Davidson College Top Questions

Often times they are outdoors-y, athletically inclined and very service oriented. You will meet lots of kids from boarding schools, but you will meet other kids who do not have a particular place to call home or are from a foreign country. I would say many here are liberal, this is not a good school for a conservative person. A lot of times kids will butt heads with the administration for causes that they find important, but are actually really small in comparison to other problems going around in the world. Many students here also love to talk about what they love, we're a pretty passionate community.

smart

My classmates such as I are very dedicated and hard working.

The leaders of tomorrow, agents of change, and really remarkable individuals.

davidson students are ambitious, hard working, passonate about people and learning

They are very friendly and helpful.

My Davidson classmates are very active, intelligent, and for the most part, good-hearted and hard-working.

busy bodies

Without a doubt, they are all open minded and extremely intelligent, well spoken, and capable of engaging the professors and other students on an academic level, while at the same time remaining friendly and approachable should one need their advice or help in their particular subject matter of interest.

As a male at Davidson I will say that the girls are not very good looking and most guys end up dating girls from other schools. Everyone takes their work very seriously and their are very few opportunities to enjoy the college experience. Everyone at Davidson feels like they are trying to survive until they can go home or graduate. People at Davidson are very, very inteligent but we all come to the realization that we can't get into good grad schools or good jobs because of Davidson grade deflation, so we all do this for nothing.

The classmates of mine that I was privileged to know were among the most intelligent, free-thinking, motivated, hard-working, and artistic people that I have ever encountered.

Everybody here is very smart and qualified in the area they are studying, where they work hard constantly.

Immature, preppy, driven, motivated, rich, and exclusive, and sometimes nice.

Driven, self-motivated and stressed.

Davidson is an open but not very diverse community. There is a general consensus that the lack of diversity needs to be changed, and i think this will happen in the long run. for now, if you are looking for a diverse school, Davidson is not the place. This is not to say it is in anyway ignorant or unnaccepting, on the contrary Davidson students are very supportive and open. but as far as numbers go, it lacks in the way of diversity. Davidson students are very aware of and engaged in the community around them, they do a lot of service and tend to be very aware of world events. It is great to be part of a community that is academically inclined, but not nerdy, rather engaged in applying their academic ambitions and accomplishments to the real world

Students at Davidson abide my an Honor Code, and it creates a unique environment on campus. I have seen students tape money that they find on the door into the door, and students can leave their belonging in the library or around campus without worrying that someone will take them. Davidson students are from all over the country and the world. I have two international students on my freshman hall, and there are students from the east, midwest, south, and west. I would say that a large portion of the student body is from the south.

Who would feel out of place? Anyone who would classify themselves as uninterested. Davidson students like getting their hands into a little bit of a lot of things. From academics to invented recipes in Commons (the dining hall), people are open-minded and willing to give anything a shot.

There are people of all kinds at Davidson. There are people of all different races, religions, sexual orientations, and socio-economic levels. One can comfortably be conservative, liberal, or center. Students generally dress well, but that means different things for different people. Some girls wear dresses to class while others wear blue jeans. People often socialize with people on their sports team or with people who participate in the same activities as themselves. However, it is definitely okay, and even appreciated, to mingle with different kinds of people. I think the only kind of person who would feel out of place at Davidson is someone who insisted on a big campus or a big surrounding city.

Student body is intellectually diverse but not very ethnically diverse, though it is improving and consciously so. Socio-economically, it seems extremely middle- to upper-class. It's hard being a non-Christian on campus if you want to explore that faith, though the college chaplain is amazing and the minority religious groups are increasing a lot. Most students are from the East Coast, and as a West Coaster it was a rough change for me at first. Some Southern hospitality is genuine, other seems simply an avoidance of conflict. I miss the easy-going aura of California - if you're not working here it feels like a crime, and I've chosen my friends based on those who, despite being from the East, think more like the West and know how to relax and have fun too. Most people dress up for class out of respect to the professors - something totally different from California where everyone wears sweats all the time. At times I feel the people here are Davidson's most amazing assets, and at times I wish there were just a little more diversity in all areas.

