Davidson College Top Questions

Describe the students at your school.

Bianca

While no group will necessarily feel out of place their are always tensions at some point. Racial and socio-economic differences are two tensions I have faced. The clothes students wear range but there are a lot of preppy dressed students. Girls in sundresses and pearsl and guys in collared polos and khakis. Most students here are rich. Students are politically aware and active.

Maria

There is a lot of discussion about race and other such issues. There are definitely different groups around campus, but I don't really think we're all that segregated. People often bring up racism, but I've never directly seen an occurance of it. I have friends from all sorts of different backgrounds and I generally see them with people of all different backgrounds. I don't think there are a lot of people who would feel extremely out of place here. There are men and women who have strange colored hair, dreads, piercings, tatoos, etc. Students wear all sorts of things to class. Not as often sweats and pjs as they do at other schools. Girls often wear skirts (knee length and flowy rather than mini) and guys don't often wear sag and drag. Davidson students dress deciently enough that we're almost always able to tell if we see someone on campus who doesn't belong (small school also helps with that). Davidson students are from all over. Probably the largest percent of people come from North Carolina becuase it's in state, but that number is by no means a majority, simply a plurality.

Ginnie

Student body is small which is often limiting but also has its benefits. As a gay student, there is not a large variety of individuals to date, but there are some to choose from. The campus is becoming more diverse, but still lacks in some areas in that category. Most students are from middle to upper-class families, but their are some students from lower-class backgrounds. Davidson students also come from all over the country and the world, but there are many students form the southern US and North Carolina.

Allison

I am from an extremely liberal high school outside of Chicago and I did have some concerns moving to a school in the south. However, I found such a great mix of people at Davidson and my concerns were completely in vain. We have all different kinds of people from all over the country and the world. My roommate is from Rhode Island and my best friend is from Kansas. I think everyone can find a spot at Davidson, there is no "typical" student. The best part about our diversity is that people are willing to voice their opinions and be active in ongoing discussions. What is the value of having a diverse population if no one is willing to talk to one another about their experiences? One of my best friends is president of College Republicans and my roommate is active in Young Democrats...there really is the whole spectrum represented.

Michelle

You can basically sum of the Davidson student body in one word:nice. Everyone is just so friendly and always willing to help eachother out. We work hard, but we get through the work because we do it together.

Alex

Davidson is very homogenous. I don't think that it is particularly well integrated racially. Students of all sexual orientation are accepted, although I think it is easier for gay students than for lesbian students. There is absolutely a divide between students who are in the greek system and students who are not, but no one takes it too seriously and we are such a small school that you would be hard pressed to find someone who did not have friends from many different social groups. Students are, on the whole, very wealthy. In the spring, girls tend to dress for class, wearing sun dresses or skirts, but it is not unusual at all to girls wearing sweatpants and tshirts, especially during the winter. For a college campus, its conservative. I am from New York City, so it seemed very conservative to me. Politically, there's definitely a regional divide with the southerners tending to be more conservative and the northerners more liberal.

Libby

See answer about diversity.

Cecilia

Not enough diversity, but what is new? There are also two very distinct groups at Davidson. There are those that party and those that don't. From my experience these two groups rarely run into each-other.

Caroline

The student body is not as diverse as it could be, but at least we are talking about it. There are many types of people though and for such a small school it tries. Students are from all over, though mostly the east coast, they come from different backgrounds, but the one thing in common between everyone is that they are smart. Everyone is smart.

Katie

Everyone is accepted at Davidson.

Jerry

Small and intimate

Ryan

most people at davidson are rich. this is what youd expect from a school where tuition costs $43,000 a year. apart from the rich snobs you will inevitably find, there are tons of awesome people you will make lifelong bonds with. they say college is the best time of your life. theyre not kidding. in the past 8 months since ive started school at davidson, i have already have best friends that im closer to than my best friends in high school. i finally feel like i belong.

Royce

Not very diverse but very accepting.

Liz

Students tend to dress modestly and you won't see very many girls walking around in really short skirts or low-cut tops. Most people where jeans to class and a nice shirt or t-shirt.

Abby

The majority of students come from the east coast, especially the southeast. The student body is predominantly white. Before taking a Racial and Ethnic Relations class, I would have thought Davidson was very diverse. Diversity is a big issue here on campus, and it has been discussed a lot recently. Communicating about diversity is the most important thing to make everyone understand and feel comfortable.

