Interesting to see people discover boarding school today. |
Yeah, my whole high school time I dreamed of going to Duke, worked hard, etc. Toured campus and it was oppressive? Depressing? Also didn’t love the tour guide, but just the environment wasn’t for me. My guidance counselor suggested Wake Forest and the tour and campus “vibe” was a night and day experience. I wanted good academics and also good sports. One was just a better fit than the other. For ME at that time. (Like not sure I would send my kid to wake now but this was 25 years ago and the point being each student has a different choice to make). |
SO much can be the tour guide. We toured Davidson and had the best tour guide there of the 25 schools we toured (props to Matteo--still remember his name from 2+ years ago). My child applied for this reason even though she had no real interest in a small school.
Ended up going to a large university in the end but loved Davidson from the tour. |
Agree. And that’s why I put no faith in the “feels” following a tour. |
So I am confused at this negative post OP. We toured Davidson and it is a beautiful college with nice kids. It is a great school. Rundown? What?? The thing about the town area is yes it is small but the fact there is any town area at such a small school is better than say a comparable like Swarthmore that has zero town area and sits by a dangerous area. Also the greek life is mostly clubs and you don’t even really rush. Essentially everyone gets a bid so not sure the problem. They also have an incredible honor code where you literally can leave all your stuff and it would still be there hours later. Kids take the honor code seriously. We wound up with a larger school but if we wanted a smaller school that was selective this school would be top of list. On more thing I would not suggest anyone take the tour guide so seriously. Not every student is a great guide so give them slack. |
Yup. Matteo was awesome. |
DP. Uh, sure. I don’t think a school the caliber of Davidson needs you to “defend it.” The school wasn’t for OP. Keep scrolling, don’t turn people off from the school by insulting a child with a weird non sequitur. |
You had him too? lol. |
Have to LOL at the posters turning this thread into a troll thread against great universities like Cornell, Vanderbilt, & Northwestern.
OP: Thank you for posting your impressions. I like Davidson, but another poster's description of the area of NASCAR McMansions is accurate and has been for decades. NASCAR is huge in that region. Tough to criticize universities as they are large enough to offer a lot of variety and options so that almost everyone can find their tribe and match their interests . LACs are small schools accompanied by a dominant personality and are typically located in remote, isolated areas. If one doesn't click with the overall vibe of a small school, then it's not a match for that individual student. |
Wow, you remember him too? Go matteo. |
No one trolling against those “great universities”. My kid goes to one! But their tours sometimes (mostly?) suck. Take it all with a grain of salt. |
We toured a few months ago and had an EXCELLENT tour guide. So open, friendly and knowledgeable. I asked if she could be the tour guide for every college tour. I think as adults, we see and understand things differently and unfortunately our kids first impression of schools is highly dependent on the tour guides.
I have no doubt my DD would get an excellent education there. The Honor Code is such a strong attribute and clearly an important part of the culture and campus. But the knowledge that she'd get a Liberal Arts degree and then have to go to Grad School was a strong detractor for her. |
Townies. |
There's JHU and the Naval Academy. And, not much else. |
Wrong UMD is a better school intellectually than Davidson, there is no reality it is not, Davidson is a closed minded place in a shitty little town outside of Charlotte. Not an intellectual bastion. |