<p>Hi I am a prospie from nyc. I really like davidson academically, athletically, and obviously its gorgeous. I just had a few questions, because I'm a little worried about the culture shock. How Southern does Davidson feel? (I don't say southern as a bad thing, but its obviously somewhat out of my nyc comfort zone). When I visited recently, everyone was really nice, but I was kind of worried the student body was TOO nice - I felt like I would sometimes make a sarcastic comment and nobody would catch on, or I would maybe make a slightly obnoxious comment (joking) and that it might be construed the wrong way.<br>
Also, how do you think the eating houses/frats affect the social life/interaction between students? I am not really a 'sister' type- while I would go to parties, etc. I'm kind of worried that it would really seperate the girls and boys, especially since people eat with their eating houses. A girl I went there told me that she thinks this kind of makes a divide between the girls an boys and kind of sets the feeling that you go out with boys but at lunch you just hang out with the girls. The other schools I'm considering (northeastern small liberal arts) don't really have frats or eating clubs. I just want to have as many male friends as female friends, and am worried about being stuck with a huge group of giggly girls. And then what if you aren't in an eating club, but most other people are, and you don't really have anyone to eat or hang out with at meal times?
A few other of my concerns: I'm not super preppy. I couldn't really get a sense of how preppy the student body was: it felt like there weren't really any "edgy" people - what do any current students think about this?
Also, I'm Jewish and pretty liberal - how Pres. and liberal does it feel on campus? Is anyone here involved in any of the Jewish life? I'm not hugely religious but I plan on being in the Hillel.</p>
<p>I know it sounds like I have a lot of worries- I do. I really think I could love davidson but I'm also a little bit scared of taking risks (going outside of my comfort zone), so I wanted to get as much information on the stuff I'm worried about before . Thank you!</p>
<p>one other worry for me is that I don't really put myself together - I'm a big believer in sweatpants, etc. I know in general the south has more of a rep for people being kind of made up, do you guys think this holds true at Davidson? Do people care too much about how they look to just be kind of silly and dance around at parties, to be kind of all over the place (not in like the drunk girl way, just in like having fun without taking themselves too seriously)? Again, I don't mean this to offend anyone, its just a few impressions I got from my short stay, and its really hard to judge a school from a few hours when you don't know anyone!</p>
<p>yes I know, I could only get an overall impression from my visit which probably, given that it was short, is close minded and did not fully encompass all of the diversity. That is the exact reason why I made this post - to ask people who actually lived in the Davidson community community (an experience I won't be able to have until I enroll) to give me their insights on the student body and the dynamics, and to show me the diversity that I might not have been able to see at first glance or according to the stereotyping of all of the guidebooks. It was certainly not meant to be offensive in any way.</p>
<p>Re your specific concern, the small Jewish community has excellent support from the administration and from non-Jewish student leaders--you might want to get in touch with the Hillel president if you are concerned about it. The campus seder is a nice community event each year, and there is also a budding Jewish community in the town of Davidson.</p>
<p>For the more general stuff, if you liked it when you visited you will probably like it as a student--niceness is an underlying feature but does not mean people are not clever or are incapable of understanding wit. The majority of students are from regions other than the South, and the South itself is a large region and pretty diverse, so I think you will be surprised by how different people's backgrounds are. And you will probably also find that people from the more traditional backgrounds also have a great deal to offer--and you will have something to offer them as well. </p>
<p>Women do not eat with their eating houses exclusively incidentally--freshman have to eat all their meals on the college meal plan I believe. Since eating house membership is by self-selection and not until the second half of the year anyway there is a lot of fluidity and flexibility.</p>
<p>You will certainly be able to have many guy friends, and I don't think Davidson has more than the usual quota of "giggy girls," which is a sort of negative stereotype to use. It mostly has very bright students who are good at a lot of things and don't wear their intelligence, achievement, and seriousness of purpose as heavily as you might expect them to but that doesn't make them airheads--just nice people to know.</p>
<p>Hard to say whether Davidson is for you--if you did not love your other options, then it may be your beat choice on paper. I think it is a really wonderful school. But, if you didn't like it and feel really comfortable when you visited then it perhaps isn't right for you. If you did like it, I would not let its rather pat and somewhat inaccurate (because a bit outdated and prone to geographic stereotyping) guidebook descriptions be the reason you opt not to attend.</p>
<p>My daughter loves Davidson. She is a non-religious, sweatpants-wearing ( although in NC, wears shorts more), sometimes sarcastic Northerner. My understanding is that students do not eat all their meals at an eating club, most eat some in Commons as well. She chose Davidson over an Ivy, but went with her feeling that Davidson was the place for her and has not regretted it.</p>
<p>NYCparent, it is hard to really know a campus from a short visit. You pose a good question. My two cents worth... Those "TOO nice" people come from all over the country. It's not a southern thing. My d did not join an eating house, and neither did a number of other girls. Many of the freshmen girls who did probably will not do it again. As freshmen they only eat a limited number - maybe 4 - meals in the eating houses a week. My d also has a large group of male friends. She would rather dress down than up, and does. She smiles, laughs and, I would imagine on occasion, she even giggles. She's religious and has friends who are, and some who are not. She LOVES Davidson. She finds it academically challenging and mentally stimulating. My guess would be she would say that what she likes about Davidson the most is that every student she meets is interesting - whether they are like her, or whether they are different.</p>
<p>Our two tour guides were both pretty great..enthused, friendly, straight out with facts and info. One was active in his faith's student group and attended church with some regularity. The other tour guide announced that religiosity being present in a significant portion of the student body was his secret fear (and his parents number one concern) about Davidson students...as he was not a church goer at all and he didn't want to feel he had to defend his choice. He was from a West Coast state. He claimed to be really comfortable re respectfulness on campus re religious differences and said he should not have worried a bit. I know many Davidson grads. While manners are highly valued, it is a small community therefore students seemed to us to be valued for who they are --not what they wear or what car they drive or for material things. Davidson students tend to be thoughtful and to think before they act...that was my impression. You will not be the only student there from New York State....one of our tour guides hailed from there. There is geographic diversity.</p>
<p>I am guessing the decision was not to go to Davidson, which might explain the lack of response from the OP. On the up side, I thought we gave useful insights that reflected well and accurately on the Davidson community:)</p>
<p>i want to thank al of you who offered such interesting and reflective feedback about davidson.
a close friend of mine has a son who is a rising senior, and he is very interested in davidson. i am going to be helping him with his college apps because i'm done, i can, and she's so very busy.
my son didn't look at davidson, and i' sorry he did not.
so i'm just learning about the school.
my gf's son, gfs, is a strong student who lives in atlanta.
i think his love of basketball has played a role in davidson's having caught his eye.
(what an amazing BB year!)
any info, links, or just advise now and in the near future will be appreciated!
thanks again</p>