Davidson College Top Questions

Davidson is a small town, but it's definitely growing. While Main Street does not allow any chain companies--such as McDonalds--to move in, a brand new shopping center and harris teeter just opened a couple blocks away from campus.

Tiny school, but its really great because you know pretty much everyone on campus.

Davidson is small and I like it that way. Everyone knows everything about everyone else, including people they've never "officially" met. It's hard to slip through the cracks and there is a very definite sense of community. Lots of people haven't heard of it and mistake it for a community college. But everyone who knows it is impressed to hear I go here. I think that might change given the recent basketball victories.

The best thing about Davidson would be the community feel. Everyone takes pride in the community, but also everyone genuinely respects fellow community members.

I transferred to Davidson last fall and as soon as I got here it was clear the types of relationships that had been formed. Davidson focuses a lot on the Freshman, from programs to the Myers-Brigs Tests they give you for your roommate/hall. From the very beginning there is a sense of community I have not experienced yet on any college campus. What was most amazing to me is the positive attitude that pervades Davidson. Not only are people talking and smiling as they walk around campus, but people don't like to speak negatively about one another when they are not there. I think there is a unspoken respect for each other that may stem from the famous Davidson Honor Code that really is the fundamental aspect of our campus community of trust and respect.

The best thing about Davidson is the sense of community you feel when you walk around the school. It's safe and small- I have never felt threatened walking around late at night. It's also really nice to see people you recognize every single day, whether you know their names or not. At a big university, you are so much less likfely to run into someone you know when walking to or from class, or standin in line in the cafeteria, but here it's acompletely different story, and that helps to make things feel cozy and welcoming. Plus, we have killer basketball team! School pride is another awesome aspect of Davidson. Everyone gets supported for their activities: the student section at the basketball games is filled with cheeing maniacs, but then, just a few weeks ago, the basketball team sat in the first row for Dance Ensemble. It's very cool how everyone supports and respets one another in this way.

It's absolutely gorgeous and one of the best places to live in the country, there are some issues about how minority programs are handled on campus, but in the end everyone despite their issues will come together and support Davidson basketball

Davidson is a very small school, which was what attracted me here. The classes are really small which gives you the opportunity to get to know your professors really well. The honor code is also really important to all of the students. We have self-scheduled exams where you can take an exam wherever you want unproctored at the time of your choosing. Everyone on campus follows the honor code, so you can leave things wherever you want and expect them to be there when you return. If I could change something about Davidson, I would add a wider variety of classes/majors. Although I do like the liberal arts approach, I find that we are very limited in the classes offered. For people who might want to go to Grad School like myself, it is hard to find some of the prerequisites for a specific field. Just adding a few Business classes or something would allow more options for students. Being from Charlotte, everyone knows of Davidson, but I have friends who say people have no clue what Davidson is. Everyone tends to say that you must be working hard when I tell them I go to Davidson. I spent most of my time in the College Union/Student Center. Davidson is a very small town, but is very much a college town. There is a really cute Main Street with a drug store, coffee shop, restaurants, bank, and a few stores. The community members are very involved with the college, so it is like one big community. There is definitely a lot of pride in saying that you are a Davidson student especially after this year's Basketball run. And Davidson does your laundry for you, which is a huge plus.

This is one experience I'll always remember. When Davidson's basketball team made it to the NCAA Elite Eight this year the board of trustees paid for the entire school to go up to Detroit to watch the game FOR FREE. This included an eleven hour bus ride, an overnight in a hotel, and tickets to the sweet sixteen and elite eight games. But the story gets even better. I had a six page paper due the day we would get back from Detroit and so I had to do it in the hotel while we were up there. So I pack my laptop, my notes, my books, everything - and forget the laptop charger! On the bus ride up I realize this and tell the chaperone, who calls the President's secretary, who tells the President... who offers to fly it up with him later that day! So Residence Life unlocks my dorm room, gets the charger, gives it to the President, who flies it up and puts it in his wife's purse, and then it is hand delivered to me during the basketball game!!! Davidson is a true community.

The best thing about Davidson is the small size- you can have real relationships with professors, and you get such a good quality of education from the personal attention that you get. I spend most of my time in the library and at the town's coffee shop, Summit. There's been a ton of school pride with the recent basketball success.

Half of people either haven't heard of it or think its a community college. Freaking brilliant though, but with a badass basketball team.

