Tell us About Davidson !

College Search & Selection
1

<p>We live in New England and we know that Davidson is a very good school. </p>

<p>Our youngest has been accpeted and is considering Davidson now that we know the first choice was denied. We will be visiting Davidson April 23-25.</p>

<p>Biology, genetics, politics with a pre-med interest are where our youngest is most interested.</p>

<p>Anything you feel like sharing is most appreciated. </p>

<p>This site has a few threads on Davidson and we have reviewed them we just figured a direct plea might yield a direct response.</p>

<p>Thank you !</p>

2

<p>Davidson is a fantastic school and I'll try to organize my knowledge of it into a number of categories.</p>

<p>1) Science and Pre-med...Davidson prides itself on it's hard sciences and has a very strong national reputation for pre-med. Many students incorporate several interests with their pre-med curriculum, including social sciences. Studying pre-med would not limit the academic opportunities. As for genetics, I'm completely ignorant. Biology and politics are strong though.</p>

<p>2) Location...I live roughly an hour from Davidson, and I can tell you the weather is great. It snowed maybe twice this year, the largest accumulation being 2 inches overnight that melted by noon the next day. Winters are mild. Fall and spring are exceptionally beautiful, especially around Lake Campus. I don't know if you're familiar with the Lake Campus of Davidson, but it is essentially land on Lake Norman owned by the school. Students are allowed access using their student IDs and it has a few sail boats, canoes, maybe some kayaks, and a pier. It's a popular spot among students to go hang out on the lake. The campus is also small, well organized, and very pretty. Davidson students never seem to have a shortage of things to do. Charlotte, major concerts and sports teams, are 20 miles away. I heard some kind of rumor about a rail system to Charlotte being put in, but I can't confirm or deny that.</p>

<p>3) Social Life...Davidson does have fraternities and eating houses (essentially sororities). This belies the fact that these organizations are non-residential, all parties are open, and the student body is not defined by these fraternities. I would encourage you to talk to students about the social life. The ones I've spoken to, both frat members and not, have never spoken ill of the social life. Alcohol is a part of the social life, but the environment is responsible and not pressuring.</p>

<p>4) Study abroad...Davidson's study abroad is exceptional and is taken very seriously. Feel free to PM for more specifics.</p>

<p>5) The Honor Code...This is one aspect of Davidson that really exemplifies the spirit of the school. Students do not cheat, steal, or lie. Responsibility and accountability are intrinsic in the code. The library does not have detectors and students trust one another. One example of this: a student I know was leaving for a semester in Europe. After his parents dropped him off on campus, he set his backpack and duffel (his possessions for a semester abroad) on the steps of a building while he went to ask a friend if he could sleep in his room. Needless to say, his bags were still there. There have been instances where students have moved things that were left out because of rain, after leaving waterproof notes explaining.</p>

<p>Davidson has a complete undergraduate focus, strong faculty-student relationships, and a culture of trust. I would encourage you to take a thorough look at the school to find out if it's the right fit for your child. </p>

<p>The cons of the school (some subjective)...size, suburban location, not a very diverse school, not an extremely political school.</p>

3

<p>I live very close to Davidson. A Davidson Biology prof. attends my church. He is a smart personable guy who loves his job.
I don't know the ins and outs of the college (except that it is really pretty, have been to a few sporting events and kids summer camps there)) but if you have questions about the surrounding area, feel free to PM me. Also, just so you know, the previously mentioned Lake Campus is not within walking distance of the school. Don't know if the school ever provides transport out there or if the kids just have to find someone with a car who wants to go. From the school, it's about a 15-20 car ride to the lake.</p>

4

<p>Ninja nailed most of the aspects of Davidson. The biology department is exceptionally strong, including one of the foremost herpetologists. The facilities are impressively up to date and well-equipped, and the majors I talked to raved about easy access to the labs. Their wildlife preserve is great for ecology classes, and Davidson maintains ties with the Duke marine lab and School for Field Studies (Australia, Kenya, Costa Rica, etc.), giving biology majors plenty of opportunities to study abroad. Genetics and neuroscience are strong at Davidson, and the school has historically been a feeder for law and medical school. Research opportunities are plentiful, and they host a poster session every spring so students can present their research. In fact, I'm doing research this summer through Davidson rather than through my own school. </p>

<p>It's great that y'all are visiting. I had already decided against Davidson when I was accepted (waaaaay too close to home), but the admitted students' weekend made me seriously reconsider.</p>

5

<p>Hey Warblers, that herpetologist is my church friend!</p>

6

<p>Another connection to the herpatologist! I go to high school about 1 1/2 away from Davidson and I have a friend that's very interested in snakes (and it turns out that he's going to Davidson next year). He got in contact with the herpatologist and the guy gave him advised him and helped him with a research project. If the professors there will do this for random high school students, I can only imagine what they do for their own students.</p>

7

<p>On April 25, your youngest will be signed, sealed and delivered to Davidson, and wondering why s/he ever thought that other place was the first choice. It's a great place for anyone, especially someone pre-med.</p>