Davidson College Top Questions

Coming from a more diverse high school, neighborhood, and family it was definitely hard to come to Davidson where there is less diversity than I am use to. I've just had to realize that I need to maintain my beliefs and not be bothered by the views of others.

Davidson is made up of the most eccentric, insane, kind, awkward people in this country. The diverse studnet body will kae even the weirdst person find their niche.

people dress up here compared to other schools. ive had some friends comment on that when they came to visit.

haha small, smart, and INTENSE! we all are, the only thing that changes is the degree.

not as diverse as most students would like but there is great initiative to be more diverse

the student body is not very diverse, but is not completely homogenous. there is a different kind of diversity here - not only a plethora of nationalities and races, but also an array of people with different ideas, religious beliefs, and upbringings. it seems that the majority of students are well-off financially, but money is not really discussed or made out to be very important here.

While our student body isn't the most diverse, there is a lot of opportunity to experience a lot of different cultures. There are clubs and events regarding all sorts of cultures and religion. Some people say that our lack of diversity is our weakness, and yes it could stand to be better, but we're a small liberal arts school in a small town in North Carolina. It's what I expected. I don't feel like people make clicks here. Everyone has their group of friends, but everyone still hangs out with other people. I've never felt like I couldn't walk up to another group of people where I might only know one person. Everyone is open and willing to make new friends.

While it's not the most diverse student body, for the most part everyone's a good kid.

Is tiny and close knit. A lot of kids went to private school and are wealthy, but that's not the majority even though it seems like it is sometimes.

Davidson is currently trying to diversify more because right now, it is a predominantly white campus. The new president of the college is trying to bring the issues of diversity (or lack thereof) at Davidson to the forefront of campus dialog.

Too much emphasis on white/African-American diversity. Too many people too sensitive to the "race" issue. Not every comment from an individual (drunk or sober) needs to result in Davidsonian articles or calling out the National Guard or a community discussion. Some people, are just jerks - here, those people cause too many "racially motivated" issues and the administration backs up the people who too often are overreacting.

Davidson's student body is predominately Caucasian. There is diversity on campus, but Davidson is by no means an extremely diverse school. We are diverse geographically though; students come not only from all over the country, but all over the world. Most Davidson students are pretty preppy. People do dress up for class, but not as much as they do at schools like Vanderbilt or Wake Forest.

Part Bible-belt, part "team cool and frat," part super-nerd, and sub-part minority. About as diverse as the crowd at a Faith Hill concert. Not so southern a school that going to class in jeans is frowned upon, but if you're showing up in sweats every day you're probably an athlete. Granted, 1/4 of the school is D1 athletes, but they still stand out in the crowd.

I have a strong reaction towards people who talk about how much money they want to earn one day, because I'm definitely not here to get on the fast track to corporate success. I'd much rather figure out how I can help some part of the world in my own way, and I would say that the majority of people have an equally sensible outlook. Davidson struggles to fight the idea that we aren't as diverse as we should be, and I see the college attempting to become more diverse as more classes come into the school, and wider varieties of applicants apply. Several black and Asian friends of mine have expressed frustration with the associations made on campus about their race and the campus groups associated with their cultural backgrounds. I have heard of many examples of racism present on campus. Coming from the North, I was surprised and disappointed that this was such an issue.

davidson's student body has very diverse interests but is very pro-active and can get things done!

Very involved. You should get involved too.

Our campus consists of mainly white, rich kids. There are not many minority students. There are not many gay students either. Politically, we have both very liberal students and very conservative students. Very active in politics and current events.

Students wear a variety of things to class and no one cares. Pajamas, sweats, jeans and a t-shirt, skirt, sundress and pearls, it doesn't matter. I've worn all of the above mentioned over the past year.

not the most diverse, but we are trying hard to make that happen. Davidson students do try to celebrate their differences, but mostly, student of the same race and class tend to stick together.

I really like Davidson's political diversity. There are students to the waaaay left, to the waaaay right, and in the center.

The typical student from Davidson is from an economically comfortable family, but I am always surprised by how many of my friends do work-study or are here on scholarship. There is a feeling among the majority of students that they are going to get the most out of their time here. Minority students are very vocal and powerful on campus. Politically, students are definitely in the center. But to reach that balance we have a range of every kind of belief. In the end, Davidson is such a welcoming place that our differences don't matter. We're all here to learn and contribute to the community.