Anna

Davidson tries very hard to be diverse and accepting. The fact is that this is a school in the south so often there are certain prejudices and stereotypes that manifest themselves because they have not completely disappeared yet in our society. However, there are a number of minority campus groups that are quite active on campus. They sponsor a lot of good speakers and events. Students here work hard to raise awareness about a wide range of issues. I also do feel that while there may not be as much interaction between students of differing backgrounds on this campus as maybe on a northern campus, I personally have met and befriended so many different types of people that have played an irreplaceable role in my Davidson experience.

Charlotte

I feel like Davidson students can be categorized: there are the prepsters involved in Patterson Court fraternity/eating house life, the nerdy/alternative types who spend their hours at Summit Coffee or library carrels, and the athletes who travel in packs by team and bonded during pre-season training.

Parker

The student is becoming more and more diverse in my opinion. While it is in the south, there are people here from all over the country and world. I think the student body has a good mix of people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds.

Diane

There is such a variety of personalities and people on campus. We are all unified by our desire to be here but you learn so much from them. Once you get here, you won't realize the crazy conversations you'll be a part of or overhear.

jane

Making progress concerning diversity, but we have a long way to go.

Anna

lots of school spirit, great day to be a wildcat!

Allison

nice and polite. hardworking.

Chris

The student body here is fairly homogenous, but that doesn't mean that it is not diverse. Although most students come from similar socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds, the diversity of interests and experiences makes it an interesting student body.

Jessica

Although it may not seem that way, the Davidson student body is diverse. I have met so many great friends and met so many interesting people. You can find people from all over the world and can learn about lots of different cultures.

Charlie

Davidson's student body is very unique. I think there is a little bit of nerd in each and every one of us. Many are well-off but others are used to less affluent lifestyles. Many wear preppy clothes to class. It is not strange to see girls in class in dresses, skirts, heels, and sweaters. Guys can be found wearing button-down shirts and khakis. However, that is not everyone. You can find people in their sweats or pajamas as well. Everyone is so different. I had come from a school where no one dressed up for class. Coming to Davidson I was intimidated at first by seeing so many people dressed up. However, I soon came to realize that no one cares what you wear and I do not feel the need to "compete" with others. Everyone has their own unique styles and stories. You can learn something new from everyone you meet and I feel like my life has been enriched by everyone I have spoken with. It seems like many are very politically aware and worldly conscious. People of all groups mingle and live in harmony. There are little or no "cliques" here because those are more typical of "high schoolers." People here seem more mature. And yet they are always up for adventures and experiencing what the world has to offer. There is always someone who will make you laugh uncontrollably and someone to comfort you whenever you need it. These are some of the most genuine people I have ever met.

Jessica

while i think no one is openly intolerant of people with other racial, religious, LGBT, socio-economic etc. backgrounds, stereotypes definitely exist on campus. it seems like unconsciously minorities group together with other minorities just because of comfort. different types of students definitely interact but i would say that the typical "white" southern student makes up most of davidson's population. mostly wealthy, middle-class financial backgrounds are found here and definitely little to no lower class backgrounds.

Sarah

The student body is not as racially diverse as it could be, in my opinion. I wish it were more so. Religiously, there are a lot of different ways to get involved in a religious affiliation. No one really talks about socio-economic class. It's kind of unspoken and I would guess there's a wide range. Students wear everything from sweatpants to dresses to jeans. It's really mixed. I feel like most students are from up North, but maybe that's just my friends. We actually counted on our hall north vs south and it was pretty even. Most students are politically aware.

Cody

Davidson welcomes all students.

Christina

I think the school and the student body try very hard to make our campus a friendly environment for racial and sexual minorities. In general, i think the student body probably has a liberal majority, but there certainly are plenty of conservatives due to our presbyterian roots and the economic status of some students.

Casey

Not a lot of minority students on campus. A minority student may feel out of place but I think people are generally welcoming. A combination of preppy, relatively nice, and sweatpants. Athletes that are studious, athletes that are smart and get by without working, minorities, and nerds. I don't think you could easily categorize where Davidson students come from other than to say there aren't a lot of international students. Most people have wealthy families. People usually joke about wanting to be rich, but who doesn't?

