Do I need to wait for my friend to complete his peer recommendation for me to submit my application?

I have a 4.3 weighted gpa and a 3.93 unweighted gpa. i have a 1350 on the sat (1380 superscore). i am a squad leader in north carolina's top youth council, and i have volunteered 60+ community service hours. i am also a scout (life rank working on eagle project), and i play several instruments at several roots music open jams around my community. i am also a founding member of an lgbtq+ support group, i took latin as my foreign language (i noticed they have a scholarship for those who do this), i voluntarily clean and maintain a local greenway, i am an avid fly angler, and i frequently go on multi-day backpacking trips. i take dual-enrollment classes at my community college, and i have made the president's list at my college. i dont mean to sound arrogant, but writing is my strongest skill, and my essays are all very well-written. this isnt just my opinion, this is also my english professor's opinion. i applied ed1. i know its not an overly impressive student portfolio, but given my financial and mental situation, i am still quite proud of myself.

anyways, im not too stressed about getting into davidson (i have strong alternatives), but i noticed other people in this sub asking about their chances and thought id ask too. the school's small size is perfect for me, especially as it gives me the opportunity to work with faculty on research projects, etc. that being said, if i dont get in, i can easily transfer from my community college to a public nc university like nc state with the c3 program as i am graduating high school with an associates. this was my original plan, but someone told me i should apply to davidson because id have a good shot, and they would nearly cover my tuition with their generous financial aid. nevertheless, i hope to see you guys here next year, but if i dont, im not sweating it.

Grades:- Grade 9 and Grade 10 - 91% Grade 11 - 80% Class Rank:- Top 5-10% CBSE National Curriculum(International Student)

School Type:- Highly Competitive Peer Group, Public School

SAT/ACT: Test Optional

AP/IB: None Offered at My school, but my school is known for being one of the most rigorous and reputed schools in my Country.

Estimated Family Contribution per year-> On CSS Profile its 15000usd per year and flexible to take up loans upto 10000 usd per year additionally

EC'S:-

1.Student Ambassador for a platform which bridges students to experience the cohort of working with real time startups and companies.

2. AI-Venture Capital Deal Sourcing Intern at an American Venture Firm.

3. Founded an Research Community currently on fundamental level. Hopped on a Professor from University of Melbourne , Full Bright Scholar of UT Austin and a few current PhD students at reputed schools as Mentors in an indirect way.

Currently Working on using Deep Reinforcement Learning to integrate it in climate sciences , specifically to reduce forest fires. Passionate about pursuing a Research Project on SexTech Industry and it's business econometrics.Building a team for the same.

4. Cultural and Co-Curricular Vice President of my School of student body (~2200)

5. Community Service at a NGO for the past 4yrs(~220hrs)

6. Community Feed Mentor for a Study Abroad Consultany's platform of over 800k+ Users for almost 15 months. Reached Weekly Targets set by the lead and published bi weekly articles on the platform.

7. Norwich University of Arts Summer School Fellow.(learned to use design tools such as Adobe Indesign , Sketchpad and etc)

8. Founder of School's Socratic Seminar Club(Debate) comprising of over 90 students , I organise bi-weekly socratic seminars to debate regarding the policies implemented by the government.

9. Y- Combinator Startup school online

Awards/Honors:-

1. One of the 100 winners of UNESCO New Delhi's Essay Competition. My Researched Essay on ^^AI:Ethics and Economy^^ was also successfully published in a Book.
2. 2×Time Merit Student Awardee in Maths- Indian National Talent Search Olympiad.(Have 2 Gold Medals alongside the only consistent one of my entire region)
3. Chemistry Olympiad by KAT Academy, Merit Awardee and placed 8th out of 15k participants.
4. 6th Korea-India Friendship quiz Top 100 out of 50k participants.
5. School Rank - 1 in Indian National Talent Search Olympiad(General affairs)

Additional Info:- Attended over 10 Virtual Events of Davidson College , just missed out on meeting the AO in person that day due to traffic but she gave a virtual appointment the next week itself. Did my part on Demonstrated Interest..

Major Interest 1: Economics Major Interest 2 : Mathematics Minor: Data Science

Coming to Why Davidson Essay? I primarily focused on how Davidson being a Liberal arts school emphasises on undergraduate research through its grants and my goal of pursuing a PhD later on. As I've been raised up by a single mother I also included my genuine interest regarding Friendship Family Program. Mentioned about some campus traditions like Midnight Scream.

