<p>Is there a balance at Davidson? It seems to lean to the left quite a bit. Would a conservative Christian URM be comfortable on campus? Particularly one from the opposite coast?</p>
<p>You may still feel uncomfortable at Davidson, but compared to other elite colleges the balance is much more favorable to your situation. More middle of the road and religious friendly than schools like Amherst, Middlebury, etc.</p>
<p>thegrabler put it clearly and simply. Agree. Davidson students may have voted for Obama, but they are not monolithically liberal on all social issues and many come from homes where their families may be conservative. The Presbyterian ethos is still somewhat present on campus…and there is an emphasis on fair dealings, ethics, public service and leadership at Davidson now just as Davidson has always produced civic leaders. Religious diversity is present re denominations and there are plenty of secular students as well but there is a self selection process in my opinion… thoughtful people tend to seriously consider attending Davidson. The work load is tough there and expectations re personal character are high. One of our tour guides was a Californian and our son did an overnight with someone from Washington state. One of our tour guides was unchurched and another was active in a local Catholic church. (Parents asked about religious life on campus on our tour.)</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback. My son is pretty apolitical and is not a social activist. He is 1/2 Puerto Rican but is from a very diverse inclusive background, not an activist background. He would be a math or physics major and he would be very involved in the music scene. He is an exceptional student but enjoys a hearty social life. He loves discussing philosophy and paradoxes and has opinions but is more likely to want to get along with everyone.</p>
<p>He’s very involved in our church (sort of Evangelical/reformed) as a worship leader in youth group and a violinist in regular worship and loves teaching children. I am trying to get a feel for Davidson since he hasn’t visited and probably will not. I spoke with an admissions officer who directed us to watch some of the videos on the Davidson site to get a better feel.</p>
<p>I would never have thought of Amhurt and Middlebury as matches for my son.</p>
<p>He’s looking at schools like Princeton, Harvey Mudd, Vanderbilt, U of Penn, WUSTL, and a few others.</p>
<p>As a recent graduate of Davidson who considers himself both Christian and conservative (though not necessarily with the associated connotations of either), I would say that Davidson is very friendly both to religious and secular students, as well as to both liberals and conservatives. Many of my friends were conservative but not Christian, Christian but not conservative, or neither. As long as you treat others with respect you will earn theirs.</p>
<p>In terms of religion, there are pretty strong Christian groups on campus (I was active in Campus Outreach, and a little bit in Reformed University Fellowship) Of these two, Campus Outreach tends to be more culturally and politically conservative.</p>
<p>Thank-you, SecondWeatherman. Your post was very helpful and I appreciate it. Do you feel like Davidson was all you thought it would be? Do you mind sharing your major and what you plan to do now?</p>
<p>Sbjdorlo,</p>
<p>It sort of gives away my identity (due to the small size of Davidson) to explain the following, but this doesn’t really bother me.</p>
<p>I really enjoyed my experience there. It was a LOT of work, but I expected that when I entered it. The professors will give you lots of demanding assignments, but then give you their time and zeal to help you accomplish them.</p>
<p>Perhaps the best part of the college is the close relationship with professors. I remember once as a freshman during parents’ weekend when my parents did not visit, I could not bear the loneliness of eating at the school’s commons, so I walked toward a nearby restaurant. My pre-major advisor found me and invited me to his house to have dinner with his family, where I met his genius kids.</p>
<p>Davidson students are interested in bettering their world, but are by and large not overtly political. What politics there is among students tends to lean left, but it really is a lean, not a hard pull.</p>
<p>I majored in history with a concentration in applied mathematics. I am going on to get a PhD in meteorology at a major state university. </p>
<p>If you would like any more information, send me a personal message and I will be happy to give you my e-mail. It truly is a special place.</p>