I came from a small private school, and the step up in size to Davidson has been a perfect adjustment for me. I love having a small campus where I know a lot of students and faculty and where faculty and staff members know me. And I love the interaction between the town and the college. However, there are occasions where I realize just how small the town of Davidson is because everything on Main Street closes early, particularly on sunday afternoons. I love almost everything about the campus, although there are a few complaints that I hear rather frequently among students, mostly regarding the hours that various buildings are opened. First, not everybody sleeps in until noon on weekends, so it would be nice if Commons would open for breakfast earlier than 9:30. A lot of the cross country and track runners like to meet and run early in the morning on saturdays and sundays, and there are people who like to get up and study as well. It makes things difficult when we have to wait a couple hours between when we finish running and when we can eat breakfast and get the day started. The other thing is that people like to get work done on sundays, but the library is never open in the morning. This is a little bit frustrating as well.

One of the biggest aspects of life at Davidson is the honor code. We all love it and respect it and it makes life so much easier. The atmosphere on campus is great because it's really small so you recognize most people, but you definitely don't know everyone. That's a common misconception. It's definitely pretty tiny, but I think it's just right.

Davidson is the perfect college for me. I love the small size and being able to know most people that you pass when walking around campus. The town is nice and small but we are close to Charlotte which is a huge plus. There is obviously alot of school pride after the success of the Basketball team. Now when I say I go to Davidson, people say "oh that's a great school" or something about the basketball team and how they were pulling for the small school to win. The only thing I would want to see changed would be the dating scene. There is too much hooking up or dating like you are married. No in between, which is pretty hard. But, overall it is awesome!

It's small enough that you say hi to lots of people walking to class, but big enough for lots of great opportunities.

Davidson is a small. close-knit community. Everyone gets along and says hi to one another, even a stranger, because there is a lot of happiness. However, Davidson students live in a bubble. A bubble full of hidden discrimination and segregation. I hope that Davidson students will all grow away from these stereotypes and learn that each is an individual to his/her self. Race is always talked about on campus and hopefully mroe and more people are becomign accepting of not just the black race but of other races as well. We need more gay awareness on campus because that seems to be very well hidden and unaccepted.

Not too small

The best thing about Davidson is that the community is made up of students who are given the opportunity to do anything they set their minds to. The faculty and staff are there to assist students in anyway possible. The intensity and energy on campus is something that won't be found anywhere else. Davidson is a school of 1700 students and Davidson, the town is definitely a college town. Our administration helps us form community with the town around us, which is extremely beneficial in the long-run.

Small liberal arts school. Not too big or too small. Most people outside of the N.C. have never heard of Davidson which is frusterating considering the rigor of the academics.

Davidson is really unique - it's completely different from my high school friends' colleges. You really feel like you are part of a community here. The students, faculty, and town all come together.

Davidson has a unique sense of community that makes the school a wonderful place to live for four years. The town embraces the college. The honor code gives it a sense of trust among students and professors and townspeople.

The greatest thing about Davidson is its size. Classes are small enough that great discussions and interactions with your peers and teachers are possible. Teachers become very invested in your well-being, frequently inviting their students to dinner at their house at the end of the semester. This bond makes the school special. The community feel is like nothing I have ever experienced. Case in point: NCAAs this year. Not only do the students love this school, but so does the town. Where else can you find the town members baking for students during finals. And on the note of finals, self-scheduled, unproctored exams?? Yes. The honor code is what makes Davidson unique. Students are given a great deal of respect, responsibility and trust.

Davidson College has a sense of community that is unique to itself. People don't understand Davidson until they have been there. Everyone is involved and cares about what goes on at campus. It is a very small school, only 1700 students, but people are always impressed when they hear I go to Davidson. I spend most of my time at my eating house, Warner Hall, where I eat, work and hang out.

One of the best things about Davidson besides its honor code and sense of community is its location. We are located in the small town of Davidson, NC which is just about 30 minutes outside of Charlotte, NC. The town is very small with just about 8,000 people. I like to call it Mayberry because it is basically a perfect little town. There is main street with the local soda shop, coffee shop, the ice cream shop, village bookstore, and the very convenient CVS. Everyone knows everyone else in the town and the townspeople are so supportive of what we do here on campus. There is always a contingent at our theatre performances along with athletic contests. They even bake us cookies during exams and hand out a late night study snack of cookies and milk! Even though the town is so quaint I never feel like I am isolated from the rest of the world. 5 minutes up and down I-77 there is everything you could ever want or need as a college student. There are Targets and Wal-Marts, every fast food restaurant known to man, high-end dining, along with good shopping (especially at Birkdale Village). Plus we are only 30 minutes away from Charlotte so you can always go into the city for a night on the town.

I love Davidson. The school is extremely inclusive while being laid back. The town itself is very supportive of the students. During exams, DCPC makes cookies for the students. You will not find that anywhere else.

A lot of people haven't heard about Davidson, which is kind of a pain, particularly because we are such a great school. It's also a great town-- the town of Davidson is a great community with a special relationship with the college. I think that this relationship fosters school pride... everyone at davidson is so proud to be a wildcat!

