Davidson College Top Questions

Davidson is a great place. I debated about coming here because of the distance and also the size of the school. However, the school can be as big or small as you want it to be depending on whether or not you get involved, and the smallness of the school is definitely an advantage in my opinion. For example, how many other colleges would send their student body to the NCAA tournament sweet sixteen and elite eight rounds for free? The small number of students makes for a really unique experience. You recognize faces around campus and professors know your name. Overall its a great fit for myself. I would say the best things about Davidson is the people here and also the beautiful campus.

I appreciate the small class sizes Davidson has. That's one of the reasons I chose to attend Davidson and is one its greatest attributes. Professors also make themselves accessible, although I don't believe students visit their professors often unless a major paper or test date is rapidly approaching. Also, in general, you can trust Davidson students to behave honorably. Although there have been cases of theft recently, most of the time your belongings are very safe. I feel 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} fine leaving my backpack (with textbooks) or whatever else I'm working on in the library while I go eat dinner. I'd much prefer Davidson to cut back or eliminate its class requirements entirely. We're required to take way too many classes that we may not be interested in before we graduate. Also, if you want to minor in something, be careful before you come to Davidson. You'll find that you can't minor in many of the fields you'd expect. For example, I'd like to major in Economics and minor in Political Science. However, I can't minor in Political Science. So either I have to major in Poly Sci and minor in Econ, double major in both, or forget Poly Sci altogether. I have a very nice dorm at Davidson, and you'll find that you will too, at least comparably to other schools. Unfortunately, Davidson's dorm rooms are much more expansive than its student activities. I don't have a car, so I rarely leave campus. There's not much to do in walking distance of Davidson unless you want to go to CVS or Wachovia bank. Occassionally, I have been able to leave campus to go see a movie and I've fully enjoyed that experience. I sense that others also have this strong desire to leave campus. Other than occassional Union activities (like movies) and Patterson Court partying, there isn't much to do unless you have a car. Bottom line: make sure you have a car or you know someone who has a car. Davidson does allow freshmen to have cars on campus. If you're into basketball, chances are, you're going to love this school. As you probably know, Davidson recently advanced to the Elite 8 in the NCAA tournament. I fully expect another excellent performance in 2009.

The best thing about Davidson is the community. Everyone is really supportive of each other and there is a lot of school spirit especially after the Davidson Basketball team did so well in the NCAA tournament. People might think that the school is too small but its nice to walk around and see people you know and not feel lost on campus. I can wake up at 8:25 for an 8:30 class and get there with a minute to spare. One thing is that there is not a lot to the town of Davidson. You are close to Charlotte but you need a car to get there, but that usually isn't a problem either since almost everyone has a car or knows someone who does. You don't need to go off campus because there is a lot of stuff to do on campus but if you want to go out for a meal other than at Commons or the Union, then you might need a car because there are only a few options in the town.

Davidson is a big family. The students all mesh with each other and with the teachers, but it doesn't stop there. The staff of Commons dining hall, the laundry service, the library and so many other organizations on campus are all part of the big family that is Davidson. Also, Davidson is a school of pride. When our basketball team made it run in the NCAA tournament, every student was wearing red every day, every student was soley talking (and thinking) about our team. The ties of Davidson College grow tighter every day your here, and I can personally say that I will remain connected to this great college for the rest of my life.

Davidson is a small place, and you do feel claustrophobic sometimes. But there is lots of free space on campus: the lawn (lots of grass and trees all throughout campus, and the weather is fantastic), the Student's Union, the library, academic buildings, Vail Commons (the dining hall)...It is a wonderful place if you are pretty serious about school work, but it is also a comfortable place to be with people. It's an intimate space, and if it works for you, then it will really work, and though you will complain about work and what-not, you will love it.

Davidson is wonderful! I absolutely love it here. I feel so at home on campus because the school, and town, takes great strides to create a feeling of community and community pride. The honor code here actually works, and allows students here to feel extremely safe. The town is small but near any amenities you could want and the people who live in the town seem to all be huge fans of the college (especially the basketball team...elite 8!).

The size of Davidson is perfect for me. The campus is sprawling, but I've never had the problem of getting lost. There are lawns and ancient trees everywhere. Brick sidewalks, benches, low walls, flowerbeds- it is a picture-perfect college experience. On sunny days (there are alot!) students take blankets and towels outside and study there. The entire campus has wireless internet! There is TONS of school spirit; our recent journey to the Elite Eight took the campus (and town) by storm! The town supports the college so much, every shop had banners and even homes in the surrounding neighborhoods painted bedsheets saying "Go Cats!" The ties between the community and the college are very strong. Most professors even walk home for lunch everyday! One more thing is the honor code. It is Davidson's pride and joy, and allows for experiences like self-scheduled, unproctored exams. It also means you can leave a notebook or bookbag in the hall for days and find it in the same place later on. It's really amazing the trust there is on this campus.

Davidson is a great balance between a competitiive academic environnment and student life independent of schoolwork. I do a lot of work here, but I feel like I'm being well prepared for grad school (I plan to go into medicine). What does Davidson have that other competitive liberal arts schools don't? -The town: Davidson is a great place, and I'm happy to spend four years of my life here. I've heard people describe other schools where the school is an insular environment all to itself with no real connection with the surrounding community or its people. This is not the case at Davidson. While the town is very connected to the College, it has a lot of character that adds a lot to the school. Students can stroll down mainstreet and eat at the Soda Shop, get a haircut at Raeford's Barber Shop, or go for a run through some of the surrounding neighborhoods. Most Davidson residents are friendly to students and I would consider it unusual to not get a hello and a wave if I passed someone on the street. I get the feeling that this is not the case several other schools. -The Lake Campus: In addition to its 450 acre main campus, Davidson has 106 acres on Lake Norman 7 miles down the road. A ten minute drive from campus, Lake Campus is accessible to students during all daylight hours and is available for water skiing, sailing, swimming, volleyball, and whatever students want to do with a large open field on the premises. Some people go there to study and take a break, others to just hang out.

Davidson is not well known and students suffer as a result. It deflates grades, so professors are told to grade extra hard and if they give out too many A's in their first year, you can bet their class will be a lot harder the next year. Davidson has a group of students who are involved in everything, win all the awards, and get all the attention. If you're not one of those students from day one, you will never get any recognition for what you do at the school. Davidson's small classes are not worth it when sacrificed for diversity of class subjects and the core curriculum is incredibly limiting.

I stumbled upon Davidson very late in my college search. To be honest I never heard of it until my college advisor suggested this as a possibility. I play soccer and was being recruited at other institutions, however I went for a last minute recruiting trip and thought it would be a match. I had no idea how right I would be. I could not be happier with my college experience. Although at times I feel the campus is a little small it is a very intimate atmosphere. There is an immense sense of trust and pride among the student and the town. For example, the night before the first final the town always bakes and brings cookies and sweets for all the students as a study break. When people ask me where I go I say “Davidson,” however I usually follow this answer with “it is a small school in North Carolina.” After this years NCAA bball that has changed; the next question, now, is do you know Stephen Curry?