Thoughts on Davidson?

[Anonymous]

If anyone has a HS junior with a strong interest in attending Davidson, there might be a secret sauce to improving their chances of getting admitted-- Davidson's July Experience program where rising seniors live on campus and take 2 classes taught by Davidson professors. July Experience has been put on hold since 2020 but hopefully will start up again next summer. The program gives high school students a taste of what the college experience is like at Davidson, and Davidson gets to evaluate potential applicants up close and personal for 3 weeks. In the past, the great majority of students who successfully completed JE and later applied early decision were admitted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I visited Davidson with DC expecting something more akin to Richmond or W&L but in fact found it very much like a Haverford culturally. Everyone had their pronouns, there was a very visible LGBTQ presence (signs for events). Perhaps it still has some affiliation with its southern prep roots but it seemed A LOT like a typical New England LAC that leans left. I was quite surprised to be honest.

Please, please, please, someone share that this is not true.

The future is here.

You need to understand that your ilk is a dinosaur.

Catch up or you will be left behind.

Ha. Nope. And I guarantee I'm younger than you are. It's a political thing, not an identity thing. Literally none of my group from college, childhood, work.... no one uses pronouns.

That's for the cringey losers. It gives them something to belong to because they couldn't fit in anywhere else.

You keep being a loser and I'll keep being normal.

You literally just used pronouns. In every sentence.

I'm so confused. Is English not your first language?

[Anonymous]

Two of my best friends went. It’s not as southern as WL or Richmond by a long shot. Probably not as liberal as haverford. It’s a great school with awesome school spirit and a great liberal arts education. Both of my friends learned way more than I did at my Ivy League school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the women in eating houses eat most of their meals just with the women in the eating house? Where do the men eat?

PP here with daughter in an eating house. Members of eating houses can and do bring occasional guests but usually lunch and dinner are with the women in the eating house. The eating houses don't serve breakfast and any meals on weekends (incl Fri dinner). For breakfast and weekend meals, she will eat with everyone else in Commons or use dining dollars at Union/Wildcat Den, Qdoba or Summit Coffee or go off campus to eat. Students pay extra for eating houses and then combine that with one of the less expensive college meal plans. My daughter is signed up for the lowest cost college dining plan (2 meals/week + $400 dining dollars that can be used anywhere on campus including a big discount if used at Commons). Her dorm room this year has a full kitchen--she will be living in a 5 bedroom suite with 4 other friends. BTW only 2 of her roommates are in her eating house while one is not a member of any. She usually grabs a quick breakfast in her room rather than use one of her precious meal swipes. That combination (eating house + minimum dining plan + groceries) saves us money vs. the unlimited dining plan.

The men who are in fraternities eat lunch and dinner during the week at the frats like the eating houses. However, 75% of men and many of the athletes are not members of any frat. According to my daughter, most male athletes will eat the majority of their meals in Commons. Davidson's open campus party policy makes a big difference in the social scene compared with schools like Wake Forest or Colgate. [/quote

So does this mean that most meals are segregated by gender? That seems a bit odd, no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the women in eating houses eat most of their meals just with the women in the eating house? Where do the men eat?

PP here with daughter in an eating house. Members of eating houses can and do bring occasional guests but usually lunch and dinner are with the women in the eating house. The eating houses don't serve breakfast and any meals on weekends (incl Fri dinner). For breakfast and weekend meals, she will eat with everyone else in Commons or use dining dollars at Union/Wildcat Den, Qdoba or Summit Coffee or go off campus to eat. Students pay extra for eating houses and then combine that with one of the less expensive college meal plans. My daughter is signed up for the lowest cost college dining plan (2 meals/week + $400 dining dollars that can be used anywhere on campus including a big discount if used at Commons). Her dorm room this year has a full kitchen--she will be living in a 5 bedroom suite with 4 other friends. BTW only 2 of her roommates are in her eating house while one is not a member of any. She usually grabs a quick breakfast in her room rather than use one of her precious meal swipes. That combination (eating house + minimum dining plan + groceries) saves us money vs. the unlimited dining plan.

The men who are in fraternities eat lunch and dinner during the week at the frats like the eating houses. However, 75% of men and many of the athletes are not members of any frat. According to my daughter, most male athletes will eat the majority of their meals in Commons. Davidson's open campus party policy makes a big difference in the social scene compared with schools like Wake Forest or Colgate. [/quote

So does this mean that most meals are segregated by gender? That seems a bit odd, no?

Wouldn't call it segregation as there are fairly liberal guest policies at frats and eating houses so you will see women eating with their guy friends and vice versa. Many women in eating houses and men in frats will go to Vail Commons on occasion during the week to change things up (to meet friends, teammates or study group). And Commons is where students go for breakfast and weekend meals. At Davidson, there is also something of a tradition of the Commons Date where students will meet in Commons for a casual date/hangout. Also, first year students who join don't start eating at the houses or frats until second year (and some join as third years). Half of Davidson women and 75% of the men don't join one at all. The "greek life" is not exclusive like at other schools and friend groups will span different houses, frats and unaffiliated students. It is the rare Davidson student who will only hang out with those in her eating house or his fraternity.

