<p>Smagster-
I guess I'm the only real friend you have on this board. As you can see by the other comments, there are lots of people out there willing to tell you what you want to hear and help you along the path to self-destruction. It's shocking that so many people are willing to help someone find a good place for smoking pot. Even so called "parents" are willing to encourage someone else's kid along these lines. Shame on you.</p>
<p>Smagster, if you are smoking pounds and pounds of marijuana then you have a real problem. Don't waste your parent's hard earned money on a semi-conscious effort at college. Someday you are going to wake up and realize it is time to quite smoking pot and get healthy. I hope it is sooner rather than later.</p>
<p>Good luck, buddy. Remember who told you this.</p>
<p>If you go to a large public school, you will definetely find people like you. Smaller schools would include Brown, Dartmouth, Tufts, etc., but this is all heresay as I have never been to any of them.</p>
<p>you should maybe look into uc berkely or warren wilson or evergreen. those are all great schools and they are very liberal. i hope you find a place that fits you!</p>
<p>I think Colgate is really rather the antithesis of what you want. From my impressions, anyway, it seemed very preppy and not very liberal. Sort of a walking Abercrombie catalogue, except most people were pasty and there were considerably larger number of articles of clothing being worn (presumably both due to the upstate NY winter Colgate suffers/enjoys).</p>
<p>I am a mom, and while I certainly wouldn't recommend smoking pot by the barrell, there are more things to being a hippie than drugs. (I went to a small liberal arts college in the late sixties and had a toe in both camps.) This kind of lifestyle should hopefully be heavy on creativity and freedom. Several of my friends with this kind of background went on to get doctorates in the humanities or go into art. </p>
<p>If you're serious about the ambiance you want, and would also prefer to chart your own course as far as studying goes, I'd definitely recommend Hampshire. If you want a campus with a good hippie representation but a bit more guided curriculum and excellent academics, I would seriously consider Wesleyan. </p>
<p>I personally don't feel that Tufts, Northwestern, Hamilton or Colgate will give you want you're seeking. Think Vassar, Sarah Lawrence, Reed, Berkeley or Oberlin or other schools along that line.</p>
<p>I have to agree with collegehelp: the teenagers I've seen doing that much in the way of drugs are generally self-medicating due to depression, anxiety or other problems. Long-term, I've seen them develop memory problems and other physical and neurological problems. Withdrawal tends to involve dealing with the underlying pathology, and sleep generally is a problem during the transition. Starting with a drug dependency so early, during the period of brain and nervous system development complicates the issue.</p>
<p>I would strongly suggest that before going to any college, you get into intensive therapy and get off drugs, and learn to cope with the world without them. Otherwise, it's only going to be harder to break the dependency as you get older.</p>
<p>You can still be creative and wacky without the drugs, if that is your personality. But the level of drug usage you are describing is beyond recreational. I would venture a guess that you have had some evaluations in the past, and I would suggest revisiting them, or having a thorough one soon. Senior year would be a good time to rehab.</p>
<p>I just want to say thanks you for everyone that took the time to help me with this ongoing problem. However, while I do greatly appreciate the concerned parents out there, I just want you to know that "barrels and barrels" of week were quite an exageration. Do I smoke alot? Yes.....do i smoke every weekend? yes.....but then again.. If i know i have test the next day, do i smoke? definitely not, i study....have i tried anything other then weed? No......so i just want you to know that im definitely not stupid when it comes to weed and i know when its a time for work and a time for play....</p>
<p>As for the colleges thanks for the ideas. I have never heard of Reed college but i will definitely look it up. Tufts is a dream school but i dont know if my Sats will get me into it ( took it first time and got an 1840.....hopefully shoot for 2000 by 3rd time )....</p>