Emily

I would say most of the student body comes from priviledged backgrounds, a large part doesn't. Minority groups have to work hard to get their voice heard, but just because something is a "minority" issue doesn't mean it isn't respected by the community. Respect and service are valued here. This is a small place, and cliques occur because you simply connect with certain people. Groups form in frats, eating houses, sports teams...of course there is a lot of overlap too. I don't think this is a negative thing because we're all in the same boat in terms of academics.

Charlie

There is a certain type of person that comes to Davidson- students can tell whether prospectives will fit in by the first sentence they say. Although the campus is not extremely diverse racially, there is a large movement on campus to make it so. However, there is an enormous diversity of experience and interests that makes every day interesting. A lot of students are from the south, but I am from New Jersey and I have met more Jersey-ites here than I thought I would. This is no way just a regional school.

Erin

Most students dress nicely to class and especially football games. There is no segregation in the dining hall. People just sit with their friends or their teams. Everyone here is from Virginia, DC, or Maryland. I don't even ask people anymore, you can tell.

Betsy

Davidson is gaining more diversity, economically and socially; however, the majority of students are white upper-middle class. Any student could feel welcome in this environment - it is a very open and accepting place. I have been very impressed with the geographic diversity and I know it's only increasing.

Tyler

Predominantly white, upper middle class students. There is a strong liberal presence on campus (especially with the upcoming election). Athletes make up 25{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body, so there is sometimes a division between athletes and "noners."

Lejla

The student body is not very diverse although the administration is trying to fix this.

Jess

not diverse, yet very friendly and generally non judgmental. most of my friends are athletes and that may be one barrier to student interaction in general here. for the most part, people are very friendly, warm, welcoming and fun to be around. i like that davidson has a small student body. students are generally supportive of sports team, especially basketball which is something that nearly all students rally around. lots of davidson students are from the south or east coast, many coming from wealthier families.

Julia

The davidson student body is generally an awkward bunch, but we all get a long very well for the most part. The administration is trying to change the homogeneous nature of the student body. They haven't been incredibly successful.

Katherine

Students are generally well off, and show it...but I think it would be hard to be a minority student.

Julie

The student body is relatively homogenous, however, the campus is seeking to diversify its population. The typical Davidson student is Christian, white, and fairly afflent. However, few students are all of these things.

Torry

Predominantly white.

Emily

there is a very diverse student body. maybe not socioeconomically, but there is a good racial mix, and people who bring various life experiences. i've learned a lot from my classmates and friends and wouldn't change them for the world

Madeline

there are 4 maybe 5 types of Davidson students -those that go out and are members of Patterson Court -members of Davidson Outdoors and the Ultimate Frisbee team -supper religious, church, bible study types -turbo nerds -athletes

Lindsay

Can be neurotic at times and over committed. People are very consumed with school work and grades and on the weekends very consumed with hanging out and relaxing. We work hard and play hard. Overall, you will never find a group of students so genuine, honest, compassionate, and accomplished. The stereotypes that exist at some schools don't here. The frat guys aren't all sketch and drink too much beer. The blond girl with a short skirt isn't always a hoe. You be surprised who you meet here. Some frat guys write poetry and are amazing artist. In the end, we are all got into this competitive school so we all have something to offer.

Lee

recent acts of racist vandalism have resulted in more open dialog between students, staff, and faculty about racism. generally preppy. mostly middle- and upper-class. some international students, but not a lot. most students live on-campus. gently southern.

Reese

White Upper middle class from the east. We are not a very politically active community, but we sure as hell are politically aware.

Quinn

There isn't much racial diversity on campus. Although this is something the school consistently works on, it is a difficult hurdle to overcome. There are very active student groups focusing on diversity (think GSA), which are inclusive to all those who are interested. Students generally wear jeans to class, although the athletes typically show up in athletic wear.

Meredith

Students love to have fun, but are also driven to succeed.

Alex

not very open to new ideas (racially, sexually - homophobia is rampant)

Lisle

Not too diverse, but rich in its quality of students Very open and pretty liberal about issues concerning race, gender, religion, etc Most students come from wealthy backgrounds, but so many I have met have not let money badly affect their characters The biggest characteristic about davidson students is how intellectual and motivated everyone is. We all just dorks, and we all really do want to learn and change the world in some way.