<p>From the first time I read about St. John's, I've been fascinated by it's educatioal style, and I think it would be perfect for me in that way. But I'm rather conservative and am worried that the Princeton Review's classification of St. John's as a hippy school means the student would be oppresively liberal. Is St. John's really a far left, drug using school as the Princeton Review ranking suggests? Could someone who's actually been there talk about the political leanings and substance abuse in the student body?</p>
<p>Leo Strauss taught there. If you don't know who he is I suggest you research him. Many might consider St. John's to be one of the most conservative schools in the country. Not in the sense that the school is filled with religious wackos, of course, but that its curriculum shuns the liberal/postmodern disease of multiculturalism and relativism.</p>
<p>I'm not a student there (I'm applying) but I did visit as a prospective student and I noticed that many of the students I talked to talked a lot about substance abuse. alcohol, shrooms, weed, LSD... I honestly think that if you are going for the educational purposes, then the substance abuse can be ignored. one thing all the students did say is that there is no pressure. if you aren't into that then you wont be held at gun point to try it.</p>
<p>So this is a bit late, but Leo Strauss did not teach there, but he did give Friday night lectures. He was also a Scott Buchanan Distinguished Scholar in Residence until he died. But he was not a tutor.</p>
<p>And St. John's is also not "oppresively liberal." The point of the seminars and tutorials is for everyones voice to be heard, no matter your faith or political relations.</p>
<p>As a matter of fact, anyone who cares that much about modern politics should probably look elsewhere.</p>