in college. They probably are, but adulthood is about learning how to make choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have heard of someone trying to choose a school with a strong sports or religious culture, but I have never heard of anyone looking for a strong drug culture - normally that is something people try to avoid.

But each to their own, I guess.

Read more carefully! OP was concerned that one of the schools her daughter was interested in might have a drug culture. She's trying to avoid this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:poster whose best friend went to MIT. I went to Reed, which is one of those schools people are terrified of the drug culture. I will say at MIT she did way more drugs than I did at Reed, and even schools that do not have a "drug culture," if they have residential dorms with a certain character will have a "druggie dorm." Both of us have graduated and gone on to have productive lives. Also schools that are in the middle of nowhere (e.g. Kenyon) there isn't much to do besides drugs and binge drink. From what I have heard about Dartmouth (and most of the ivies) drinking is out of control.

I think worrying about whether your kid is going to experiment with drugs and binge drink is kind of akin to worrying about whether your kid is going to have sex in college. They probably are, but adulthood is about learning how to make choices.

After a few drinks, all you might learn are consequences, if you're lucky.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure there are plenty of online resources with this kind of information, maybe try Princeton Review and Playboy's lists of top party schools.

[Anonymous]

'big drug culture' is a stupid misnomer. no school has that 'big' of a drug culture. School police/public safety will not let you lounge on the quad with a bowl in the middle of the afternoon while reading. All schools will have some students that do drugs, even excessively, but the culture is such that it is still policed.

i would say there are private sector companies (tech sector) that have a more permissive and bigger drug cultures than your most 'liberal school'. (mind you only talking about marijuana).

I have a family member at a typical 'ultra-liberal' elite school that is supposed to have a 'big drug culture' and they get judged by many students and administrators but Google doesn't give a shit if you smoke weed at lunch as long as you are putting out innovative product.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have heard of someone trying to choose a school with a strong sports or religious culture, but I have never heard of anyone looking for a strong drug culture - normally that is something people try to avoid.

But each to their own, I guess.

How would you suggest avoiding a school with a strong drug culture if you don't know which ones they are?

Visit. Read up on college culture. (Back in the day I liked "Insider's Guide to the Colleges," though there may be better resources in this internet age.)

The Insiders Guide has just become a marketing thing with positive reviews of every school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have heard of someone trying to choose a school with a strong sports or religious culture, but I have never heard of anyone looking for a strong drug culture - normally that is something people try to avoid.

But each to their own, I guess.

Read more carefully! OP was concerned that one of the schools her daughter was interested in might have a drug culture. She's trying to avoid this!

Mom can't avoid this. Daughter should be driving the train. We're talking about excellent schools here, its not like her daughter would be throwing her life down the drain by going to any of them. If you can't let go and let your child make decisions when they go to college, you will hamper your child for life.

[Anonymous]

www.collegeconfidential.com

[Anonymous]

Colorado, Dartmouth, Brown are always schools considered to be on the higher end of across the board drug use but don't kid yourself its on EVERY campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colorado, Dartmouth, Brown are always schools considered to be on the higher end of across the board drug use but don't kid yourself its on EVERY campus.

Probably including BYU, but that doesn't that there are not schools where your DC is more or less likely to be pressured into drug use. Not talking about direct pressure, but social pressure, peer pressure. The children of those who seem to think that drug use is inevitable likely are already into drugs.

[Anonymous]

The children of those who seem to think that drug use is inevitable likely are already into drugs.

I wouldn't be so quick to say this. I think most socially adjusted 18 year olds at least drink and smoke some weed, even kids who are put together and high achieving. Mostly parents who think that drug use is something that can be prevented and who are super hellicoptering produce kids who go crazy when they are finally free at college. You don't know what they are doing behind your back. I have plenty of friends who have gone to Brown, Reed, Oberlin, etc. and it's not so much that there is the pressure to do drugs as that there more non-conformist types who are curious.

[Anonymous]

Let's not confuse a kid who experiments with weed with the kid who does a bong hit to start every morning.

[Anonymous]

Are you talking about recreational drug use or scholastic drug use(the drugs use to improve memory etc)?

[Anonymous]

back in the day Georgetown did not have a big drug culture . . . it was so government-pre-professional that people were worried about screening drug tests, security clearances, etc.