<p>Also, i just want to let you know i like diversity even more then the "pot" itself. i dont know exactly where you guys live, but i live in a rather rich suburb of Philadelphia... walking through my school is like someone else stated, an absolute abercrombie catalge....everyone is the same, everyone has the latest fashion, and it is extremely annoying.. i like people willing to step outside their shell and show who they really are even if they don't enjoy smoking weed. So i just want you to know thats not what i judge people on..</p>
<p>thanks again for all your help and please comment more or further college choices...and great schools for the liberal kids...</p>
<p>seriously consider checking out colorado college, very different approach to academics with the block system. small, top 25 LAC, very creative and open, very liberal. </p>
<p>There was a thread a while back on "gay friendly" colleges, and these schools do tend to be liberal, accepting, artsy, mellow.</p>
<p>Grinnell, Macalester, Pitzer, and Carleton were not yet mentioned but these are also very liberal in the Wesleyan, Oberlin, Reed, Vassar mold. Skidmore & Occidental are also pretty good this way, but IMO a bit more preppy.</p>
<p>If you are male: Vassar, Sarah Lawrence, Skidmore, or Goucher-- as former womens' colleges with unequal M/F ratios-- tend to be a bit easier for boys to get in.</p>
<p>PS oops I see a few were mentioned on the list on P 1...</p>
<p>University of Colorado, Boulder! Lots of pot, trust me I've lived here for about 10 years, and the pot is the reason I have to get away for a bit, its a but much... CU has a great honors college too. There are quite a few preps at CU, but also lots of hippies. Every year there is a large 4/20 celebration on campus. Boulder is hippie paradise too, lots of health food, funky shops, and plenty of ways in which to embrace nature. CU is a good, hippie friendly school, you should check it out!!</p>
<p>Ignore the parents judging you. I have friends who smoke and are incredibly successful. I don't myself but in no way would I impose judgement on others.</p>
<p>As for schools, VASSAR college if you are a nice friendly hippy (I love Vassar), Wesleyan if you are a judgemental hipster hippy.</p>
<p>Yeah not Northwestern, Haverford, Swarthmore, Colgate, etc. About a third of the LACs will be your type of thing. I think Vassar would be your dream school but its hard to get into, you should aim for over a 2000 on the SAT.</p>
<p>Guess what generation of folks is reading your applications, kids? Plenty of self-described 60s radicals and 70s hippies. Universities are, for the most part, liberal places. </p>
<p>It should be no surprise that some of your professors and administrators will tell you their stories about Big Cypress, about NYE shows, about where they were when they heard Jerry died.</p>
<p>I'm not condoning the extracurricular use that was mentioned earlier in this thread. I'm merely suggesting that you'll find plenty of open minded, kind, music lovers in all areas of the university you attend.</p>
<p>Berkeley's hippy image was prominent in the 60's, but most students their today are middle class suburban white and asian american kids. While Berkelely is still a very liberal place (and especially the city) it's not the hippy center it once was...same goes for UC Santa Cruz. Twenty years ago, that place would have been mecca for someone like yourself...today, it's mostly suburbanites from southern california (take it from me, I grew up five minutes from UCSC).</p>
<p>I would recommend a place like Oberlin, Reed, Evergreen or Ithaca College if you are looking for a smaller school.</p>
<p>If you are looking at a mega research university, go with the publics (Berkeley included). They are so large and so diverse, you will find your clique there for sure.</p>
<p>Being liberal, wearing dreadlocks, and enjoying music are fine. You'll be in good company at almost every college. </p>
<p>Smoking marijuana is something else. Smoking pot is psychologically and physically unhealthy. Even so called "recreational" use is a very bad practice (and illegal). In his original post, smagster seemed to be looking for a college where it is cool to smoke. </p>
<p>Being politically liberal, music-loving, dressing differently...they are not an excuse for substance abuse. Don't confuse these behaviors. Pot smoking is always bad, even in small amounts. I just want to be clear about this.</p>
<p>When you get to college, stay away from pot-smoking (and the students who engage in it, if you can). </p>
<p>In an article in the November 2000 issue of the Journal "Addiction", the Harvard School of Public Health found that about 15% of college students smoke pot. It is an alarming statistic, but by no means a majority of college students. It would be no great loss to your college experience if you avoided that 15%.</p>