<p>I'm thinking some of you out there must have considered both colleges. My junior D is interested in both, but they are both relatively unknown where we live so it would be great to get some first-hand insights from either students or parents. The schools seem similar in terms of size, small town location, entering student scores and grades, and excellent merit aid possibilities. So what sets them apart? Is it Greek life at W&L? Does one of them draw more diverse students, including kids from outside the Southeast, and liberals, atheists, geeks, artists? How do the girls dress to go to class or social events at Davidson? Is one or the other better for a student of history and politics/international relations?</p>
<p>I don't know that this matters for this fairly broad question, but my D is adventurous, kind, smart, social but not a party animal, intensely athletic, politically savvy, non-religious, and is rarely seen wearing a dress and pearls :)</p>
<p>Thanks in advance for your thoughts! I'll post this at W&L forum too, to get a good range of opinions.</p>
<p>I can't provide a direct comparison because I don't know W and L very well except for having been in Lexington a few times. However, I am the parent of a Davidson alum, and would note first of all that the locations are not as similar as you may think. Lexington is lovely but physically more removed from the outside world than Davidson is. Although Davidson the town is smaller than Lexington, Davidson is at the northern edge of the bustling Charlotte metro area, with all the usual suburban amenities (big bookstores, multiplex movies, chain stores, cutesy boutiques, and so on) within a ten-minute drive--and in the last year or so, quite a lot of suburban development right Davidson's interstate exit itself. In addition, Charlotte, which has museums and live music (including Opera Carolina) and theater as well as professional football and basketball, is less than half an hour away (as is Charlotte Douglas Airport, which has pretty good service to most parts of the country and is a US Airways hub). </p>
<p>The school draws fairly broadly across geographical areas and strives for diversity just as all schools do. It has a good history department and strong study abroad programs (Dean Rusk, former secretary of state, was an alumnus and part of the program is named for him). A thorough exploration of the school's Web site will give you a pretty detailed overview of what it offers and what it feels its strengths are. It is a place you would really need to visit to get a sense of. I think a social girl with an interest in both athletics and academics would probably stand a good chance of loving it. </p>
<p>Regarding the specifics you mention, during our various visits we saw girls in jeans, skirts, sundresses, shorts. Lots of flipflops, lots of flats, sneakers too. There is no fashion "uniform." Politics vary, as does religion; the latter can be irrelevant or important, depending on the student.</p>
<p>and didn't even bother touring W&L after the information session. My daughter really liked Davidson however and has applied there and been recommended for the Belk as well. The two schools have a completely different feel.</p>
<p>First off, W&L is in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. It's a beautiful area and we were glad to visit but there is really nothing nearby with one exception -- VMI is next door. That said a lot to us. The school is very conservative. One thing that really impressed me in a negative way was the condition of the facilities we saw (which granted was one mid sized classroom). It was falling apart. This truly was the only college we visited where the facilities were not in great shape. The info session was also run by a recent graduate who could not deliver a presentation in any manner. Again, this said something to us. I know that many are happy at W&L but it wasn't for us. </p>
<p>Davidson, on the other hand, as earlier stated is in a small town too but 30 mins away from Charlotte. It has a very nice campus and an exceptional science department with very new facilities. It does have some fairly stiff class requirements (religion, gym etc) which were different from many of the other schools we visited. Davidson also had a very different information session where the admissions advisor actually asked the students for information about themselves and what they were looking for.</p>
<p>I think the possibilities for merit aid are greater at Washington & Lee. D received invitations from W&L to apply for the Johnson Scholarship, which offers "at least tuition, room and board to approximately ten percent of each incoming class" (about 40 students). But the Belk at Davidson is given to "up to ten students." While there is other merit aid at Davidson, it strikes us as harder to come by. Having said that, D is applying to Davidson, but not W&L!</p>
