Academics
This small school north of Charlotte, North Carolina, cultivates an environment “that is very open to change and improvement” and empowers students to “be better people and make a difference in the world.” The administration works hard to create an on-campus community and constantly makes efforts “to support and improve Davidson,” all while keeping students happy and their minds full. “I have never witnessed people so eager to come do their job every day. [Professors] are almost too willing to help,” says a student. There is also a trickle-down effect because even the student body is supportive and “eager to watch you succeed.” The school offers a classic liberal arts education, and students suggest that they all “come out smarter than they came in” as a result of the encouragement to take classes in all areas. “If I could spend twenty years being educated by this administration and these professors, I would,” says a very happy junior. School is the number one priority for all of the students here, and while academics are all-consuming, time-wise, they are also “fascinating and rewarding.” Without a doubt, Davidson is a tough school—“99 percent of us left our 4.0 GPAs back in high school,” claims a student—and professors don’t believe in grade inflation or curving grades, but they do readily make themselves available outside of class for help or discussion. There is a lot of work, but it “is accompanied by even more resources with which it can be successfully managed.” One student testimonial: “My calculus teacher last semester had office hours in the student union, and he invited the whole class over to his house for chicken dinner—twice!” The dedication of the staff is contagious, and “though the work is rigorous, time spent in school never feels wasted.”
Student Body
Davidson is “an amalgamation of all types of people, religiously, ethnically, politically, economically, etc.,” all “united under the umbrella of intellectual curiosity” and their devotion to the school as a community. The typical Davidson student is “probably white,” but admissions has been making progress in racially diversifying the campus, which students agree is necessary. Though there are plenty of southern, preppy, athletic types to fit the brochure examples, there are many niches for every type of “atypical” student. “There are enough people that one can find a similar group to connect with, and there are few enough people that one ends up connecting with dissimilar [people] anyway,” says a student. Everyone here is smart and wellrounded; admissions “does a good job...so if you’re in, you’ll probably make the cut all the way through the four years.” Most students have several extracurriculars to round out their free time, and they have a healthy desire to enjoy themselves when the books shut. “During the week we work hard. On the weekends we play hard. We don’t do anything halfway,” says a senior. Though the majority of students lean to the left, there’s a strong conservative contingent, and there are no real problems between the two.
Campus Life
Davidson “possesses an intense study culture, and people hit the books regularly; it’s cool to be smart.” One of the many wonderful things about Davidson “is that academics voluntarily leave the classroom.” “It’s not uncommon to hear people discussing their current academic topics at lunch or in the gym.” Basketball is a huge common ground for the student body at large; “Everyone enjoys being a part of the underdog/Cinderella story.” Weeks are devoted to study, as well as extracurricular activities—“you see your friends because you are doing homework together or eating meals together, not because you’re vegging out.” Of course, even Davidson students need to kick back, and there are always plenty of parties to be found on the weekends. Fraternities and eating houses (the Davidson version of sororities) are popular. Fortunately, “there really is no pressure to drink. You can go out and dance and have a great time or have movie nights with friends,” says a student. The combination of the idyllic atmosphere and the workload “can make it hard to stay up-to-date on current events, yet most students remain well-informed.”
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