火爆社区

Students proudly say of Davidson College that the goal isn鈥檛 just to 鈥渃ome out smarter than they came in鈥� but also to 鈥渂e better people and make a difference in the world.鈥� Going that extra mile with a classic liberal arts education is hard work鈥斺��99 percent of us left our 4.0 GPAs back in high school,鈥� admits a student鈥攂ut 鈥渢hough the work is rigorous, time spent in school never feels wasted.鈥� (It helps that the administration is 鈥渧ery open to change and improvement鈥� and constantly seeking 鈥渢o support and improve Davidson.鈥�) Integrity and creativity are at the forefront of a Davidson education, and the college鈥檚 Honor Code speaks to the trust and freedom that is given to the community (including unproctored, self-scheduled finals). Likewise, the 鈥渇ascinating and rewarding鈥� classes often incorporate original research from professors, and the Experiential Learning Team helps guide hands-on experiences for both students and professors. There is no doubt that the workload is intense, but students say it is 鈥渋s accompanied by even more resources with which it can be successfully managed,鈥� including study abroad advisers, career counselors, and peer tutors. As a student says, 鈥淚 have never witnessed people so eager to come do their job every day.鈥� In fact, with an average class size of 14, faculty are waiting in the wings to offer their help, leading a student to vow, 鈥淚f I could spend twenty years being educated by this administration and these professors, I would.鈥�

One has to work quite hard in order to get into Davidson, so it makes sense that all who make it here are 鈥渦nited under the umbrella of intellectual curiosity.鈥� There鈥檚 not a high turnover (Davidson has a 96 percent retention rate), and it doesn鈥檛 go unnoticed that admissions 鈥渄oes a good job...so if you鈥檙e in, you鈥檒l probably make the cut all the way through the four years.鈥� This level of academics fosters a real all-in-it-together mentality, and the entire student body is 鈥渆ager to watch you succeed.鈥� It also means that 鈥渁cademics voluntarily leave the classroom,鈥� and a student says that 鈥渄uring the week we work hard. On the weekends we play hard. We don鈥檛 do anything halfway.鈥� This is well-rounded group is 鈥渁n amalgamation of all types of people, religiously, ethnically, politically, economically, etc.,鈥� and hits the size sweet spot where 鈥渢here are enough people that one can find a similar group to connect with, and there are few enough people that one ends up connecting with dissimilar [people] anyway.鈥�

While academics are a priority at Davidson, it鈥檚 not for the sake of grades: this place 鈥減ossesses an intense study culture, and people hit the books regularly; it鈥檚 cool to be smart.鈥� Even though the tough academics 鈥渃an make it hard to stay up to date on current events... most students remain well-informed,鈥� and most here happily weave their classroom commitments with their social desires: 鈥淵ou see your friends because you are doing homework together or eating meals together, not because you鈥檙e vegging out.鈥� As one student points out, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not uncommon to hear people discussing their current academic topics at lunch or in the gym.鈥� Athletics are actually a big meeting point for Davidson (basketball in particular), and more than a quarter of students are varsity scholar-athletes at this Division I school. 鈥淓veryone enjoys being a part of the underdog/Cinderella story,鈥� says a student of their book-heavy institution. The city of Charlotte is just under twenty miles away, but 90 percent of the school鈥檚 2,000 students live on campus, where they can join any of the 200 student organizations or the popular fraternities, sororities, or eating houses (Davidson鈥檚 co-ed social organizations). Students stress that no matter your preference, 鈥渢here really is no pressure to drink. You can go out and dance and have a great time or have movie nights with friends.鈥�

Davidson鈥檚 Center for Career Development starts students on the right track by providing early, thorough assessments of interests, and personal values and strengths, which career advisers can use to help provide individualized guidance. Students can drop in to the office or schedule a virtual appointment to get advice on topics like career exploration and major selection, or they can take part in a Job Shadowing Externship Program over winter break. Davidson Connect is the online portal to find alumni mentorship, research collaboration, and Davidson-specific opportunities like fellowships, jobs, and internships. The Experience Required Campaign also links students with alumni offering internships, research opportunities, or impactful experiences. Recent graduates have also participated in the Davidson Impact Fellows program, working for a year with organizations focused on the environment, social entrepreneurship, and other issues. Alumni visiting PayScale.com report a median starting salary of $68,200, and 56 percent say their jobs give them a high level of meaning.