<p>We too visited both last year and both are very sleepy type of campuses with some serious studying going on. Davidson has more athletic spirit for sure - and my main concern at W&L was the overwhelming Greek culture - over 80%. From what we could gather drinking is the main game at W&L.</p>
<p>The thing is, though, W&L is still really small, so for approximately ten percent of each incoming class to get the Johnson scholarship, there are about 40-45 students per class getting it. So, yes, it's a lot more than the number who get the Belk, but the Belk is also a lot more generous (because not only does it pay for tuition, board, and other fees, but it also provides $6,000 worth of summer stipends to go abroad or do something educational): John</a> M. Belk Scholarship</p>
<p>Davidson also offers lots of other merit scholarships of anywhere from $1,000 to $15,000. "Scholars Weekend" in the spring brings in about a hundred students -- meaning one hundred students are receiving merit-based scholarships.</p>
<p>Thanks so much! This is very helpful info. The Belk is a huge draw, but obviously a long shot. Regardless, I really like everything I've heard about Davidson. Proximity to a city and airport sure sounds good, especially for a girl who grew up in a city. D likes Pomona, and will probably like Davidson, but we really need to visit some mid-sized schools too. Duke is high on her list. In theory, a visit should help sort out some of the pros and cons.</p>
<p>Sharon - congrats to your D on the nomination, and good luck to her!</p>
<p>I think Davidson is more tolerant, and it’s probably also more liberal. Just my sense. I would say that, around me (Northeast), more people know Davidson and respect it than Washington & Lee. I am a member of the Davidson 2013 facebook group, and I was scanning the W & L group the other day because I have a close friend going there, and the feel of both was entirely different. Haha, I know that sounds like a ridiculous metric to measure the schools by, but there were some hostile, intolerant comments made on the W & L board, even before these kids have met each other. Whereas, all of us on the Davidson board are cordial and open and trying to get to know one another. But, I don’t recommend that your Daughter choose schools based on that little obscure tidbit, haha.</p>
<p>Since this old thread has been revived, I’ll post an update. My D and I finally managed to visit both schools last spring, and saw very positive things about both. But Davidson was the clear winner - her fave out of the 9 colleges we looked out on our marathon trip. The students were just returning from break at Davidson, so campus wasn’t especially lively, but it just felt right to her. She could see herself being very happy in that setting, among the kinds of people she met. The lake campus was a plus, and the main campus was lovely. Our tour guide was an impressively bright and funny guy, and we liked the opportunity to have an individual info session - a nice touch.</p>
<p>Washington and Lee was impressive as an up-and-coming, ambitious type of place. The admissions presentations were great, and the campus was so beautiful and historic. Lexington as a town was much more appealing than Davidson, but boy was it remote! I can certainly see why there might be a lot of drinking going on there - not much else to do.</p>
<p>All in all, we were so glad that we made the trip to some of the best colleges in the south. People were incredibly friendly, and it opens up lots of college possibilities that most kids from our area don’t pursue.</p>
<p>Hi Faux Nom - Another thread revival! Just wondered if your d was in fact applying
to Davidson. My d is a current freshman and loves it. Your description of your
d is very similar. If you have any questions I’d be happy to help if I can, although
I won’t possibly be able to fill Amplifiar’s shoes.</p>
<p>Hey thanks! She ended up applying ED to another great LAC, but Davidson is top of the list of schools she’ll hit in the next wave, if there is one. We’ll see what happens with ED. I really hated to see Davidson drop to second place, but it’s a combination of things, including being recruited to play her favorite sport at the ED school. The Davidson coach ignored her, sadly.</p>
<p>Oh, and she decided not to apply to W&L. Too Greek and too isolated, she decided.</p>
<p>Hi FauxNom - Thanks for the update about your d. I hope everything works out for her
ED-wise. I suspect the outcome will be Davidson’s loss but I remain happy to be of
any assistance whatsoever if she ends up applying. Best of luck and please let us know how
everything turns out!</p>