Students at Davidson not only accept their peers but also respect them. It's a pretty incredible environment. People from all religious backgrounds, people who dress up, dress down, from Nigeria, from down the street, those who fall to the left, those who fall to the right... However, I do hope that we see more diversity on campus in the future in terms of ethnicity. The school is predominantly white, but there is a large contingent of black students. Many of these students participate in cultural organizations on campus like the Black Student Coalition, and Asian students often join the Asian Cultural Awarness Association. I would love to see these groups grow even stronger in the future. And again, these groups are not exclusive. While their members may be 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} black or 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} Asian, the activities they host are open to others and encourage attendance by all.

I've always felt like Davidson was an open campus, we have had some issues come up about race and sexual orientation on campus, but the reactions to those issues have always included huge rallies or discussions or forums to talk about why these issues come up. there will be issues on every campus, but the important thing is to look at how the students react and if they want to see a change. Davidson students want to see change. a student would feel out of place at Davidson if they were not passionate about anything. people don't get dressed up for class, but you'll see jeans or clean pants, collard shirts, polos, t-shirts, sweatshirts, athletic clothing, tennis shoes or sandals, very rarely high heels. davidson is liberal, but you see a variety of political and religious opinions. people love to talk about these opinions though. students are interested in having fulfilled lives, i have never heard anyone talk about how much money they want to earn.

ASmart, friendly people. Some students wear preppy clothing, but most are just well-dressed. Different types of students definitely interact, though there are groups of people based on athletics, race, outdoors, etc. There isn't much of an artsy crowd. Most students are from everywhere in the US. Many from NC and the south, but also lots from the Northeast, CA, TX, FL and CO. Most financial backgrounds are upper-middle class, though the debt-free plan brings in people with different socio-economic backgrounds. Students are politically aware, but not active as in there aren't protests or rallies. I'd say like most college campuses, students are liberal, but many of them come from conservative families. Students do not talk about how much they will earn one day, but many plan on going to grad school and getting high powered jobs.

Davidson's student body is busy. Everyone is always doing something.

Davidson started as a Southern men's college, went coed in 1972, and is still working to increase the diversity of the student body. Geographic diversity is strong (there are a lot of international students in addition to students from around the U.S.) but the college is still trying to increase racial diversity. Students are friendly with each other even if they don't hang out all the time. Athletes tend to be friends with their teams, but there certainly are exceptions. Financial background does not have a huge role in determining friendships - I have friends who I did not realize were on scholarship until recently.

Davidson is really working on becoming more diverse, both racially and socio-economically. Most of the student body has opinions but is also very accepting of others with different views.

I know that there are some students who will feel out of place at Davidson, if only because we haven't found ways to show outwardly that our campus is completely open to all groups of students. Despite this, the campus is open and we are all engaged in learning about other people and their affiliations, whether it be religious, racial or sexual.

I am impressed by all of my friends at what they know, who they are and what they do. While still liberal over all (this is a college campus, is it not), this tends to be a more conservative school. This is not a Wesleyan or a Haverford. Predominately apathetic about politics, although we have had some get exercised over Obama, it is still pretty chill. People are way more interested in issues versus real political candidates. Students can be dressy, but cleaned-up casual is the norm.

Davidson is transitioning right now from a Southern liberal arts school to simply a liberal arts school. With the adjective "Southern" in front come a few problems with diversity. During this transition, the administration is making every effort to stress diversity, and the student body is becoming more diverse. However, in the eyes of a minority, be it religious, racial, or sexual orientation, Davidson still has some BIG steps to make. On the whole though, everyone is making this effort and has an open mind towards progress and a diversified student body. People are generally VERY accepting, it's just that some have trouble communicating that to the people who need to hear it the most, i.e. the minorities. In general the student body is very well-rounded, and this is both in terms of individual persons and the entire group. Some liberal, some conservative, some northerners, westerners, southerners; athletes, writers, musicians, hippies. You'll find someone of every type and talent at Davidson. And the coolest part, is everyone has done something pretty amazing in order to get here. So no matter how "dumb" or "mean" you think someone is, you can always give them the benefit of the doubt, because they probably won a world championship, or are an amazing pianist, or started a service organization, or did amazing research- everyone here has something to offer.

