Davidson College Top Questions

Davidson is a primarily white school, unfortunately. They are trying to work on increasing interracial diversity on campus, but that's a slow process. The interracial issues on campus aren't very apparent. In general people are friendly and I haven't heard any racial slurs used to make fun of other students. But it is very apparent that there is a big white population. I'm white and it even made me feel a little uncomfortable at first because I'm used to living in a big city and I've never been in such a white-dominated area. Although it's a little weird at first, I don't think the tension is that high because the students on the campus are generally very friendly and considerate regardless of race or economic background. The students tend to look good when they go to class. By that I do not mean ties and button-downs, but polo shirts and khakis are very popular for guys and it's not surprising to see girls in summer dresses in the spring.

Let's be honest. Davidson is a school of rich, white kids. Nearly every minority student here is on a hefty scholarship, because the school is so desperate to bring them in. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of mixing that occurs between racial groups either. Each ethnic group really tends to stick to its own.

Davidson isn't particularly diverse racially, statistically speaking, but it's not glaringly obvious walking around. Also, I think the administration is trying hard to diversify the student population. Some students are extremely career-driven and focused, others are complete fuckups (or, as complete a fuckup as one can be and be able to remain at Davidson). There are a lot of liberals and conservatives, lots of people from the north and the south, and a few from the west coast.

For a small school in the South, Davidson is very diverse. Although I am white, my freshman room mate and best friend is black, my other close friend is a gay interenational student. We have almost no obese or gothic students. You find a bunch of type-A go-getters. When I visited as a prospective student, everyone that I met and socialized with made me feel so welcome and left me with the impression that like them, I would be very happy here. Needless to say, before I left for the airport, I stopped by the admissions office and switched my application to early decision.

Davidson's student body is pretty homogeneous. It is mainly upper-middle class white kids, but to its credit it is making an effort to become more diverse. People are generally tolerant and accepting of one another, but, as is the case everywhere, students who are a like racially and ethnically do tend to gravitate towards one another. Most everyone is from the east coast, and there are often north/south rivalries. The student body is not overly politically active, but if you want to get involved the opportunities are definitely there. I don't think the student body is one sided enough to be classified as liberal or conservative. While most people do come from at least middle class backgrounds, with a large percentage coming from private schools, there are a lot of people who participate in the work/study program, and money is almost never discussed.

My experience on campus as far as anyone considered "different" in society is that there is more tolerance here for such groups then just about anywhere else I have ever been. People here come from an incredibly large amount of different backgrounds and there is not only tolerance of differences, but acceptance. The people on this campus who are most out of place are the intolerant and unaccepting. Campus attire is often very chill, but you can see anything from sweats to a shirt and tie (much less common) in class. Students from all different backgrounds and beliefs interact on a daily basis. The biggest split I have noticed is between athletes and non-athletes and even that doesn't keep the two from interacting and being friends. Athletes just tend to hang out with athletes more often and vice versa. I personally come from a lower middle class family financially with two teachers as parents and I've found that the student body tends to be more on the wealthy side but that has never made a bit of difference to me. As far as political attitudes there are very active students here and less active. Politically you will see everything from far left to far right but socially most people are much more liberal, as I mentioned earlier about universal acceptance on campus.

Since the school is smaller in size, the ethnic, religious, etc. diversity is not extrodinarily defined but the college does its best to incorporate different views and opinions on these types of subjects into the college life. There are a large variety of discussion groups and speakers that come to Davidson to speak about these issues as well. The students themselves come from all parts of the world and many have active political awareness and views. The student body seems to be slightly more liberal.

I would say the student body is very open. Most people are friendly and accepting of all. However, at the same time I feel like there is segregation amongst the minorities and there is seldom integration between the two. Not to say that it doesn't occur at all it just seems like there is a visible separation on campus. Also, there is a large number of athletes on campus whom tend to stick together as well. The student body hails from all over the country. I have friends from California to Connecticut which is a really cool aspect about Davidson and I love how everyone has a different story.

Students at Davidson are primarily white, upper-middle class, hard-working, motivated students. A good portion of the student body participates in athletics whether that be varsity teams, intermurals, or club sports. I've found these groups typically stay together and rarely mix with others except for (maybe) their hall. In Vail Commons, the most common eating place, I've noticed that the football, tennis, basketball, golf, and other teams sit together. If you're not part of an athletic team, you'll probably end up sitting with your hall. I've found this trend to be a frustrating part of Davidson. You'd think by college we'd grow out of our clannish tendencies and mix with people who aren't exactly like us. If you're mostly concerned with your career, athletic, and hard-working, you'll probably like Davidson. If you like intellectual stimulation outside of class, are politically active, non-athletic, non-clannish, non-religious, and very liberal you'll probably be unhappy at Davidson. I'm not saying there aren't people who are like that, but I am saying that if you're all of those things, I recommend you strongly consider a different college. Most students come from all over the United States and we have a decent size of international students as well. Davidson is not a typical Southern college in that regard. Politically, Davidson is split between Republicans and Democrats almost exactly. You'll find others with your political views although they may not be particularly vocal. Bottom Line: If you're not athletic at all, you may want to consider other schools first. A great deal of socializing takes place through athletic groups. If you're not athletic, you'll probably only be friends with people on your hall and a few others.

Students at Davidson are passionate about changing the world. I love it.