Best schools to escape the drug and alcohol culture

[Anonymous]

I know that many people think of GDS as a druggy school, but we have found it a great place for our straight-laced DDs. The open campus policy means that kids can hang out at school, pursuing their interests with friends and teachers, from 7 am - 10pm every day, so if they don't need to go to parties in order to have a social life. And GDS has amazing extra-curricular opportunities compared to other schools, including great theater and math, debate, quiz bowl, and other teams that compete successfully at a national level.

If our DDs weren't straight-laced, I'm sure they would find people to party with at any school.

[Anonymous]

Yes, the wealthy and politically connected STA students who can do as they please without serious ramifications or public reporting neither have access to drugs/alcohol nor use them as much as other private school students in the area. Sure.
If you want to compare yourself to the "elite" NE boarding schools, you need to take on the whole package.
The level of delusion is sometimes amazing on this site.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public school in a non-elite area. Or maybe Catholic school.

Are you kidding? There is more drinking among the Catholics than anywhere else.

I was going to say the same thing! There is plenty of drinking and drugs at Catholic schools. At least as much as non-Catholic schools.

I agree that all-girls schools tend to have less of a drug and alcohol culture than co-ed.

Drinking? Yes (most of those Catholics are Irish) Drugs? Not so much.

[Anonymous]

The situation is complex, but a rule of thumb is that a "jock school" will likely have drinking, but not drugs such as marijuana that hurt performance. Progressive "hipster" schools will have more drugs, especially marijuana. Jocks like wild large parties (we've seen the pictures); hipsters like intimate get togethers (2-4 people getting high together).

A conservative non-jock school is your best bet if you want to avoid either scene.

[Anonymous]

All boys schools are the worst, all girls schools are the best. But, sadly, on weekends the two mix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The situation is complex, but a rule of thumb is that a "jock school" will likely have drinking, but not drugs such as marijuana that hurt performance. Progressive "hipster" schools will have more drugs, especially marijuana. Jocks like wild large parties (we've seen the pictures); hipsters like intimate get togethers (2-4 people getting high together).

A conservative non-jock school is your best bet if you want to avoid either scene.

Saint Anselms, perhaps?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look at schools with a strong sense of community - lots of family involvement. It exists everywhere, but when families are tied in, it lessens the amount and the severity of what there is at that school.

Unless the parents are partying in front of their children constantly - setting a bad example. At our Big 3 there are a few parents that are known for literally doing shots in front if their elementary age children at events that are supposed to be focused are children's events.

Very fair point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The situation is complex, but a rule of thumb is that a "jock school" will likely have drinking, but not drugs such as marijuana that hurt performance. Progressive "hipster" schools will have more drugs, especially marijuana. Jocks like wild large parties (we've seen the pictures); hipsters like intimate get togethers (2-4 people getting high together).

A conservative non-jock school is your best bet if you want to avoid either scene.

Saint Anselms, perhaps?

Good call.

[Anonymous]

There is no way STA boys would have a party like that shown in the Gansler photos.

I also graduated from NCS in the early '90s (waves to other poster) and went to a ton of parties with STA boys, including those at Beach Week, that looked just like the Gansler photo. They didn't have parents in them, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

There is no way STA boys would have a party like that shown in the Gansler photos.

I also graduated from NCS in the early '90s (waves to other poster) and went to a ton of parties with STA boys, including those at Beach Week, that looked just like the Gansler photo. They didn't have parents in them, though.

Pp ncs poster here. By senior year, way more than fifteen percent were drinking. The fifteen percent number I gave was for regular drug use. I think that was more rare.

I wonder if you are one of the girls in my class who got arrested for drinking at beach week while my friends and I were off having a safe fun chaperoned time at a friend's lake house? We got a kick out of that, that the snobby partying "mean girls" in our class got arrested. Of course, their parents got them out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There is no way STA boys would have a party like that shown in the Gansler photos.

I also graduated from NCS in the early '90s (waves to other poster) and went to a ton of parties with STA boys, including those at Beach Week, that looked just like the Gansler photo. They didn't have parents in them, though.

Pp ncs poster here. By senior year, way more than fifteen percent were drinking. The fifteen percent number I gave was for regular drug use. I think that was more rare.

I wonder if you are one of the girls in my class who got arrested for drinking at beach week while my friends and I were off having a safe fun chaperoned time at a friend's lake house? We got a kick out of that, that the snobby partying "mean girls" in our class got arrested. Of course, their parents got them out.

Oh joy. The two NCS biddies from the '90s have joined the thread. This means the thread will now devolve into a mean girl-fest of bashing NCS and every girl and mom who was ever associated with the place. I know, it's hard to believe that anybody who writes, "we got a kick out of seeing our classmates busted" could be in her 40s, but there it is. For those of you hoping for insight into drink and drugs in area high schools, you might as well leave now.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, jeez. I thought the person just mentioning that, indeed, people did drink and party, even if they go to top prep schools was just lending insight with this thread. The poster bashing her and talking about how great it was to watch people get busted by the cops seems petty and obnoxious, especially if 20+ years later she still cares.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The situation is complex, but a rule of thumb is that a "jock school" will likely have drinking, but not drugs such as marijuana that hurt performance. Progressive "hipster" schools will have more drugs, especially marijuana. Jocks like wild large parties (we've seen the pictures); hipsters like intimate get togethers (2-4 people getting high together).

A conservative non-jock school is your best bet if you want to avoid either scene.

Saint Anselms, perhaps?

Um...maybe not. At least when I was in HS. I fondly remember many parties hosted by Abbey boys that had lots of drinking. Generally with the parents home. Even remember one cast party with Brothers there and well aware of the drinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

There is no way STA boys would have a party like that shown in the Gansler photos.

I also graduated from NCS in the early '90s (waves to other poster) and went to a ton of parties with STA boys, including those at Beach Week, that looked just like the Gansler photo. They didn't have parents in them, though.

There was virtually no STA beach week activity last June. Times have changed. STA boys font have time for "beach week. "

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The situation is complex, but a rule of thumb is that a "jock school" will likely have drinking, but not drugs such as marijuana that hurt performance. Progressive "hipster" schools will have more drugs, especially marijuana. Jocks like wild large parties (we've seen the pictures); hipsters like intimate get togethers (2-4 people getting high together).

A conservative non-jock school is your best bet if you want to avoid either scene.

Saint Anselms, perhaps?

I don't think St. Anselms is as protected from the drug and alcohol culture as you may think. My DD befriended a few boys from there a few years ago and ended up distancing herself because all they did (and talked about) was partying. I don't mean to suggest that it has any sort of problem, but I also don't think it is immune to the issues that all other schools have….