Coming to hobbies and interests Essay? I spoke about my hobby of listening to phonk music and how it actually makes me feel and stuff alongside wrote about my passionate interests about Tarot and Astrology. Its a bit weird combination of hobby and interest but this is what I love to do.

Plans Ahead: If I get Deferred am ready to opt for IntialView or Vericant Interview + have externship roles open up to do as well. With that i would strengthen my deffered app.

If I get rejected I would still be happy because this college application process especially applying to Davidson taught me that life is competitive and I would need more and more determination and hard work to succeed Ahead.

Your insights will be helpful and do u guys think I should still show some interest by mailing the AO as decisions come out on Dec 15.

international - Computer science major - 1360 SAT (730 maths 630 rw) - 4.0 gpa - rank 1/367 - not much ecs since i'm from a small city and there are none :'(

Trying to remember the name of the restaurant that was in place of where the milkbread sits on Jetton st, please help😣

I applied early decision to this school primarily because of the 9 to 1 faculty to student ratio and the financial aid they offer. Considering that its a decently prestigious school as well, it felt like a no-brainer. Unfortunately, Davidson is like 4 hours away and my family does not own a car as we are very poor, and so I was never able to see how the campus was before applying. As a trans student, it is very important to me to feel safe and accepted on campus. Recently, someone told me that this school was quite conservative due to the greek life and history as a previously all male Christian school. This concerns me greatly, and so I thought I would ask here how this school leans. Are people generally progressive and accepting? Does this school have a considerable LGBTQ population or will I be one of the only trans girls on campus if I am accepted? Also, unrelated, but how is the music scene? I play several instruments and its important to me to be able to find my people to play music with. If anyone can answer these questions for me that would be greatly appreciated. <3

I have children who are approaching college, and we've looked at Davidson. Beautiful campus, friendly people and a good reputation. We're turned off by what comes across as either insecurity or arrogance by the Davidson administration--or at least the marketing department:

1. On the main webpage, the following:

"Prepare for a Life of Leadership & Service

"When I look back through my career, I’ve realized that what I’ve been trying to do all along is create the kind of city I’d like to live in. My advice: Figure out what interests you, and then go make it happen where you live.”"

I looked up this guy on LinkedIn and he has a solidly upper-middle class job, but so do millions of other people. But telling someone to "make it happen" in a career, and assuming that his is "a life of leadership & service", is kind of snide and holier-than-thou; did this person achieve all that they wanted to?

2. Response to US News rankings:

From Davidson:

"Our standardized test scores are lower than the top 10 schools, in part because we use more reliable indicators of success, such as whether an applicant took the most challenging classes available to them and how they did.  Although we will examine this finding more closely, our admission team and leadership has confidence that a holistic approach is the most appropriate way of determining who among applicants is most likely to succeed and benefit from Davidson."

Really? Amherst and Williams have higher test scores but those aren't as "reliable indicators of success"? And looking at "whether an applicant took the most challenging classes available to them" isn't related to high test scores? Davidson has figured out "the most appropriate way" of determining success, but other schools haven't? Really?

3. General arrogance:

From the president: "“Davidson performs at the highest levels,” said Davidson College President Doug Hicks, “in academics, in athletics, in the arts—in every way.":

If a school is #1, it isn't necessary to tell everyone that it's the best.

My advice: Davidson should be comfortable with what it is: a well-ranked school with a good reputation. It should drop the bragging, which is a turnoff.

?

Please, any help would be appreciated. I’m reapplying ED1 to Davidson, as I was waitlisted last year but didn’t end up checking the final decision due to personal challenges with my father’s health. What can I do to strengthen my app this time? Also, I didn’t have those intense extracurriculars or international competitions during school, as my national curriculum is highly theoretical and academically focused. I made good use of my gap years, but I’d love feedback on my chances and any improvements I can make.

