<p>I need help deciding...the only real differentiating factor i can think of is size.</p>
<p>hey, I had the exact same dillema as you. I recently visited both and absolutely fell in love with William and Mary. I found that Davidson has a size that was tOO small for me. I'd go with william and mary.</p>
<p>W&M and Davidson. That would be a tough choice. These are two of the best schools in the South.</p>
<p>Well...I've never heard of Davidson and neither have any of my friends but we live in VA.</p>
<p>What a great problem to have.One is a government school,the other private.The rank and file don't know DC-the elite assuredly do.Have you spent time on each campus while the students were present to pick up the vibes at each place?</p>
<p>I went to grad school at W&M, DD applied this year and was waitlisted (out-of-state female!) and DS graduated a year ago from Davidson (DD was also accepted at Davidson), so I've got a soft spot in my heart for both schools. W&M is an excellent school with lots to offer and a good deal of name recognition. Having said that, Davidson is a very special school in what it offers its students. After an under-achieving high school career, DS got a fabulous education at Davidson, made life-long friends with students, professors and administration, and is now in a terrific job that was due in large part to the research opportunities he got at Davidson. He's already planning phase two of his career (a major change for which he is far from qualified as yet) and has been quite successful in getting interviews in part because of Davidson's reputation. So I guess where I'd come down is that if you have the choice of both schools, you are very fortunate, but I'd lean toward Davidson - not for the name necessarily, as both schools have excellent reputations, but for the education and experience you get there.</p>
<p>My neighbors son went to Davidson and said there is A LOT of drinking. He didn't participate in underaged drinking so he felt a little estranged from the bulk of the student body. He thought the situation was especially awkward because the school is so small.</p>
<p>He did feel that he received an excellent education.</p>
<p>Unfortunate fact of life for us parents: There is a LOT of underage drinking on pretty much every college campus. The question is whether those who don't partake are left out (or leave themselves out) of social interaction. Students at most colleges are surprisingly very accepting of people's lifestyle choices (more so than the real world) and frequently a feeling of estrangement is more self-imposed than actual. It's certainly an opportunity for a life lesson for a non-drinker, and not likely one that can be avoided on any college campus in the US.</p>
<p>What is the life lesson for the non-drinker?</p>
<p>life lesson for non-drinkers?</p>
<p>I don't think anyone is "penalized" for not drinking. If you fit in, you fit in.</p>
<p>Let's hope no one is "penalized" for obeying the law. Maybe the next generation of parents will do a better job of teaching their children to obey the law because our generation has failed miserably.</p>
<p>Carmelmom: Not sure what college you went to, but underage drinking (and other illegal activities) were rampant at my college and every one my friends went to - implying that our parents' generation also failed miserably at teaching us not to break the law. Good values are the same in every generation, but more often than not they take some time, maturity and wisdom to emerge. With providence and a little luck, our kids will stay safe till then, and those who choose to take a safer path to start with will be ahead of the game.</p>
<p>I've known recent non drinking graduates of Davidson and never heard one of them lament the drinking situation on campus.Unless the campus has changed drastically in the last year or so my impression is that a teetotaller would have no trouble finding lots to do and cool people to do it with.</p>
<p>Looks like you have all the answers to life....good for you.</p>
<p>My my my -- retract claws, please. No need to vilify well-intentioned responders.</p>
<p>I go to Davidson, and I would echo what was said above. There certainly is underage drinking on campus, just like on every campus, but I never felt ostracized for my decision not to drink. People are generally respectful of your decisions. The only time I have seen problems emerge is when non-drinkers are highly critical and judgemental of the decision of their peers to drink. I have never heard of someone being an outcast solely for not drinking, there is almost always another factor--using a severe lack of social skills or a personality that is simply hard to bear.</p>
<p>I agree. I don't drink, besides having a beer or wine glass once in awhile, but underage drinking is a problem at every college. Binge drinking in particular. I don't judge anyone or say anything to those who do it, but I find it stupid at the very least when a group of freshmen are orgasmic about getting a bottle of whiskey or a couple 24 packs of Natty Light or Beast (Milwaukee's Best) for a game of pong, solely to get drunk. . . . And Natty and Beast are horrible beers!</p>
<p>50 years ago, there were only 5 schools in the South: Davidson, UNC, Virginia, William & Mary, W&L. The newer ones are trendy and usually market themselves to Northerners who don't know the score.</p>
<p>HSC in Virginia has been providing an excellent liberal arts education to gentlemen continuously since 1776.Very Southern.Total class.I believe at least three HSC grads served as presidents at Davidson.</p>
<p>macsuille, whatever happened to duke? pretty sure it's a good school. am i mistaken? i'm not arguing that UNC and davidson rock though :)</p>