<p>my friend and his family (i am very close to them) does NOT want me going to any boarding school because they think it a terrible environment filled with druggies and alcohol and such.
I have never heard of exeter, andover, and deerfield having these things, isn't this true?
why would such motivated kids do these things?
because i am sure some low tier boarding schools do, but some of the top schools?</p>
<p>You’ll find drugs and alcohol at all the schools, I’m afraid. But I’d like to think it’s better than at publics and it’s certainly not the norm. “Filled with” is hardly apt. Unlike public schools, BS are in the position to be able to kick out the troublemakers. Some schools have a one strike policy. Some schools give a second chance. If you’re really concerned about it, you can ask about it at revisit days. It sounds like you want a one-strike school. </p>
<p>It seems like there was a thread about this last year. Do a search for “drugs” in the title and you’ll probably come up with all sorts of things.</p>
<p>alright thanks!</p>
<p>agreed
tenchar</p>
<p>someone read the it girl haha</p>
<p>and only holderness is the mainstream school with a lot of druggies</p>
<p>i agree. ive heard some schools have drugs and stuff but people do get kicked out so its taken care of, hopefully most of the time</p>
<p>You’re going to find alcohol, drugs, sex, and another things deemed “inappropriate” at any school you go to, whether it’s a boarding school, a public school or a private school. Remember that Andover, Exeter, Hotchkiss, Groton, Saint Paul’s School, Deerfield, Lawrenceville, etc. aren’t the only boarding schools in the US. There are a lot of boarding schools that aren’t very good and have a lot of troublemakers in them. However, HADES and the other schools in the top 10 are very strict about alcohol abuse and the use of drugs, and they’ll have a one-strike policy. The case of drug use at your friend’s school is probably worse than the cases at the boarding schools you mentioned.</p>
<p>Boarding schools are waaaay more strict about that stuff than public schools. It’s logical.
Of course there are still drugs and bad things, I mean, it’s still a high school. But there’s less of it at a boarding school, it’s harder to get away with it at a boarding school, and I’d like to think it’s harder to get drugs/alcohol at a boarding school.</p>
<p>@nataliet- where did you read that each of these schools listed have a “one-strike policy”? what’s the source of this information?</p>
<p>choate has a one-strike policy and i know that cause i have some friends that got kicked out after one offense</p>
<p>Most of the top 10 are NOT one strike schools, which I think is smart. Everyone makes mistakes - especially teenagers. People deserve second chances and the opportunity to learn from their mistakes.</p>
<p>From the Exeter “E Book”:</p>
<p>Major Offenses. The faculty may at any time dismiss a student from the
Academy for committing or attempting to commit any of the following offenses,
including a first offense:
- Hazing other students. Hazing is defined as harassing, intimidating, or
coercing another student with the purpose or result of embarrassment,
disturbance, or humiliation (see Hazing, pages 52, 55). - Dishonest acts of any kind, including plagiarism or the unauthorized
removal of materials from the Library. - The purchase, possession, use, or distribution of:
a. any illicit or illegal drug, including marijuana,
b. any prescription drug in a manner not consistent with the
instructions of the prescribing physician,
c. legal over-the-counter drugs, or “home-made” preparations or
remedies for purposes other than legitimate medical treatment or
d. prescription or over-the-counter pharmaceuticals in a form that
would not normally be purchased. Possession of paraphernalia
that are customarily used for illegal drug use or drug abuse will
be considered a violation of this rule. - Leaving Exeter without permission.
- Absence from the dorm without permission after reporting hours at night.
- Purchasing, possessing, drinking, or being under the influence of
alcoholic beverages, or the possession of empty alcoholic beverage
containers.
Students who choose to remain present when alcohol, other drug, or hazing
rules are being broken may be subject to major disciplinary action.</p>
<p>All of these elite schools have too much to lose if they tolerate, or even give the impression that they tolerate drugs or alcohol. Very little downside risk for these schools of using a one strike approach.</p>
<p>I tend to agree with creative1 on this. However, a school’s second chance policy (or lack thereof) is not a big deal-breaker for us. I don’t anticipate my children having an issue with this, but one never knows what can happen down the road. Kids not only make mistakes, but sometimes; I really do think that kids are in the proverbial “wrong place at the wrong time.”</p>
<p>Today, as eighth graders, they have zero tolerance for alcohol / drug abuse. I sincerely hope they continue to feel this way and I certainly remind them very often (mainly by showing them concrete examples of how drug / alcohol abuse has seriously messed up otherwise brilliant futures and / or showing them the realities of an addict’s life).</p>
<p>But I have to remember that I was once a teenager. I haven’t forgotten how incredibly STUPID even the most brilliant kids can be. </p>
<p>I don’t fault any school for having a one-strike policy; as long as there is a sanctuary provision. They need to be able to get help without fear jeopardizing their future, (and possibly those of their friends). If a teen has the beginning of a substance problem, being expelled from BS may very well be what sends him all the way down to the bottom. I don’t think this sits well with any school mission statement I have read anywhere. If I were to ask my son, he’d probably say that he would prefer the one-strike policy. But then he’s never seen that downward spiral.</p>
<p>Just my two cents.</p>