Davidson College Top Questions

Davidson truly has a community feel to it. You'll know most students by sight at least and you will form real relationships with staff and faculty. Trust here is a given because of the honor code. The Honor Council president told the freshman at orientation that the honor code creates a way of life, and I have found that to be completely accurate. The community is built on the trust formed by mutual commitment to each other and the honor code. One thing I really like is the administration. We have a new president who even as a freshman, I've met three or four times. The administration is interested and eager to hear what students have to say - not something you get a lot of places. If you want to be part of a tight knit community that will be there for you for the rest of your life, then join us at Davidson!

The best thing about Davidson is the Honor Code. Although it seems like it wouldn't work, all the students really care about it. So you can leave things laying around, and no one will take them. And during finals, you get to take your exams whereever you want in the main academic building. There are no proctors walking around, looking over your shoulder, and if you want to get up and wander the halls, you can!

The best thing about davidson is the people. While just like anywhere else people may have differences and social cliques, on the basic level people are friendly and pleasant to deal with. I was on crutches for a brief period of time and a girl i had never met offered to carry my bag to the student union, and just walked along and chatted with me. People are generally concerned about each other and willing to help out. If I could change one thing, i would make Davidson a little bigger, but keep it small enough to maintain the community feel. As a senior, I don't really meet that many new people, and everyone knows each other's business. When i tell people from home up north that i go to davidson, they usually ask how i like ohio or pennslyvania (in reference to denison and dickenson) or just say "oh that's nice." However, more locally, most people are impressed, and these days have something to say about how we messed up their NCAA brackets. Unique to davidson- the honor code, the laundry service, the combination of academia and other pursuits (athletics, theatre, music... you can do it all) and the lake campus. School pride is high, especially if our sports teams are doing well. A huge portion of the campus travelled to Detroit to watch the basketball team play in the sweet 16 and elite 8 games, which the trustees partially funded out of their own pockets. I'll always remember my freshman year overall, and the effort the school puts in to providing a great first year experience.

The academic intensity is what attracted me to the school. I'm absolutely crazy for the professors - they go out of their way to talk with every student and really get to know the folks in their classes. At Davidson, you're never a "number." (Well, except for your laundry number - it's pretty great to go to a school that does your laundry.) Our town is great and so supportive of College activities. People complain about the workload but, by and large, it's all talk -- it's not that bad and, for those of us who value the intellectual atmosphere, it's perfect. I've loved the opportunities to conduct individual research with professors.

the honor code is one of my favorite parts of Davidson. Students leave their books and belongings (even computers and wallets) around campus and know that no one will take them. We have self-scheduled or take home exams because the professors trust no one will cheat. Almost no one locks their dorm rooms. I feel so safe around campus, and things like date rape are extremely rare. Davidson is small, but I like that I can walk to class and run into five of my friends. There are plenty of people I haven't met yet, but there is a large disparity between the people that go out and the people that don't, so most everyone I haven't met is just holed up in the library all the time. You will work extremely hard here, but it's manageable and there is time to play. The school continues to gain national recognition, so all the work it worth it.

Best thing about Davidson is the honor code, I would add more classes to the curriculum, I love the small community feeling, but it lends to a lot of gossip. People used to ask where Davidson is, now they ask if I know Stephen Curry. I love love love the town of Davidson, and I spend most of my time in the union. I love the administration, they sent us to Detroit. The biggest topic on campus is racism and homophobia. There is an absurd amount of school pride.

Davidson is all about being intimate: 1700 students, 91{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} live on campus, and all classes have fewer than 20 students. Everyone seems to know everyone else, and the strictly-followed Honor Code makes for an even greater intimacy. Not only does everyone know everyone else, but everyone trusts everyone else.

When people ask me what the best thing about Davidson is, I always respond the people I've met here. No where else do I think I would have met the amazing students, faculty or administration on a college campus. Our honor code provides us all with such security and trust in one another, and making the decision to come to Davidson was the best decision of my life.

Even in North Carolina people will not always know what or where Davidson College is. However, students at Davidson know they're getting one of the nation's very best educations and are confident that their own abilities, academic record, and experiences will carry significant weight post-graduation. Living in such a picturesque college town is amazing. In the recent basketball craze, every single business and residence on Main Street and surrounding neighborhoods had supportive signs hung outside. As an example of constant Southern hospitality, everyone stops to let pedestrians cross the street.

Davidson is great -- with about 1,600 students, all the faces are familiar. Everyone says hi and smiles at each other when we walk around campus. The town is really cute and loves the college, and during winter finals the church bakes cookies for all the students. It used to be really annoying when people had never heard about Davidson (I always get, "Oh, you mean Dickinson?"), but I just don't care anymore. The faculty are amazing...really brilliant and they are here to teach.