Davidson College Top Questions

Davidson is small liberal arts college, a gem in the Carolina area. Because of it's size, it's easy to recognize anyone on campus, and people say hello all the time. My favorite thing about Davidson is that the college makes sure every student gets a quality experience. Professors invite their students to their homes and are always available for help, there are organizations for almost any interest, studying abroad is very popular junior year, flickerball teams are a special part of the freshman experience, athletes work just as hard as everyone else, and there are opportunities to join eating houses and frats though they are non-exclusive and not the focus of campus life. The honor code allows for freedom to have self-scheduled exams, take home tests, and trust in fellow students. The small town atmosphere caters to the students with a coffee shop, CVS, book store, and a couple quaint eating spots. The townies love to support the college. Davidson is small, with its ups and downs. Small means a close-knit community, but also it's hard to remain anonymous at times. Students complain about the lack of dating culture, and instead a hook-up scene, but that seems to be the case at most colleges. It's funny that many Davidson grads end up marrying each other. The administration is amazing. They are always looking to move the college forward, and always get the student's input on how to make the campus it's best. The trustees proved their generosity to students by paying for any student to go to watch the basketball team play in the Sweet 16 in Detroit. The one experience I will always remember was being in the stands at the Sweet 16 cheering on our basketball team. We got 500 students to go, and the school spirit took over. We cheered so loud, the whole stadium was asking "Who are these Davidson people?" It was a great day to be a wildcat. The unusual thing about Davidson is that even though it is small, it competes with the best in academics, athletics, and quality of life. It is in the South, but attracts well-rounded people from all over the US and from foreign countries. It embodies the saying, "the best things come in small packages."

It's a small place, but it's a great place! There is a real sense of community

Davidson has a great sense of community, probably due to its small size (around 1700 students) and its strong Honor Code. People around campus are friendly and respectful. The Honor Code plays an important role in setting the tone on campus. All students agree to abide by the Honor Code, and it remains in their consciousness throughout their time here. Any infractions are taken seriously; a student-elected Honor Council judges any violations of the code. Such cases are rare, however. Overall, Davidson has a really positive campus atmosphere.

I cant' really say anything bad about the town of Davidson; I've grown up here. I've spent my whole life observing the way the town works and now have the perspective of a college student, and it still follows the fantastic ideal of a small town. That's how I feel at least, some people may find the small atmosphere constricting. I like being able to see people Iknow everywhere I go and tlaking to them, and so while there isn't that much nightlife, there is the great environment. Recently there has been a lot of school pride around the basketball team, and while that showing was extraordinary, I think that it means something that it was there because it means that we all do feel strongly for this school and take pride in it.

Davidson: The Big Picture -Small, but not too small. I transferred to Davidson during my sophomore year from a school that was around 1000 students total. This is a much healthier size. You recognize most everyone, but you certainly don't know everyone's name. -Excellent education. While students might work harder than they want at times, the professors are overall stellar. I have not had one professor that I regret taking a course from. The range goes from good, but not my favorite to I will remain friends with them well after I graduate. -Busy bees. Students at Davidson know how to fill up their schedules. People here study and do so much more. Philanthropy, Sports and the Arts seem to be the biggest ways people spend their time here outside of the library or the classroom. -Party or no party. Take your pick. You can be in a frat or not. You can be in an eating house (the girl's social house) or not. No judgment, just what you want. -Davidson, who? Until the Elite Eight NCAA Basketball experience, hardly anyone could locate Davidson on a map, or tell if Davidson was a 4-year college or not. -The Union. It is like a big wonderful living room. You will live there (or the library) if you come to Davidson.

If you want to go to an idyllic, stereotypical, liberal arts college, Davidson is the place for you. Because even though Davidson does play into a lot of what the media these days has cast it as, it has SO much more to offer. Free laundry is great, basketball is better, but Davidson people are what make the Davidson experience so great. With such a small community, there isn't much room to be a jerk- if you are, everyone will know. And while this community can be a little too small at times, there's always someone interesting to get to know.

Davidson's set in the closest thing to Mayberry you'll find anywhere...an incredibly supportive, friendly small town. It's a very small campus - the 'bubble'- but there's actually a lot to do between classes, extracurriculars, special guest concerts and activities, and Patterson Court. There's been a ton of school spirit recently due to the men's basketball team...but even before then, people have been very proud of their school. Until just recently, most people hadn't heard of Davidson...despite its high academic standards, you're not going to get the same respect as a Harvard student or Yalie. In the academic world, however, people know what a phenomenal school this is.

The best thing and the worst thing about Davidson are the same thing: the sheer quality and quantity of extremely talented students living in close quarters. It's easy to get claustrophobic here.

Davidson is a great liberal arts school, but at the same time is very strong in the sciences (I'm a biology major, it's great). The best thing about Davidson is the strong community feel (because it's a small school) and the accessibility of resources; really you're only limited by your ambition at Davidson. People may sometimes think that Davidson isn't a top school because they haven't heard of it before. However, med schools, grad schools, law schools, and industry do know Davidson (especially after this year's NCAA!) and I have personally found that my education from Davidson has made me extremely competitive after college. The town of Davidson is nice. Davidson is situated in the suburbs of Charlotte, which means that there are many movie theaters and nice places to get some cheap food in the area (6 mile radius). Almost all night life is on campus, which may sound monotonous, but it isn't, really.

The best part about Davidson is the Honor Code. It enables us so much freedom and really fosters a community of trust and respect. I would definitely enhance our name recognition. The basketball team this year has helped a lot in that department. When I say I go to Davidsoon, I still get a few responses like "Now where is that, again?" or "Is that a community college?" but not as many as I used to. On campus, I spend most of my time either in the Union or in my room.