<p>Can anyone explain why Hamilton is ranked as such in this category?</p>
<p>Drug</a> Scene - College Rankings</p>
<p>I could see in the middle of the pack, but not where it stands at the moment!</p>
<p>Oh oh, don’t ask. Don’t you know there are drugs and drinking at pretty much every college? If this concerns you then then perhaps you should attend some strict religious school. If you are a concerned parent, then they feel sorry for your kids, because you are overprotective and your kids will end up repressed.</p>
<p>All half joking aside, you are asking a good question. Why does Hamilton have the lowest grade in this area? Yes we know there are drugs and drinking at most schools, but why did Hamilton get a worse score than all these other schools?</p>
<p>I believe Hamilton is an outstanding school that offers incredible opportunity to perspective students. However, the OP asks an important question. Here is hoping he/she receives some thoughtful replies, rather than the drivel that past posters received regarding this issue.</p>
<p>It depends how this survey was done. How selective was the sample, how many responded, randomness, etc. If you have studied statistics, you know if there are few respondents, those who do, can really skew the data. That’s why Gallup polls use very rigorous data. </p>
<p>Another frame of reference from students is the Princeton Review 2010 Best 371 Colleges where Hamilton does not even appear in the “beer or drug” categories. But many other schools do. And if you look at the specific Hamilton section, students do not highlight this as an issue. Take a look at collegeconfidential.com as well.</p>
<p>No drivel.</p>
<p>Again, in speaking with students and alums, there is plenty of beer (but no more unusual than other campuses), but you don’t have to participate - no pressure. As the previous poster mentions, if this is really concerning you, you probably should not attend. Sure seems like a lot of unnecessary, undeserved attention on this vs. similar or worse beer/drug problems at Bates, Colby and particularly Vassar.</p>
<p>Hamilton has actually been focusing on this issue and cracking down on students. they have a much stricter policy this year with respect to students using/abusing hard alcohol/drugs on campus and D who is a Jr. there is noticing positive changes. fewer students sent to the hospital during past year after heaving drinking and several students suspended for the semester due to use of illegal drugs. these issues are on ALL campuses for the most part and all schools deal with this problem, agree with poster who referenced how small sample size can skew the “results” posted on some college review sites. we have been impressed with how Hamilton is responding to the issues and how open/honest the administration is rather than some schools that would pretend problem doesn’t exist.</p>
<p>I agree. I’m a current student and will add that there are certainly drugs to be had on campus like any other campus. At Hamilton, the drug scene is largely underground for obvious reasons. If you are not actively seeking it out, you won’t be subjected to it. The administration has taken a hard stance against the use of drugs on campus and it seems to be working well as a deterrent for most people.</p>
<p>I would not let this review negatively influence your view of Hamilton. Having visited many other NESCAC and other schools around the northeast, I can tell you that the drug scene at Hamilton is no worse, andprobably a lot less noticable than it is at other schools. The reason why we have such a low ranking is because our administration cares and has cracked down by suspending several students - having a few kids kicked out of a school of a couple thousand kids is a relatively high percentage when compared to other, larger schools.</p>
<p>spygate, what did the students get suspended for and when did it happen?</p>
<p>JohnAdams,</p>
<p>You can find the information here.
[Hamilton</a> College - News - Drug Policy Violations Prompt New Penalties](<a href=“http://www.hamilton.edu/spectator/012810/news/drug.html]Hamilton”>http://www.hamilton.edu/spectator/012810/news/drug.html)</p>
<p>Yes, Hamilton is really looking to control this with strong implications. Many other LACs are loathe to do suspension or expellation. This should help quite a bit and I applaud the administration for taking good action.</p>
<p>Ok thanks…</p>
<p>a couple of kids got caught with cocaine this last fall (first time in 4 years)- one selling it…</p>
<p>hardly seems to be enough to label Hamilton as the worst school in the country for Drugs, does it?</p>
<p>someone should communicate with the independant college rating service to correct this.</p>
<p>I agree with your assessment. I do not think many people put much stock in ************** alone, except in combination with ***********<strong><em>.com and </em></strong> since these are all student-based commentaries. Unless someone thinks otherwise, I do not believe one can ask the sponsor to change the ratings since they are generated based upon a few student reviews. As mentioned before The Princeton Review of the Best 371 Colleges (also student-survey based, unlike US News & Report), does not indicate Hamilton has any extraordinary problem with this issue compared to many of the other colleges.</p>
<p>For instance, look up all the commentary you find in Wesleyan or Vassar and you’ll find the commentary of Hamilton tame, in comparison.</p>
<p>With the new restrictions, anyone using their "wealth: (or family’s wealth) to attend a great college like Hamilton, and abusing their own bodies or worse, facilitating others to do so, will now get a well-deserved penalty. You see this phenomenon in may affluent communities and respective high schools.</p>
<p>here we go…it seems that the same rating website that gave Hamiltion the bad marks in the Drug area has been a little off with other colleges also:</p>
<p>[Rachel</a> Baer (first-year, Undeclared) - Letters to the Editor](<a href=“http://media.www.oxyweekly.com/media/storage/paper1200/news/2010/04/14/LettersToTheEditor/Rachel.Baer.firstYear.Undeclared-3905794.shtml]Rachel”>http://media.www.oxyweekly.com/media/storage/paper1200/news/2010/04/14/LettersToTheEditor/Rachel.Baer.firstYear.Undeclared-3905794.shtml)</p>
<p>sounds like the administration is kinda going buzzkillington on the drug scene. although the stiff penalties do not cover marijuana. i say tolerate soft drugs! </p>
<p>but that’s just me. oh well.</p>