Homogeneous, segregated, almost no Asians (they all go to Duke), not enough African-Americans, most students are from tri-state area aside from North Carolina.

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.

The student body is great; there are a lot of great people and everyone for the most part is really down to earth. The thing that is discouraging about the Davidson student body is the lack of diversity on campus. We do have international students and different races represented and people from different backgrounds but the majority of campus is white upper middle-class students. Many people in the student body went to private school and some people have never even had a job before. So even though I am a white middle class female I still found it unnerving the lack of diversity on campus. Another problem on campus that I wasn't really expecting was the political apathy. The campus is pretty moderate and therefore not really in tune to the political climate of today.

The Davidson student body is extremely diverse. There are the frat guys, there are the athletes, there are the southern bells, there are the wild girls, there are the nerds, etc. The funny thing about Davidson is that most people find themselves in several of the groups simultaneously.

Davidson is not the most diverse place. There's always talk on campus about improving the diversity, but geography and tuition work against quick progress in that direction. The campus seems politically dead, but it is more the case that students are private with their politics. The politically involved students tend to involve themselves in places away from campus, and the few who do speak out in one way or another on campus tend to be poor representations of the rest of campus. The school paper is full of embarrassing articles, but political science classes fill with insightful students.

For the most part the student body is amazing. They tend to be hard working academically and very relaxed socially. The kids come from all over the country though more heavily from the south (NC, GA and FL) and the east coast in general. While Davidson is an expensive liberal arts school the students I know seem to come from largely middle class families. There are tons of different groups on campus for everything you could want: religious clubs, an awesome outdoors program, intramural sports etc. Politically the campus is pretty moderate, encompassing pretty equal parts left and right.

Davidson is majority white, but I really don't think it is exclusive. In other schools, students may self-segregate, but I really don't see much of that here. If anything, the groups you see are influenced more by which sport you play or your eating house/fraternity than by your race or class. Also, LGBT students are socially accepted, but in a school of only 1700, there just are not alot of them. One note though: If you are LGBT, avoid the Patterson Court scene. Drunk college students are not always the friendliest bunch. Davidson students are from all over the country; even though the school is in N.C., North Carolinians are by no means common. Plus, there are a lot of international students (SEVEN on our men's basketball team!). As far as what people wear to class, the list varies from pajamas to dresses, no shoes to high heels, overalls to designer jeans. There's really not a set way to describe how we dress. It all depends on how much sleep you got the night before! Politically, most students are aware. With the election this year, there has been a lot of activity campaigning for Obama, which supports the notion that most students are moderate to liberal in their political views. There are a few staunch conservatives, but over all the atmosphere is very open minded.

Davidson has a wide range of student interests. Religious life here is whatever students want to make of it. I have really enjoyed Reformed University Fellowship, and have friends who are involved in other Christian organizations as well as folks who do not participate in any religious organization. Students here are primarily from the East Coast, but I know folks from California and elsewhere in the US, as well as foreign students.

Uptight, not diverse, rich.

The Davidson Student Body is an incredible group. Everyone is very active and involved in the school. The majority of the students are white; however there is a growing African American population as well. My roommate freshman and sophomore year was from Nepal. We were so different, but it didn’t matter. Especially with our new President, he is absolutely dedicated to further diversifying the student body. The majority of people come from middle to upper-class backgrounds. Many of the girls love to get dressed up for class, however I prefer to sleep in and be comfortable aka it is not a must, but rather a very popular option.

Politically active campus, but certainly okay to not be political or even politically apathetic. Some students are religious but not all. Religion can everything to you or nothing at all and anywhere in between. Some students dress up for class, some wears jeans, others live in sweats and its fine anyway you want.