[Anonymous]

I had one child go to Haverford and have one at Davidson. I’d say Haverford has a more intellectual, serious vibe and Davidson is a bit sportier/more fun. And Davidson while quite small is still much bigger than Haverford.

Having said that, I’d definitely say they are pretty similar and would say that Davidson seems much closer to Haverford than W&L or Richmond, both of which definitely felt much more southern and conservative.

[Anonymous]

Good luck to your child OP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If anyone has a HS junior with a strong interest in attending Davidson, there might be a secret sauce to improving their chances of getting admitted-- Davidson's July Experience program where rising seniors live on campus and take 2 classes taught by Davidson professors. July Experience has been put on hold since 2020 but hopefully will start up again next summer. The program gives high school students a taste of what the college experience is like at Davidson, and Davidson gets to evaluate potential applicants up close and personal for 3 weeks. In the past, the great majority of students who successfully completed JE and later applied early decision were admitted.

And you think JE completion meaningfully helped admission? It could also be that those choosing to do the JE are HS juniors with grades / resumes for Davidson to be a match, and then they apply early, with good chances to get in. One doesn't preclude the other of course, but honestly curious what the value of JE would be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If anyone has a HS junior with a strong interest in attending Davidson, there might be a secret sauce to improving their chances of getting admitted-- Davidson's July Experience program where rising seniors live on campus and take 2 classes taught by Davidson professors. July Experience has been put on hold since 2020 but hopefully will start up again next summer. The program gives high school students a taste of what the college experience is like at Davidson, and Davidson gets to evaluate potential applicants up close and personal for 3 weeks. In the past, the great majority of students who successfully completed JE and later applied early decision were admitted.

And you think JE completion meaningfully helped admission? It could also be that those choosing to do the JE are HS juniors with grades / resumes for Davidson to be a match, and then they apply early, with good chances to get in. One doesn't preclude the other of course, but honestly curious what the value of JE would be.

True. However, JE attendees seemed to get an outsize boost when applying. Author Jeff Selingo in his book "Who Gets In and Why" describes one borderline Davidson applicant who got accepted in large part due to having attended JE. Also, on the first day of the program, the resident counselor on my child's floor told the students (off the record) that there was an 80+% acceptance rate into Davidson for kids who completed the JE program. The RC warned kids not to do anything stupid to get booted from the program. And indeed a couple kids in another dorm did get kicked out for drinking and skipping classes. I know it's anecdotal but my child said everyone they met from JE who applied early to Davidson got in.

A short video on the July Experience program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkqutEFlekI

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If anyone has a HS junior with a strong interest in attending Davidson, there might be a secret sauce to improving their chances of getting admitted-- Davidson's July Experience program where rising seniors live on campus and take 2 classes taught by Davidson professors. July Experience has been put on hold since 2020 but hopefully will start up again next summer. The program gives high school students a taste of what the college experience is like at Davidson, and Davidson gets to evaluate potential applicants up close and personal for 3 weeks. In the past, the great majority of students who successfully completed JE and later applied early decision were admitted.

And you think JE completion meaningfully helped admission? It could also be that those choosing to do the JE are HS juniors with grades / resumes for Davidson to be a match, and then they apply early, with good chances to get in. One doesn't preclude the other of course, but honestly curious what the value of JE would be.

True. However, JE attendees seemed to get an outsize boost when applying. Author Jeff Selingo in his book "Who Gets In and Why" describes one borderline Davidson applicant who got accepted in large part due to having attended JE. Also, on the first day of the program, the resident counselor on my child's floor told the students (off the record) that there was an 80+% acceptance rate into Davidson for kids who completed the JE program. The RC warned kids not to do anything stupid to get booted from the program. And indeed a couple kids in another dorm did get kicked out for drinking and skipping classes. I know it's anecdotal but my child said everyone they met from JE who applied early to Davidson got in.

A short video on the July Experience program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkqutEFlekI

Very useful. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info on Davidson's July program. I have a junior who would be interested if the program is offered next summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My sporty, preppy, party-going, pre-professional son is highly interested in Davidson. (That was a mouthful but it describes him well.)
He has zero interest in most other SLACs---would not be caught dead at Haverford (aunt went there). Other interests are Richmond, WF, UVA (plus safeties).

Gross. Are you all republicans? Liberty sounds like his vibe and yes, there are great parties there for the “pre-professional” crew.

[Anonymous]

Davidson is uniquely not conservative, considering the location. DC is happy student there and not in Greek life and it is not a problem at all. All parties are open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My sporty, preppy, party-going, pre-professional son is highly interested in Davidson. (That was a mouthful but it describes him well.)
He has zero interest in most other SLACs---would not be caught dead at Haverford (aunt went there). Other interests are Richmond, WF, UVA (plus safeties).

Gross. Are you all republicans? Liberty sounds like his vibe and yes, there are great parties there for the “pre-professional” crew.

Just think how much better this country would be if we didn’t have banks, doctors or attorneys!

[Anonymous]

Has Steph curry being an alum made Davidson a hot school for kids out west?