I am about to begin my college search. I scored a 36 composite on the ACT and I have a 4.0 unweighted GPA at a gifted school, so I am not too concerned about having no chance at being accepted into top schools.
That being said, I absolutely cannot stand drugs, including alcohol and tobacco, and I am aware that drugs are frequently part of college culture. I would like to find a school that, in addition to focusing primarily on academics, has little drug use among its students.
As for specific majors, I expect to pursue a career in research, likely in theoretical physics or mathematics, so strong math and science departments would be crucial, and research opportunities for undergraduates preferable.
Thank you in advance for your responses!
Anonymous
Most universities and colleges these days offer ‘substance free housing’ so check out that option. My S and his now-wife met while living in a dorm that was sub-free. S liked that he could party elsewhere and, when he’d had enough of the festivities, come back to a clean, quiet dorm - so much so that he chose that option for all 4 years. So it’s not the sub-free residents don’t party - but they keep it under control and are respectful of others who don’t want the party in their rooms. And they end up meeting other people whose idea of a good time doesn’t revolve around partying.
Sub-free dorms are often the newest and nicest ones on campus because the housing office knows that people won’t be throwing up in the stairway at 3am. It includes a wide range of people, so don’t worry about silly stereotypes that the only people living there are recovering substance abusers checked in by the parents or orthodox religious types for whom alcohol is off limits. Almost everyone in S’s dorm was there because they had a similarly low tolerance for living among people who still hadn’t learned to drink in moderation or smoke somewhere else.
The outside world doesn’t end at the college gates. Some students drink and smoke and others don’t. I’m sure there are some schools that have more of a reputation for partying than others. A student with a 36 ACT and 4.0 GPA should be able to research the schools s/he is interested in and find out which ones are known for that sort of culture. I wish anyone who wants to classify cigarettes as a drug and find a school where few people smoke lots of luck because I don’t know of any college campuses like that.
You will have very few choices if that is your top priority in picking a school, mostly very religiously oriented schools. I agree with posters above saying you should look for substance free housing at other colleges. However, there are often a few students who live there because their parents are making them, and it isn’t usually a whole dorm set aside because the numbers don’t work out evenly and colleges aren’t going to leave rooms empty. If you are female, women’s colleges tend to have less partying. Schools without Greek life also tend to have less. Then there are schools where the students are working so hard that they can’t constantly party and still keep up.
I’m not overwhelmingly certain that “partying” and “drug use” are all that strongly correlated. Certainly, there obviously is SOME correlation; however, kids can – and do – sit in their dorm rooms, quietly and alone, and imbibe.
Pick a school that is strong in your major. A larger school will give you a great range of students to choose your group from. I guarantee that at any school you can find a good circle of friends that feel as you do. Some honors programs would give you housing - not that honors students don’t party but sometimes more likely the students are focused on academics. Unless a lot is going on in your particular hall you won’t encounter much partying/drug use during classes, in the library, at religious organization functions, during club meetings, while working with professors, etc. Don’t choose a school based on what goes on at night and during weekends.
@gouf78 (re post #8): I respect the OP’s values and goals. if the “real world” pseudo-sanctions illicit (and sometimes medically/psychologically dangerous) conduct, why should the OP become involved if he finds it objectionable? Doesn’t he have the right to conduct his life by his entirely legal and appropriate standards? How will his approach limit his future? I don’t believe it will.
I don’t think it’s such a terrible thing that OP desires a drug/alcohol free environment. A lot of people generally assume that once you hit college, drinking/doing drugs is a commonplace activity, but technically a lot of the recreational use is underage or illegal.
Sure, you could say it’s the “real world” and bash OP for seeming sheltered. But he shouldn’t be faulted for wanting to abide by the law. @anonymousbunny, you should definitely look into religious schools and schools that don’t have a strong Greek life. Good luck with the search!
I would respectfully remind CC participants that drug use remains a violation of Federal criminal statutes (21 USC 812, 21 USC801, 21 USC 829a, 21 USC 841a, among others). The fact that some states have legalized the use of marijuana and that the Obama Administration has decided not to prosecute under Federal law, does not mean such actions are legal.
Religious schools might not be appropriate if the OP is not of the religion, and not all religions or religious schools have strict rules about recreational drug (including legal ones like tobacco and alcohol) use.
However, a given school’s recreational drug scene may not necessarily match that predicted by the characteristics above, so investigating individual schools is necessary.
The OP may want to investigate the situation at Stony Brook University. It has a reputation of being a “suitcase” school (where many of the resident students head home on the weekends) with less of a social scene. But it has strong math and physics departments and a relatively low list price, even for out-of-state students. Policy on smoking is given at http://www.stonybrook.edu/policy/policies.shtml?ID=112 .
If you choose your friends carefully, you can avoid most of the problems associated with drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Of those three substances, alcohol is the most prevalent but plenty of students do not partake. Look for those students. Personally, I found parties boring in college. A movie with friends was much more enjoyable.
Also, I agree that larger schools will mitigate this problem, for the simple reason that peer pressure will be lower. At a small liberal arts college, peer pressure can be quite high. At larger schools it is easier to choose your friends, and ignore the people you don’t like. There is an old say “you can make a big school small, but you can’t make a small school big.”
By the way, “in the real world” you need to learn to avoid drugs too. The notion that tolerating substance abuse is a part of becoming an adult is upside down.
@TopTier, if u haven’t figured it out yet, this thread is not about drugs & alcohol. It’s a vehicle for the OP to feel morally superior. Reread the original post.
I totally agree. Being a Catholic, I can assure you that many Catholic colleges are very “wet” indeed.
It is important to investigate the individual colleges and determine their policies and reputations. However, I still think that the most important thing to do is to learn to choose compatible friends.
@GMTplus7 (re post #16): In case YOU have not yet figured out, almost every thread and inquiry has two purposes. The first to respond to specific questions and concerns, the second to be a teaching/learning vehicle – present and especially future – for more than the OP. Most of the time, the latter is of greater importance. With this said, I don’t disagree with your evaluation.