Demographics

• Location: East African male, taking a second gap year
• Hooks: First-generation college student, Low-income (<$10,000 per year so basically 0 EFC), full-need applicant from Africa

Gap Year Explanation

• First Gap Year: Took a gap year to care for my father, who was very ill and went blind. I postponed college applications to stay with him and help during a difficult time for our family.
• Second Gap Year: Currently interning on a project with a UN-affiliated organization, working on initiatives that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Academics

• High School: Attended the country's top public high school for academically talented students (highly selective and competitive)
• Rank: 1/133
• Curriculum: National Curriculum, rigorous
• Grades: Physics (A), Chemistry (A), Advanced Mathematics (A)
• Standardized Testing: SAT - SAT 1390 (92nd percentile: 750 Math - 95th, 640 Reading - 83rd), planning to retake in December aiming for 1500+ or will apply test-optional (or should I submit???)
• Intended Majors: Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, or Environmental Studies (Minor)

Honors & Awards

1. Top 100 Nationally among ~62,000 males in the country
2. Top Science Student: 1 of 600 recognized nationally for STEM
3. Full-Ride Presidential Scholarship: Awarded by the government for top national students, $8,000 (applicable to domestic universities)
4. Another Full-Ride Scholarship from Country's Leading Billionaire: 1/20 recipients selected from 7,200+ applicants, awarded for academics and leadership (Domestic Universities only too...)
5. Young Scientists Competition: National-level; placed 2nd with a notable STEM project
6. Best in Mathematics: Regional Mock Exams
7. 2nd in Basic Mathematics: O-Level National Exams
8. Academic Excellence: Best Student in Advanced Mathematics (Grades 11-12)

Extracurriculars

1. Hackathon Winner & Tech Founder: 1st Place in a renowned African AI hackathon; developed a medical appointment chatbot (Python APIs + Telegram) to reduce hospital wait times
2. High School Alumni Group Founder/President: Raised $100 for the cancer institute at the national hospital
3. Junior Developer Intern: Worked with a UN-affiliated organization, contributing to SDG-focused projects
4. Research Intern: Collaborated with a university professor at a top innovation hub in country's top university, focusing on usability testing and human-centered design
5. AI & Tech Community Participant: Speaker at national AI meetups; participated in several hackathons, won some.
6. Table Tennis Player: School Captain (Grades 9-12), 4x Inter-Class Cup Champion, East African Games (FEASSSA) qualifier, love this game.
7. Environmental Club Leader: Member (Grade 9), Coordinator (Grade 10), Youth Leader (Grade 11)
8. Student Leadership: Class Representative in Grade 12
9. Choir Lead: Lead Singer and Senior Cantor in the school’s Catholic choir; founded an a cappella group
10. Family Care Responsibilities: Helped care for my father during a serious illness, managing household needs and providing support as he adjusted to blindness

Essays & Recommendations

• Common App Essay: Strong (9/10) - focused on my background, family, and community impact (talked about relationship with my father, whom I came to understand during his illness)
• Recommendations: Good to excellent (8/10), from teachers who know my leadership and academic dedication well

Hello. Can I please get some insight on my admission candidate level? How competitive am I? I know I have a few flaws here and there, but I do hope to get any insight as well as advice.

unweighted: 3.91, weighted: 4.19

5 APs, 1 Honors

ECs:

- i did internships during the summer geared towards my interest in medicine/healthcare

- varsity tennis 4 years, team captain 2 years (jr + sn), our team: 3x 2nd place city championships 1x 1st place city championships

out of state (CA)

part of a college prep program supporting low-income students with lots of commitment

class rank: my school doesn't do class rank but lets us know if we are top 15% of 500 which i'm a part of.

SAT: 1330 superscore (prob wont report)

essays: alright

I have a question for current students!

I’m an alumnus who was a student during 2016, and I’m sorry that history wants to repeat itself in this way during your time at Davidson. My memories of the 2016 election are so inseparable from that Fall semester at Davidson, that naturally I’m finding myself thinking back on the ol’ alma mater today (probably as a coping mechanism…). I remember the days succeeding the election being strange indeed, with some professors cancelling classes, lots of anarchist signs and posters going up in Union, and a weighty feeling of gloom that sat on the whole campus. But what I most remember was the balloons.

In 2016, union board (in)famously didn’t drop the balloons hanging above the watch party when Trump was declared president by the AP (and as a non-partisan student group, they actually ended up getting in a lot of trouble with Davidson admin for this). The irony is that—since they didn’t drop—the red, white, and blue balloons just sat there at the top of Union serving as a depressing reminder of the election outcome for several days (maybe even a couple weeks?) until they finally got someone to take them down.

So, among the many questions and doubts swirling in this Wildcat’s head right now, one of the (admittedly less serious) is this—did the balloons at Union drop this year?

