<p>I was shocked to see on another website that Hamilton rated a "D-" for its drug and alcohol scene. Is this an exaggeration or is it true that there is widespread drug use and excessive drinking at Hamilton?</p>
<p>Just as is the case at nearly every College and Univeristy, there are those at Hamilton who do use drugs and alcohol. Hamilton has a diverse student body, most of whom do not find it necessary to resort to drugs in order to have a fulfilling college experience. Its important to remember that when looking at a category like drug scene, it only takes a couple of students and a handful of instances over the years for an entire campus (especially an intimate one like Hamilton) to be called into question about its drug scene.</p>
<p>exaggeration. gross exaggeration. i know that stuff goes on, but I personally have never encountered drugs of any kind. alcohol on a college campus is unavoidable. however, it’s definitely not the only option, and my friends and i (who all don’t drink) never feel overpowered by the drinking scene. the college does a great job at providing substance free housing and many alcohol free activities. as far as the students go, a third of hamilton’s population doesn’t drink or do drugs at all. another third drinks 1 to 4 drinks a week. And the last third drinks more than 4 drinks a week. Overall, no matter what you want to do on the weekends, you will find other people like you, and no one group is in the majority.</p>
<p>I’m not so sure about calling it an exaggeration… there’s no pressure to do drugs or drink if you don’t want to, but there are plenty of kids here who I see smoking a joint outside a dorm at 1 PM, people who come to classes high, etc. It’s not the majority at all, but it definitely exists. If you don’t want to drink or do drugs, you don’t have to at all - but be rest assured somewhere there is some kid on a Friday drinking and smoking the entire night. Drugs, especially weed, has a presence here and it shouldn’t be disregarded. </p>
<p>Don’t think if you come here you/your child have/has to do anything though; I can’t stress that enough. Basically, if you want to drink or smoke or something, you’ll find it. If not, you can avoid it with ease.</p>
<p>This admission candidate’s family is esp. interested in the info. about weed use. Thank you for your candor about a topic that definitely does not cast the College in the best possible light. Although it may be possible to “avoid” use and users, the simple prevalence of weed in and around campus is enough of a turn-off. Hamilton’s competitor LACs appear to be doing a better job in this area, making it easy for our D to announce that the drug scene at Hamilton is a deal-breaker for her.</p>
<p>Don’t fool yourself about drug use at other LACs like Williams, Amherst, Wesleyan, or Middlebury. All LACs fall within a very narrow range on the drug spectrum. In fact, I would suggest that hardcore drugs are more prevalent at some of the schools listed above than they are at Hamilton. If marijuana use is a “deal-breaker” than maybe small liberal arts colleges aren’t the best fit. Try Bob Jones University maybe…</p>
<p>Climbingfreak, as a parent who’s fully prepared to write a check to some institute of higher education for $50 K a year X 4 years, I’m really tired of the “Get over the drugs and alcohol issue…We’re no worse than any other LAC out there” argument. Our money will go to that place that is forthright in its acknowledgement of a problem, and strategic and proactive in its efforts to remediate it. There ARE other top tier LACs that fit this bill.</p>
<p>I actually agree with ClimbingFreakJr. I’m not even in college, but having visited more than my fair share, having a brother in college, 2 parents that work for a university, and living in a university community - you’re kidding yourself if you’re trying to avoid weed and beer at a college. If there are 18-22 year olds, those things are there. Obviously there are shades of grey between Arizona State and MIT for drinking, but don’t think it’s avoidable</p>
<p>I agree with ITSMYGOP. This is an issue for many parents and students and it needs to be recognized. Hamilton has somehow received (justifiably or not) a reputation as a school with a strong drug culture. Wesleyan also has this reputation. This is not true of all LACs. This does not mean I fool myself into believing that there are no drugs at these schools, but I do wonder why the perception exists. </p>
<p>I don’t understand how some can so cavalierly dismiss this important concern. Certainly it can be a factor in a persons decision. In my opinion, Hamilton is an outstanding school, but yes the drug reputation is an issue for me.</p>
<p>Weston - I think you’re quite mistaken in your argument. say, for example, that Hamilton and Wesleyan DO have a higher % of students doing drugs compared to, say, Middlebury. what is not mentioned is how MUCH more. and the answer is, not much more. say, 8% vs. 5%, or 15% vs. 11%. we’re talking semantics here. </p>
<p>point being, even at these more “drug-friendly” schools, it is extremely easy to avoid not only drugs themselves, but people who do drugs. it’s the same thing with sex at college. if you want to avoid it, you will have no issues doing so. </p>
<p>Wesleyan also has a reputation for a naked dorm. reality fact-check: there is no naked dorm, just some Wes students that decided to mess with a NYTimes reporter. not all reputations are true, and even some true ones are only half-truths.</p>
<p>wow, good luck to you itsmygop and weston in finding a school for your kids. The fact is, these students are adults and they need to start making some of these decisions for themselves. My kids don’t drink or do drugs, not because they fear me but because they don’t want to! I am confident that when they go to college, they will seek out the friends and activities that will keep them engaged socially and wouldn’t be interested in being friends with kids who would look down on them for not participating in a party scene. At their high school, the partying culture is predominant and they have navigated their way successfully through that. Do I anticipate that they may do some experimentation in college? Of course, and I’d be stupid to think otherwise, but I don’t know that seeking out a heavy handed college administration is the right approach, IMO.</p>
<p>I have no first hand experience with Hamilton, but I think this is pretty shocking:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It’s absolutely true that there are kids drinking and using drugs on virtually every college campus.</p>
<p>It is not true that these things are going on to the same extent everywhere. Different college administrations have different attitudes and approaches. Some are sort of hands off and don’t go looking for it, others are much tougher and proactive. I’m not saying one’s better than another, but to say the situation is the same everywhere is incorrect.</p>
<p>When I said that I’ve seen plenty of people smoke pot in broad daylight, I wasn’t kidding. But there are way way way more people who are more discreet!
In all seriousness, there are NO schools that I can possibly think of that have a drug/alcohol policy with which some of you would be satisfied. Your kids can avoid these things with ease if they so choose. In fact, some places I know of that are really strict on drugs and alcohol, such as state schools, you might find more peer pressure there while here, kids respect one another to make these decisions.</p>
<p>If you think that Hamilton administration TOLERATES drug use, that is a whole other issue. drug use is NOT tolerated by res life, and a pretty hefty sum of points can be awarded to anyone caught with pot.
contrary to what bestwit has said, I have NEVER seen anyone smoke pot in daylight or nighttime. i’ve smelled it, but i have never been faced with it. like some of your kids, I choose to avoid it… it all depends on the choices you make and who your friends are. other LACs are just as bad if not worse. im not saying that you have to “get used to the drug issue” but you can’t be blindsighted to the fact that drug culture exists EVERYWHERE. you have to trust that your kids will make good choices and find friends that share similar interests.
hamilton is an amazing experience… and a non-statistically accurate survey from college ******* shouldn’t be the dealbreaker on an amazing place, especially if you haven’t visited.</p>
<p>why wont college confidential let me say p-r-o-w-l-e-r?? pft!</p>
<p>Colleges without any drugs are hard to find, however, if you are looking for a place with policies in place to combat it, try Pepperdine in CA. They have a dry campus, which is what I’m assuming you are looking for, itsmygop and Frogmom</p>
<p>@wazsnipes, no, that was not at all the purpose of my original post(if you read it). I simply said that I was shocked at the implication that drug and alchohol use were worse at Hamilton than at comparable colleges. Watch your assumptions!</p>