Davidson College Top Questions

Student body is pretty homogenous; there's very little diversity on campus. The diversity that does exist tends to self-segregate, much as they did at my large, diverse high school. Most students dress very nicely for class; you'll rarely see pjs or sweats in the classroom, and often see dresses and heels. Financially, most are upper-middle class, mostly WASPs...though that's changing with the no-loan policy. Davidson students tend to be centrists, which means that in the intellectual world Davidson comes accross conservative. Many students do talk about earning potential and cite earning money as a top goal, though many are more idealistic too.

We've had open dialogue about the lack of racial diversity on campus, but with the installation of The Davidson Trust, we should have more students from different socio-economic backgrounds. Students are politically active in a non-traditional, anti-rally kind of way. Instead of going picketing, more students are likely to attend a lecture or institute a dialogue.

Davidson is a relatively laid-back campus. Being affiliated with the Presbyterian church, many students are Christian, but not all (not me). Davidson can seem pretty homogenous at times, but there are pushes to increase diversity. Economically, it seems that most students come from an upper-middle class background. People come from all around the US. I'm from Texas, my roommate Alabama, my other friends Illinois, Vermont, California... just about everywhere. There is some East Coast-type style going on, but not too much. Davidson students try to be very active in current social issues. We are invited to SO MANY events to raise money for different causes, whether it's a benefit concert, a food drive, a speaker to raise awareness, etc. There are both conservative and liberal groups on campus and neither predominates too much, so political discussion is pretty balanced.

Davidson's student body is definitely not as diverse as is could/should be. That being said, it is far more diverse than my high school. I have interacted with a lot more students of different races, religions, and sexual orientations here than I ever did before I entered college. The appearance of the student body varies. Some people wear really comfortable clothes, such as pajamas or workout clothes, to class, but I would say that this is the minority. Most people either wear nice casual clothes or even dresses or skirts to class. A lot of Davidson students are from the southeastern United States, simply due to the school's geographic location and low name recognition outside of the south, but there are certainly a large number of students from the western, midwestern, and northeastern United States.

Davidson has been accused of not being incredibly diverse. Yet I think Davidson has a kind of diversity very few colleges like us have - political diversity. Pretty much all competitive liberal arts colleges are dominated by liberals. Although I myself am liberal, I thought it was important to be challenged politically. At Davidson you'll have political discussions with people from all sides and they will be intelligent and challenging. Davidson might be a "bubble," but you will be prepared for a politically divided world.

Davidson has had a lot of events dealing with diversity this year. We're a really small school, and it is hard to get in, so maintaining diversity can be tough. I personally feel while we are not quite diverse enough, we are well on our way. There are many programs to promote racial understanding and our LGBT programs are some of the best at Davidson.

The student body is quite homogenous at first glance, but the diversity reveals itself as you get to know different students. Every once in a while race is an issue on campus in reaction to a specific event that is usually the result of one ignorant person rather than the community ideals, and most people are shocked when such an incident occurs. there is a significant religious community on campus, and many people pursue faith on an individual level, but religeous life does not create conflict or division on campus, and having a larger religious part of the student body takes the focus of social life away from "partying" to some extent: there are always kids doing something different things on the weekends, so you can do what fits your mood. Generally students come from wealthy backgrounds, but the new no-loan policy may change that demographic in the coming years. i think about 1/3 to 1/2 of the student body are from the southeast, but there is a strong northern contingent as well, and a good number of west coasters. Politically, Davidson is made up of strong liberals, strong conservatives, and a good number of moderates. During election years politics are front and center, but aside from that the atmosphere is not overwhelmingly political. Many students are future-minded as far as careers go, and are generally high achieving.

Davidson is more welcoming than people seem to think. I've never had any real problems with other students. The administration really emphasizes the value of diversity, which I appreciate. Students are very politically aware. Many of the most outspoken students are liberal, whereas conservative students don't seem to speak up as much. I'm not sure why this is. I've written papers from a conservative viewpoint simply to do something different - I'm pretty liberal - and I've always earned good grades. The professors seem to lean left, although they never try to indoctrinate students. I've been in many classes where professors encourage students to argue from liberal AND conservative viewpoints in order to help students to see all sides of an issue. We're mostly focused on learning about everything - not just learning slanted in one direction. I would like to see more socio-economic diversity, but beyond that, I think that the College is doing a great job of increasing diversity overall.

For the most part everyone is very accepting. Like any school there are a wide range of people, and they tend to be split up in the frats and eating houses. There are the jocks, the preps, the people who drink a lot, the people who study a lot, etc... but it is not very exclusive. Anyone on campus can go to any party, although some choose not to go to any. Davidson kids tend to be richer, and everyone is extremely motivated. Pretty much everyone expects they'll make a lot of money some day.

Davidson's student body is pretty heterogeneous when it comes to geography, and isn't that racially diverse. THere is a minority community, but the great thing about Davidson, is that it is so small that you will be forced to interact with someone completely unlike you, and the student body here is extremely tolerant and eventually accepting of differences.