I think Davidson could be a good match. I would not ever have considered it conservative in modern times (again my husband went there and we have second generation Davidson kids in our circle now), but it has never been super lefty/woke either. Pretty moderate place where there are conservative kids and progressive kids.
If you want somewhere more conservative consider Furman or Wofford, maybe Sewanee.
I am assuming your concerns may be related to Davidsonâs #abolishthepolice course that received quite a bit of attention in the media over the summer. The class is an elective and what I would consider an appropriate topic for academic inquiry. I have attached a link to Fox news for those who are not familiar with the controversy.
We took a close look at Davidson for my S22. We visited and talked to current students from our area. Like you, I would describe ourselves as politically moderate. Our son has zero interest in politics, and he would not have been comfortable at a more left wing school like an Oberlin or Reed. My son absolutely loved Davidson, but ultimately applied and was accepted at another college early decision. He would have applied ED 2 to Davidson had that not worked out. @Sweetgumâs assessment is spot on. I would describe the student body as moderate and slightly left of center.
I really have no idea what âwokeâ means, or what is its opposite. But, based on your description, it sounds like this college needs to be simply known as âForestâ? 
Any place such as Davidson where Steph Curry was at is appropriately âwokeâ for all of us.
Youâve totally lost me. What does Steph Curry have to do with anything?
As much as the stuff you citedâŠHNY!
That was a serious question. I donât know anything about Steph Curry (other than that he is a basketball player). Thought maybe he is particularly outspoken about BLM or known for taking a knee during the national anthem or something like that?
I guess because he went to Davidson?
So the presence of a black athlete at a school that is 70 percent white somehow makes that school woke? Still donât get it. 
Not wanting to put words in anyoneâs mouth, but in the hope that we can move this along, I think the point was that Curry could have opted for another college if Wake was not woke enough for him.
But since heâs never commented on Davidsonâs wokeness, people are just making assumptions, so again, letâs move the conversation forward
Steph Curry did not make Davidson âwokeâ. Steph Curry contributed to Davidsonâs basketball team reaching a national audience some ten or twelve years ago. Itâs probably a controversial notion, but some would argue that a national reputation attracts students from all sections of the country and contributes to a college maintaining a âbalanceâ in views. YMMV.
Thank you for that explanation. It makes a lot of sense. I was having trouble connecting the dots between Steph Curry and the political climate on campus. My understanding was that he went to Davidson because no one else recruited him.
Our family has spent time at Davidson over the past few years and we know students there. BTW, for a small school - they have some amazing teams and beautiful facilities. The town is very friendly and fun to walk around.
What we observed and hear is that differences of opinion/viewpoint/perspective are tolerated and students discuss - not just react.
Maybe what the OP is asking relates to these questions?
So if students are asked to refer to others by their preferred pronouns, is that an example shutting down and maligning students for views that donât fit the dominant narrative? Or is it creating an environment where students and teachers are treated with respect and are accepted and welcomed?
Wait. What?
@mtmind - had not mentioned pronouns in my post. I expect respect on campusâŠrespect for everyone. It is, in my personal opinion, to share respect by using the pronouns that someone requests/identifies/signs/. In my world view, using the preferred pronouns is respectful. However, if someone doesnât want to write their own pronoun below their name - that is their individual choice. You can always ask with respect and authenticity for seeking what makes each other feel respected.
FWIW, the students and faculty I have observed/met at Davidson have been respectful to each other. I found the campus welcoming in many ways. People said hello to us strangers. When he was very hot in early September, there was a bottle of cold water. People offered directions with a smile and kindness. Noticed also that the campus was clean and students were respectful of the campus environment.
That is similar to my experience at a number of campuses, especially those that are derided as âwoke.â In my opinion, college students have become much more respectful and thoughtful when it comes to how they treat each other, and civility and mutual respect are commonplace.
But this comes with a tradeoff of sorts, at least in the minds of some. People are asked to think before they speak, and to take into consideration the impact of their words on those around them. Somehow that is an unacceptable trade off for some. For example, while you and I may view using preferred pronouns as courteous and respectful, others view it as âwokeâ and an egregious limitation on free expression.
Davidson, like many places, is trying to grapple with these conflicting issues, but as is the case at other universities, the brunt of the anti-woke pressure is coming not from students - as you note, they seem to have it figured out - but from alumni, press, and outside organizations.
I think the phrasing of this question is mis-guided, but I will chime in to say my D is a current student at Davidson. Sheâs liberal as are most of her friends; however, she values the diversity of thought and expression in the classroom at Davidson and one reason she chose it was she didnât want to attend an LAC that seems too have too much âgroup think.â Grinnell, fairly or not, was a college on her list she turned away from because she thought the students might be too similar.
Davidson is very thoughtful about the issue of free speech on campus and is currently working on a new policy statement around the topic to encourage intellectual exploration.
Overall my D has loved her time at Davidson â the profs, the campus facilities (particularly the new science building) and the warm & caring community. Itâs not perfect â no college is â but itâs been a very good fit for her.
iâm definitely more than a little late (probably too late), but if you enjoy schools like davidson, did also look into washington and lee, wake forest, university of richmond, rhodes, sewanee, union (ny), and claremont mckenna? those schools are pretty renowned for being middle-of-the-road. itâs very funny b/c, for all the reasons i think you would love them, i hated them (coming from a current grinnell student <3). no shade to them at all, i just knew i wanted a widely left-leaning student body.
schools like grinnell, oberlin, vassar, reed, etc. are schools i think you should definitely avoid (as you already picked up on that). theyâre much more left-leaning, and a student who does not fit that standard would feel slightly, if not very, uncomfortable. i also think you would really, really like trinity college in connecticut. if iâm correct, within the NESCAC, trinity dominates in football/sports in general, if youâre into that. not D1 like davidson, but good at sports nonetheless. bucknell, denison, and centre are also pretty fantastic options. centre is grossly underrated in my personal opinion. definitely a hidden gem.