The sense of community is very strong. You know that everyone is suffering through the workload and you know alot of people wherever you go, or at least you recognize them. It is very easy to tell if someone goes here or not. Davidson is not known by most people in my hometown but the people that do know that it is a huge accomplishment to go here and you gain their respect almost immediatly.

Davidson as a whole is great. There's nothing I would change. My professors are all trusting of me as their student and extremely passionate about their profession. I have one professor who holds office hours in the Union--every afternoon for several hours. Then, if you email about a homework question, he'll meet you in the Union after dinner or later in the evening to give you extra help. He's usually on campus anyways since he makes sure to attend all plays, concerts, sporting events, etc. that his students are involved with. The student body is a great group of people who are all very friendly. People often ask if the small size bothers me, and in fact, I love it. You don't go somewhere on campus where you don't at least recognize someone--and that connectedness is what I love about Davidson. There is certainly a lot of school pride.

Sometimes I feel like Davidson's too small, but most of the time I find the size just right for me. It's definitely a personal preference. If you like to see friends and familiar faces every time you leave your room, this is the perfect size school. When I first arrived, I found the school spirit a little disappointing, but during our stellar basketball season I was really impressed.

The best thing about Davidson is the people, the people at davidson, staff and students are amazing people and make the amazing college experience that everyone at davidson cherishes. One thing I would change is the food selection, I would make it more varied to allow students to change up what they eat every day. Davidson is just the right size. When I tell people that I go to davidson there are two responses I tend to get, people who know of the school always acknowledge how great it is and what a great choice I made. The other common response from people who don't know Davidson is whether or not its a community college. I love Davidson College.

Davidson offers wonderful academics, a great sense of community, division 1 athletics, and a great social environment. It is small but I enjoy that about Davidson, it allows you to get to know a significant portion of your class mates. The administration is very available and supportive of the students. School pride is certainly high right now, Davidson's basketball team was fantastic this season, GO CATS!

The small size of the school is great, and so are the people. I like the college town atmosphere, too, and everyone has school pride. (I think our rallying around the basketball team is a testament to this.) There is sometimes too much talk about diversity and changes. The dorm rooms are pretty nice, and if you want to live on campus and really close to classes, Davidson is the place for you.

The best thing about Davidson is the sense of community and lake campus. I was nervous about the small size but it has turned out to be a good thing because of the community feel it promotes. Our name is getting recognized thanks to our stellar basketball team and its awesome because it is a great place to be.

The best thing about Davidson is the group of friends that I've formed. Sometimes I feel like it is slightly too small, and I'd like to be able to go out and meet someone new sometimes, but it's generally the same crowd out each night. There's definitely a lot of school pride, especially when it comes to basketball. It's really fun to get caught up in the spirit of it all.

Best thing- trust shared by community with one another one thing i'd change: add 1,000 students to the student body how people react when I tell them I go to Davidson: Where is that exactly? Is that a community college? Oh, you go to Dickinson/Denison? Most of my time on campus is spent at: the library, my dorm, the student union what college town? Administration works with students, pretty open dialogue racial tension is the biggest issue on campus right now yes a lot of school pride, due mostly to our basketball team advancing to the elite 8 of the NCAA tournament frequent student complaints: too much work, grade deflation

The administration at Davidson is really wonderful. They really want you to succeed and do a lot of work to forge personal relationships with the student body--our last president, Bobby Vagt, made a point to attend every single Davidson athletic home event, no matter what sport, day, or time. This past March, when basketball made it to the Sweet Sixteen/Elite Eight, the Davidson Trustees paid for every student's bus pass, ticket, and hotel accomodations who wanted to attend the game in Detroit. That doesn't happen everywhere.

I think that our school is too small and I'm only a freshman. But it has amazing opportunities and I don't think we all realized how spoiled we are for going here. It's nice because everything is so accessible-buildings, professors, classes, food, laundry, parties- everything is a two minute walk. but having everyone know everyone else so quickly means that people get a little cliquely. so the size depends on the way you look at it. People are always impressed when I say I go to Davidson because I'm basically in a "NEW" Ivy League school. And especially after the NCAA people really seem to know where I go to school and it makes me even more proud of it.

One thing i would change: MORE STUDENT PARKING

I love Davidson because it is a small school. Sometimes it feels as if it may be to small, but I really love being able to see people I know where ever I go. A lot of people haven't heard of the school but those that have always have something great to say about it. We have a beautiful campus, where most people spend the majority of their time and we are located in a great suburban setting not far from Charlotte. There is a lot of school pride, which I think has hit a particular high because of the recent success of our basketball team. My favorite memory is probably spending time on the Lake Campus with all of my friends just hanging out in the sun.

The school is the perfect size. You can have the ability to meet new people everyday as well as run into people you already know.

