<p>What makes it special and stand out from other selective liberal arts schools?</p>
<p>I would classify it as equal academically to most of the other top LACs, but it is in the South and has much better weather!</p>
<p>If “selective liberal arts schools” means a top-10 LAC, it’s the only one in the South, and so if you want a “selective liberal arts school” without going to the Northeast or California, it’s really the only option. As an alumnus (although my time there was around 20 years ago), the student body was very cohesive, friendly and pleasant, too.</p>
<p>2006 grad.</p>
<p>Davidson I will remember for helping to shape me into a person I am proud to be today. The people I met are like family to me, and the environment was exhilarating.</p>
<p>But what makes it stand out? Only someone who went to more than one of these schools could really know. A fellow grad working at another top 10 LAC has said he loves his job because he has found a lot of what he loved at Davidson. So I take that to mean a lot that most grads come to love and appreciate exists in many other schools. So don’t get too attached </p>
<p>Late, but I recently went on a tour and can say from what I learned, Davidson has an unmatched emphasis on community and collaboration, which I think is awesome for such a highly competitive school that could easily foster a cutthroat competitive atmosphere. </p>
My daughter got accepted to a lot of good schools in NC. It was then a struggle to decide between UNC Chapel vs Davidson College. We visited both campus did our research listed the Pros and Cons especially knowing the rigor and grade deflation in Davidson and of course name recognition of UNC Chapel. In the end she chose Davidson because of the alluring aspect of graduating Debt free, more opportunities to do research study abroad and shine in your resume if you intend to attend graduate studies. My daughter is in her sophomore premed and the rigor is very real as she candidly says getting A’s are like finding Unicorns. But despite that she is very happy in her decision, living in a close knit campus of 1,790 total students has its perks of having closer relationships with your professors who can give better recommendations when it comes to applying to grad school because they have smaller classes. She has also gotten more chances to do research and beef up her resume. Her stats in HS was rank #10 out of 589 in her graduating class from nationally ranked top 3 HS in NC, SAT 2100 , ACT 32, GPA 4.9 Student Council president all her HS years plus countless volunteer activities and academic competitions. But life in Davidson known for its rigor and the Davidson Trust has made her even more disciplined and a better student and person overall. Hopefully giving her a better shot at Med School applications.
The Honor Code distinguishes Davidson from virtually any other school my D has visited. It impacts every facet of life on campus – from take-home tests to self-scheduled exams, from unlocked dorm rooms to laptops left in study carrels. Students take it very seriously, and those who serve on the Honor Council take its enforcement very seriously. The result is an environment that fosters accountability, integrity and trust. That is priceless.