Wake Forest University–Winston-Salem, NC
Wake Forest’s Instagram
The Vibe
Big and expensive
Wake Forest is well known for its small class sizes, gorgeous campus and well trained faculty—but how do you get that? With a tuition that is off the chain expensive. We’re talking, “Do you want a nice car or an education?”-level expensive, with annual tuition being around the $42,000 mark. If you have the money for it, though, you’ll definitely reap the benefits of having a well-funded school, such as the top-notch academics and exciting athletic teams.
What it Feels Like to Go Here
You could easily mistake Wake Forest’s campus for the front page of a Southern Proper catalogue. With its picturesque mall, hospitable staff and friendly students, some would say it’s almost unreal. Freshman Joshua Maxwell said, “The south is very different and southern hospitality is definitely real.” Students here take humongous pride in their sports teams, the Demon Deacons. Students at WFU go by the name Deacs, and are always willing to give you a taste of that fight song. “Rah! Rah! Wake Forest, rah!”
Awesome Alumni
Who doesn’t like a good ol’ Arnold Palmer Arizona drink? As it turns out, the famous drink’s even more famous namesake actually attended Wake Forest. It seems most WFU alumni go on to do great things in the sports world, producing historically great basketball players Tim Duncan and Chris Paul. You can also thank WFU for advancements in television, with alumni David Chase, creator of The Sopranos, and Carol Barbee, who’s best known for her appearances on Jericho and Judging Amy.
Where We Hang
You can usually find students at either the Pit, the quad, Benson or in front of Wait Chapel. If they aren’t there, just wait. They will be. At the beginning of each semester, students can immediately get acclimated by attending the Student Involvement Fair, where they can learn all about student organizations and clubs. Co-Captain of WFU’s acapella group Plead the Fifth Kieran Derfus commented, “We’re prepared to sing at anything from solemn reflections like the annual PREPARE event, to the annual ‘Lighting of the Quad’ celebration around Christmas time. We’ve sung at all types of events, including philanthropy fundraisers, weddings, dinners, sorority chapters, Big/Little reveals, coffee shops and more.”
Q&A
1. How much are students partying?
“Let’s just say that the motto at WF is ‘Study hard, party harder,'” said junior Courtney Bancroft. “Wake Forest students are amazing at doing really well in school and somehow still partying like there’s no tomorrow.”
2. What will you get in trouble for at your school?
“Parking tickets, oh my gosh. They really do tear you a new one,” said sophomore Bryan Fitz*.
3. How much sex are students having?
“Plenty. Students are having plenty of sex and can find it anywhere if they want it!” said senior Evan Powell.
4. What would you tell incoming freshman about your school?
“Make sure not to overload your first semester and try to ease into it,” said junior Gerald Purvis. “Give the social life some time and don’t feel the need to compromise your values at the very beginning because you can definitely find your niche who supports you and where you feel like you fit in at Wake Forest. It’s all about finding that balance!”
5. What don’t you get in trouble for?
“As long as you’re not completely asinine about it, they’re pretty lax about alcohol. It also really depends on the RA, but most just turn their heads the other way,” said sophomore Brianna Gidwell.
Student Reviews
“Going to Wake Forest was definitely a transition for me at first because I am a northern kid. Everyone at Wake Forest is very nice and it has definitely been an enjoyable year.” — Joshua Maxwell, Class of 2019
“Socially it’s a little difficult to find a group if you’re not totally into the party/Greek life scene, but it’s definitely possible if you try to put yourself out of your comfort zone and give it some time.” — Courtney Bancroft, Class of 2018
“Sometimes there aren’t enough hours in the week, because WFU puts you to work. That’s why we sometimes call it ‘Work Forest.'” — McKenzie Maddox, Class of 2018
“This is going to be the best four years you’ll ever have and Wake is such a fun place to do that–if you let yourself have fun. Everyone works hard and plays harder, so make sure to take a step back from all of your formal commitments and have fun!” — Jaime Spruce, Class of 2017
“Academically, I am pushed, I am questioned, I am challenged and I am understood. As a blind woman in a sighted world, Wake Forest has taught me that I am equal. Socially, I am accepted.” — Kathryn Webster, Class of 2017
Top 3 Majors
1. Business and Enterprise Management
2. Sociology
3. Biology
Top 3 Most Popular Student Organizations
1. Prepare to get pitch-slapped. Wake Forest’s a capella life is a thriving and dynamic environment. “Plead the Fifth (PT5) is technically WFU’s premiere all-male a capella group, but we take pride in not taking ourselves too seriously. Our ultimate goal is to entertain our audiences, so our performances are generally upbeat, and we usually perform songs that most people are familiar with,” said Derfus.
2. Wake knows how to get involved and the Student Government Association spearheads that involvement. “We want to be a collaborative space that is both inclusive and welcoming to all walks of life,” Student Government Treasurer Kathryn Webster said. “We want to truly represent all minority groups on campus, while keeping in mind the need to breakdown societal norms and constructs. In doing this, we want to encourage students to apply for charters for groups where they see themselves fitting in within our Wake Forest community.”
3. WFU has 26 sororities and fraternities on campus, an exciting prospect for any future Deac. “The best experience for me as President has been watching our new pledge class go from new members to passionate, involved, charismatic women. Their enthusiasm for the chapter encourages me to innovate and create new things to make our chapter better,” said senior Delta Zelta President Jaime Spruce.
Getting In
Taking a look at WFU’s acceptance history, it’s clear that the admissions board follows no single formula. Despite its prestigious reputation, the school isn’t only fit for 140 IQ robots. According to its website, WFU only accepted 29% of applicants in 2015. Yet, looking at the statistics, their admitted students were all over the place. Some students got perfect scores on everything, with 800s on all of the SAT sections, a 36 on the ACT and a 4.00 GPA. Other students lacked that academic success, but excelled in student organizations, leadership skills, creativity, intrapersonal abilities and how convincing their application essay was.
Stats
Location: Winston- Salem, North Carolina
Tuition & Fees: $47,500
Undergrads Enrolled: 4,846
Grads Enrolled: 2,823
Total Enrolled:7,669
Acceptance percentage: 34%
Percent Admitted who Enroll: 35%
Enrollment: 4,867 students
Percentage of Male Students:47%
Percentage of Female Students: 53%
Percentage Receiving Financial Aid: 56%
Percentage Receiving Federal Grants: 78%
Percentage Receiving Federal Loans: 22%
*Name was changed to protect privacy.