I love the atmosphere at Davidson. Everyone is very friendly and encouraging. I wish the student body was more diverse but I love that everyone interacts.

Beautiful campus, lovely people. I couldn't have asked for a better experience.

Davidson is a unique because the students and faculty form a close community. Students are davidson are very creative and outgoing and are eager to eat to know their professors and eager to learn.

Davidson is known for its high scademic level and its basketball team. most people who go here like it a lot, but the classes are very difficult at times

The best thing about Davidson are the small classes and the travel opportunities. If I could change one thing it would be the amount of diversity. The size of the school is just right. When I tell people I go to Davidson they know I'm smart and assume I 'm preppy. I spend most of my time in my dorm room or in the student union. The town is definetly a college town. The administration is helpful. The biggest controversy on campus this year was a racial incident. There is a great sense of school pride! I'm not sure if this is unusual but we have no curfew and no dorm restrictions as far as who can come and for how long for all four years. Also self scheduled final exams and take home exams. One experience I'll always remember is my study abroad trip and Spring Frolics!!! Student's complain about grade inflation.

Davidson is a rather individual school. The honor code is one thing that really separates us from other colleges. We have take home tests and quizes and self-scheduled exams. We can leave our doors unlocked and our computers sitting in the student Union with out fear of stuff being taken. We also have an incredible laundry service. For those students who don't know how or simply don't want to do laundry, the school will do it for you...free of charge (well, it's included). When I tell people back home that I go to Davidson they say one of two things: "What's Davidson" or "Wow, you must be really smart!" I think the size of the college is pretty good. It could maybe stand to be a little larger (I sometimes feel like I'm still in high school because I know everyone I pass), but at the same time I really like being able to have classes with a total of 10 people, and also having the teachers all know me by name. Davidson definitely has great school pride, especially after making it into the elite 8 this year!!

Davidson is an academically rigorous school, and provides its students with the opportunity for a well-rounded education. A majority of students study abroad during their Davidson career and the small size allows students to get to know many of their peers. Davidson has a great amount of school spirit, especially when it comes to our basketball team. Although Davidson is small, it still boasts one of the best basketball teams in the nation. The trustees even paid for many students to travel to the Elite Eight in Detriot to cheer on the team.

Davidson is completely centered around community and relationships. Relationships between faculty and students, the town and the college, upperclassmen and freshmen, your hall and the hall upstairs...everyone is involved in active community with one another. We are a small place, so you get to know a lot of people, but at the same time, you meet someone new every day. We are all here because we love it and you can really see that in the way we interact with one another. People are passionate about their interests and involved to the point of crazy schedules. Recently with our basketball success (we are a division 1 school) we have begun to be recognized by the national press, so our credibility is constantly on the rise. These articles like to point out things like our laundry service and honor code (two things very true and unique at Davidson) but these, to me, just supplement the community that really drives the campus. I wouldn't change a thing about this school. People respect one another, the honor code allows us a great deal of academic freedom, and I can pursue all of my interests. We have a lake campus where I can waterski and lay in the sun, I eat dinner regularly at my professors' houses, and I get to watch some of my good friends play basketball in the Elite Eight in Detroit (courtesy of the trustees, I might add). I have found a great deal of happiness at Davidson and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I love the small size of Davidson because it allows for a close community of students, faculty, and staff that is conducive for a wonderful Honor Code (which is more like a way of life down here) and a quality education. The class sizes are small so I really feel like I get to know my professors (I have even eaten at some of their houses). The town of Davidson is also really close to the college so the support we receive (especially in basketball season) is wonderful. The general sense of love that everyone has for this school is just amazing to experience.

I like that everyone here is intelligent, interesting and motivated. Occasionally, it feels small because students tend to get into their own social groups, but if you go to a different house for a party or take a class in a new department, you realize that the school is bigger than you think. Most people ask if it's a community college because its not well known in the North. At least it wasn't until our basketball team did well in the NCAA tournament. The college town is great. We have wonderful town-gown relations and it's a very traditional small southern town. Everyone smiles and says hello, students frequently babysit for town members, and many develop friendships just by running into each other on the jogging trails or in the town coffee shop. I think the people here like Davidson, but we don't have "school spirit" in the sense that it's difficult to get students to attend sporting events because they spend so much time in the library. Grade "deflation" is a constant controversy on campus. Students feel short changed when they enter the job market. The faculty is so militant about disallowing grade inflation, that our grades are abysmal compared to students at schools who do half the amount of work. It is a disadvantage when you apply for internships or jobs with GPA cut offs, but if the employers know Davidson they understand the gap in GPA. In terms of the social scene, I like the fraternity and eating house system. We have theme parties almost every weekend, which is a lot of fun.