Has anyone given it before? What do they ask? Im so nervous i really want this scholorship but ive never had an imterview. How can i prepare?

https://www.vote.org

Hi I am trying to decide if I want to ED to Davidson! While I love the school I just have a few questions.

Is Davidson clinchey, would you say there are “popular kids” or a divide amongst students?

What are the students like, what is the general vibe?

How is the grade deflation?

What is it like going to such a small school?

What is the social life like?

How is the work and life balance?

Hi,
I was wondering if the John M. Belk Scholarship is still open for students at Davidson? If yes, then how are my chances with a 1510 SAT, a 4.0 gpa with top 10% class, and a few national olympiads?

hi! just wondering what anyone thinks my chances would be for rd this fall!

• 4.0 uw, all honors classes and advanced spanish class 4 years (school doesn’t have aps so i have not taken any)
• ec’s are kinda weak, varsity sports every season 3/4 years of hs, captain junior and senior year fall season, member of apostolic leadership team at school, honor society member and tutor
• 32 act, taking once more so will most likely have a 33
• class rank is 22/505
• essays are pretty good (as my fam has told me lol)

please let me know! thanks!

I am an aid seeking international student who wants to apply ED to Davidson. The acceptance rates are higher ED, does that also apply to intl students who need aid? Or will I likely be deferred if I am competitive? Also can someone tell me what an average aid package looks like for international students? And I would really appreciate some honest reviews about the college from a current student to help me make a more informed choice. Thank youuuuuu!

I want to mention it in my supplemental essay. If anyone from CS program could DM me it would be great !

Dear Wildcats. I'd love to hear how competitive getting in as a Pre-med and Physics Major is at Davidson. What would you guys say the acceptance rate would be for these 2 majors relative to Davidson's average 16.9%?

I'm looking for something interesting to center my why Davidson essay around, I'm mostly interested in there great physics programs and data science interdisciplinary and the newspaper since I did journalism extra curriculars in high school but what's something/s that really stand out to you about Davidson?

Hello guys, I would really like to apply to Davidson for my ED. So I'd love to hear your experiences at Davidson.

I am an International Applicant.
I finished my A levels in Jan 2024 with 3A's in Phy, Chem and Bio and an A* in Maths (590/600).
I have an SAT score of 1430 but I plan on retaking it and this time, study and get a 1500+ score.
I have an IELTS score of 8.

My ECA's are fairly weak though:
I have been teaching as a part-time teacher at a well reputed school of our country, and am on the fence on whether to say yes to another school offering me another part time position (feel free to advise me if i should agree or not).
I'm a self taught Classical guitarist.
I'm a speedcuber with a 3x3 pb=22 secs and averaging around 35-40 secs

My Intended Major: Physics
Intended Session: Fall '25

I'm completely oblivious to the profiles of students who've received a full scholarship, so I'm really looking forward to hearing your advice.

Hi everyone,

I'm an incoming freshman and I wanted to reach out to see if anyone has any recommendations for must-have courses and professors. I want to make the most out of my first year, so any advice on which classes are particularly great or which professors are exceptional would be greatly appreciated.

Hi! I am a potential Davidson student. I am not athletic or particularly artsy, but I love to watch games and shows! I just want to make sure there are other students like me, as I know sports and the arts are a big deal at Davidson. Will I struggle with clubs and making friends? I do plan on joining the newspaper, but have no plans on joining any sports team. Thank you!

Do the sports teams like men’s soccer get a lot of support by students and local community ie what is the attendance like? Or are they playing in an empty stadium?

I'm not sure when the decision is supposed to come out. Has anyone heard back?

hello all - i am a prospective student and i was wondering if a psych major could give honest feedback on the psych dept here. i am planning on doing psych undergrad and eventually getting a phd to become a clinical psychologist.

How did you feel about professors, courses , etc. also, if you’re planning to go into grad school since i am looking into that for the future, do you feel this school prepped you well for grad school in terms of academics and outside opportunities. how prominent are research / ta positions, as well as internships? is there grade inflation or deflation here? thank you and any feedback will be valued

Does Davidson have a party scene and what does it look like?

hey guys, i’m a rising senior in high school and am starting to build up my college list and im taking interest in this school. how is the muslim population and arab population like? are there prominent student associations for these groups ?