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.

The Davidson student body is not terribly diverse, but the discourse about Davidson's lack of diversity has been heightened on campus, and tolerance for others, regardless of race, religion, or sexuality, is highly encouraged. One particular homogeneity among students is that everyone is genuinely nice. Students can wear sweatpants to class or they can wear a designer dress, can be a raging Democrat or an uber-conservative Republican, can be homosexual or heterosexual, can be tea-drinkers or coffee-guzzlers, and will still encounter others like themselves at Davidson, on levels that become apparent not at first sight but perhaps in the first conversation. Each student at Davidson is, above all, interesting, and the common knowledge that this exists fosters respect among students as well as a genuine interest to get to know those you meet in class as well as at parties.

A lot of Davidson students are from the South, but I love the fact that people are from all over the country and world. my freshman roommate grew up in London, but was born in Nigeria! Davidson is making a very concerted effort to further diversify the predominantly white student body, and to make Davidson students more globally conscience.

For the most part I've had positive experiences with the students here. There is a niche for every type of person, but the student body is accepting to all students.

caring, honest, considerate, and BUSY

The student body is pretty white, although serious efforts are being made to diversify the racial aspect of campus. A lot of students wear J-Crew, but there are definitely a lot who don't. You don't have to be from New England prep school to fit in. The football team is pretty cliquey.

Very little diversity, so if your not an athlete, your unlikely to hang out with minorities. People don't know how to handle different situations because all through their private school lives, everybody's been like them.

I think the LGBT population can have it rough here. I do know homosexual people, but many people here seem to struggle with their sexuality and feel pressure to fit the overall hetereosexual mold of the student body (if that makes any sense!) Maybe it's because we're in the south. Different types of students do interact, but their is also self-segregation that occurs on campus. One could hardly call Davidson students "activists." There are some politically outspoken people here, but overall you won't see Davidson students protesting over anything that doesn't directly effect them. I've known people who've transferred from Davidson to be in a more political environment. That is starting to change, however. With the introduction of a free speech board in the union and some student government initiatives, campus discourse is more in the open. However, the general consensus is that many students are too busy preparing for med school, law school, etc. to leave the library and think about something besides their grades.

Davidson is the most politically inactive place if been in. Nevertheless, I love it. I don't want tree hugers, hippies, and LGBT to have protests every weekend of the year, not because I don't think their causes are ones worth fighting for, but just because we don't want civil revolt to be considered an everyday activity. Less activism on campus makes the few initiatives more worth while, getting more attention from administrators.

What are your experiences with racial, religious, LGBT, socio-economic, and/or other groups on campus? Mainly positive. What kind of student would feel out of place at Davidson? A dumb one. ;) What do most students wear to class? Casual clothes or athletic wear. Do different types of students interact? Sometimes, but lots of students self-segregate. There are four tables of students in the dining hall. Describe them. No idea. I don't eat there. But I'm guessing one table will be occupied by football players. :-D Where are most Davidson students from? ALL OVER! What financial backgrounds are most prevalent? I think we have a group from relatively diverse socioeconomic status. Are students politically aware / active? Are they predominantly left, right or center? Some are REALLY aware/active, some are relatively so, but we def. have our share of apathetic people. I'd say we're split pretty evenly between left and right, with some independents, etc. Do students talk about how much they'll earn one day? Nope. Except maybe in gest.

There is a lot of focus on campus right now on increasing diversity and making minorities feel welcome to the point that the administration is making many students uncomfortable. While they are working to change this, the students themselves don't feel like there are major problems with prejudices on campus. While there are those students who feel the need to go to class in sundresses or khakis and polos, most will be found in jeans, t-shirts, and sweatpants. Students mostly interact, but there are definitely defined groups who for the most part keep to themselves (black students, international students, certain sports teams). Most Davidson students are from the south, though that is becoming much less prevalent; there are a large faction from the northeast and the west, as well as a large number of international students. The majority of students are also middle or upper class, though the newly founded Davidson Fund is working to change that by eliminating student loans for all students who demonstrate financial need. Students are very politically aware and active. While they cover the entire political spectrum, mostly all are at least socially liberal.