Hi everyone,
I’m a potential prospective student struggling to decide between Davidson and a larger private university, less prestigious but in the honors college.
One of the largest hesitancies and reservations I have about attending Davidson would be the stress, workload, and even grade deflation that I’ve seen referenced so heavily in nearly every student review of the school and their experience.
Any insight into student life and the ability or lack thereof to balance a fun social life with the rigorous academics would be much appreciated!
I have also heard that the sciences tend to reflect the grade-deflation rumor more than the humanities, so if it changes anything, I am planning to major in philosophy or sociology.
Thanks!
Hey! Former Davidson student here. No one has replied yet so I figured I would chime in.
In my experience, Davidson was difficult but definitely manageable. I don’t think there’s significant grade deflation, and if you look at recent graduating class profiles, the average GPA of seniors at Davidson has ticked up some. Like other top LACs, Davidson is challenging. If you are accepted at Davidson, then the admissions office feels you have what it takes to handle the workload.
I had to adjust to the workload freshmen year. If you develop good study habits and time management habits, then you can totally have a good social life as well. At Davidson, many people study hard and party hard. Not to the extent of big state schools I would estimate. I enjoyed the social life as Davidson because most people are welcoming and Greek life was dominant but not the entire party scene.
I was a psychology major and as you said, the sciences at Davidson are harder (generally speaking), in part because of the time commitment of labs. As a philosophy or sociology major, you would take classes that are reading and writing intensive. If you are strong in those skills then you should be fine. Some professors are more challenging than others of course. Davidson professors are very accessible so if you need support they will try to help. Also too Davidson has free resources to help you, including the tutoring center in the library for STEM help and writing help.
I think a Honors college has its own perks because you can take advantage of the resources at a large school while being within a smaller community. On the other hand, Davidson is a very welcoming community and I liked the short walk to campus and the proximity to Charlotte. The D1 sports and the Honor Code are awesome as well.
Go with what you think is best for you! Let me know if you have any other questions.
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That was a super helpful answer, thank you so much! I’m glad to hear you found Davidson manageable and enjoyable.