Friendly, we like to have fun, we know how to study, we know what work is.

Racial- very hot topic. Diverse for being a WASP school, but the black students are very vocal about their hardships and want Davidson to become more open to conversation about race, if not more diverse overall. Religious- Davidson is a christian (Presbyterian) College, but I had no idea it was still affiliated with the church until I came here. They are very accepting of all religions. LGBT- active. Everyone except the stereotypical dumb jocks have gay or lesbian friends. Although they're accepted, I do still here bigoted gossip about gay interactions. Socio-economic- not very diverse in this area. If you're not rich, you work hard to earn your money to come here. But that's to be expected, and we're definitely not the most expensive liberal arts college. Now Davidson covers student debts! Students wear everything from sweats to pearls in class (sometimes both). It's a NCAA Division 1 school, so you have a mess of people from every "group." Different types of students interact more in the upper classmen range, but even then it can seem very clique-ish. Four tables of students in the cafeteria: Black people. Football players. Evangelical Christians. Hippies. The students are very politically aware and active. Lots of my friends were gone during Presidential primaries to work for campaigns.

The student body is fairly homogenous. Most are from upper middle class families, caucasian, a large portion from the south although there are also many from other states around the country. There is a good mix between liberal and conservative, but I think you will definitely find more conservative students than you would in other colleges around the country, especially colleges in the Northeast. Students who are extremely liberal would not fit well at Davidson. Students tend to mix very well and you will often see athletes and non-atheltes hanging out. There are distinct groups of students on campus that tend to stick with each other. The black students on campus always have their own table in the cafeteria and Student Union, but are generally welcoming to other students, although I have never felt comfortable approaching them.

The student body is primarily white and maybe a bit too republican for my taste. There isn't much diversity. The people who "go out" are all the same and love eating houses and fraternities while the people who don't "go out" are a bit more nerdy and like to study a lot. People who are liberal or enviornmentally concious/ not religious might feel out of place. As a northerner, it is sometimes weird being down in the south. This school is geared towards having people work in Charlotte in a banking job.

I am not going to lie, many students are white Christians from the Bible Belt, but we also have a huge international community. I have friends from India, Ghana, China, Switzerland, Bulgaria, and Ethiopia. For the most part everyone mixes pretty well, and there are no major cliques or exclusive social circles on campus.

Davidson is a predominantly white and wealthy campus; however, I don't think that anybody feels out of place or excluded. Because the campus is so small, the student population is very much like a family. Davidson is a southern school, but the student population comes from every region of the United States and many different countries as well. Politically speaking, the campus probably leans a little to the right, but is very moderate for the most part. It is also very concerned with conservation and is a very "green" campus.

A large majority of the campus is white, upper-middle class. I feel like the college strives to achieve a diverse campus, and succeeds, but falls short in many ways. It seems a lot of the time that the campus is racially divided and that the administration supports groups that only serve to divide the campus more. I do like that there is a large population of international students. It's great to walk around campus and hear other languages being spoken.

It is a small student body, but from what I have seen almost every one is able to find a niche they fit in. The stereotype is that we are all just a bunch of rich white kids from the South, but I think that is changing bit by bit. If you are willing to come in with an open mind, you won't have problems making friends here.

Very nice and diverse. No real stereotype for Davidson students, we have people of all kinds here!

It's a pretty homogeneous campus for the most part, and there are times I feel like I've stepped into a living J.Crew catalog. You'll find a lot of wealthy white private-school kids here, but diversity is improving and it's something the administration seems to take very seriously. Students also work very hard and are very career-oriented.

Davidson is geographically diverse but lacking in racial diversity. Although the college has made great strides in recent years to increase diveristy, it is still a large majority white. Although there are more Southerners here than anything else, they are NOT a majority. People can be found from every part of the US and the world. Preppy is the watchword for most of the students. Most students dress nicely for class, and JCrew and Polo are brands of choice.