Asian Americans at WFU

Colleges and Universities A-Z Wake Forest University
1

Hello all,

(I apologize if I generalize different races and ethnicities, but I feel like stereotypes are a social reality and it is important that I mention them in this post.)

I am a Korean-American and I am very interested in applying to Wake Forest. I just finished junior year and am in the summer going into senior year. Based upon my transcript and EC’s, I feel like I am pretty qualified for acceptance, however, I am more concerned about the racial discrepancy that is present at the school.

My family and I visited Wake during spring break a few months ago and I really enjoyed it. I loved the school’s beautiful campus, the athletic programs, the academic culture and the friendly staff. I truly felt like this was a perfect school for me. However, during my visit, I failed to notice the somewhat obvious lack of minorities on campus. Racism and discrimination did not appear to be an issue for me until I read some concerning forum posts about Asians at WF. I understand that these opinions are all subjective and I have heard arguments from both sides. While these forum posts are very helpful in giving me a general idea about the social culture, I definitely believe that I stand out entirely from the Asian stereotype.

I was born and raised on the “Northshore”, a middle-upperclass/rich neighborhood that lies a few miles West of Chicago (a very white area). Furthermore, I attended a Jesuit college-prep school where the student body is 85-90% white. I played football (which is pretty unheard of for an Asian at my school), so a lot of my friends happened to be rich, white jocks like the ones you see in movies. It took a while for me to fit in with these guys because I am very sensitive to the racial slurs and comments that I often received. I have learned to laugh off these jokes but deep down it still makes me feel sad and isolated. If I enroll at WF, I would likely join a fraternity as I hear that it is difficult to find fun independently; however, one of my fears is that they will turn me away, solely based on the shape of my eyes. While I am a very passionate learner in the classroom, a fun and active social life is something that I think is very important for me to be heathy and happy.

As I obviously haven’t attended Wake Forest, the only insight I have is from word of mouth or from forums like this. I have heard nasty things about Wake that I am reluctant to believe because of my very positive college visit. I really love so many things about this school but after doing research I am starting to become disheartened. If any of you (preferably WFU students, staff or alumns) could bring me further insight about the social life and/or racial differences at Wake, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you all so much for reading. I really hope I don’t come off as an arrogant or snobby person; I promise that there is more to my personality than what is depicted above.

2

The previous thread about Asian Americans at WFU is not reliable. The OP asked a similar question to yours and then posted numerous follow-ups that made increasingly strident charges of racism at the school. The OP’s story about their identity shifted several times, suggesting pretty conclusively that the original post was simply a set-up to denigrate the school. The moderator closed down the thread for these reasons. You can see that all the other posts, not from the OP, were positive.

The school has transformed greatly in recent years, and the number of non-white students as a % of the incoming class has increased steadily. We’ve found it a very open, welcoming place. The leadership team is very innovative and forward-looking and is taking the school in a very positive direction. I think you would love what is happening at the school. Visit if you can. That will help you have your questions answered. Try to arrange an interview well in advance, if possible. Then you will be able to speak directly to the admissions rep, your tour guide, and potentially other students about your questions. It’s also helpful in terms of admission because the school does emphasize interest and fit. Good luck in the application process!

3

@TTG thank you for your insight. Do you by any chance have a link to this denigrating post so I could read it myself? Also, although it may be implied, are you a student or alumni at Wake?

4

It’s down the list of Wake threads. I don’t think too, too far down. I think that’s the most recent one focused on diversity at Wake.

I’m a parent, so can’t offer you too much insight into everyday life on campus, although we’ve gotten to know the school pretty well. We’ve also known several people, including family, who’ve graduated from Wake over the last decade and have some longitudinal knowledge of the school.

We’ve been impressed–not saying everything is perfect, but impressed nonetheless. Students seem very engaged and faculty very committed to teaching. Wake Downtown is a pretty amazing project–beautiful facilities right downtown, an inspiring repurposing of an old tobacco factory. It houses bio and health sciences. Labs are brand new. We are very impressed with Wake the Vote, which seems to do a great job encouraging people with different viewpoints to meet each other from a place of mutual respect. The events of the past week show how incredibly important it is for people to do this.

School leaders seem very committed to understanding today’s students and our changing world and to providing an educational environment that prepares the former for the latter. They seem to understand that diversity–in all forms–is fundamentally important. My kid would not have been interested if that were not the case. The school is not where it was a decade ago and where it will be a decade from now AND certainly seems more dynamic and innovative than many of the excellent schools we’ve visited with our kids–who have very different interests–over the last 7-8 years.

Again, if possible, visit the school and try to interview. Skype interviews can also be arranged. Ask the admissions rep any and all questions you have about diversity at the school. They will certainly provide better, more detailed, informed answers than myself. Hopefully, they will be satisfying. If not, that will be helpful to you as well. I think your question is very legitimate. I hope you find a positive answer to it, and your other questions, at Wake or some other fine school. Here are a couple of links:

http://wakedowntown.wfu.edu

https://wakethevote.wfu.edu

5

Bump

6

I am an Asian American heading to Wake this fall and I have had similar concerns as you throughout the college decision process, zuhm22. For that reason, I have attempted to seek advice through words of mouth from people across the spectrum of different identities and cultures, and I think the feedback I have been getting have been pretty reflective of Wake’s reality that it’s trying to diversify and understand intersections on campus in the context of the year of 2017, a turbulent time as many may call it. All in all, I think the differences between one college experience to another at a prestigious, humanity-oriented, private institution in one of the most progressive states in the South are ones that heavily depend on the person and their unique circumstances, and the choices that they make based on their frame of thinking. (progressive in the context of NC, meaning that it is ahead of many corners of this region, while also receiving certain Southern influences from its Baptist roots). As Wake is becoming exponentially more diverse in recent years, different frames of thinking comes together and there is definitely less and less place for marginalization. After all, college is meant to challenge the whole person, and Wake Forest is a place that does exactly that, and whether if you want the challenge to affect you negatively or positively is very much dependent on the choices that you make to fine-tune your experience based on your plentiful resources from Wake, or that is what I have heard from almost 100% of the people I had asked questions to. Those were people who came from different socioeconomic backgrounds and had an array of experiences before becoming a Demon Deacon.

A golden rule I have gotten from an upperclassman is “make your campus a nice campus, and be the change”. I interpret that as, Wake has the tools but we are capable of being the ones who teach the campus how to use them with fluency, which is a priority at not only Wake but every aspect of life.

Wake is definitely one of the most homogeneous campuses in the top 30, and the reasons are historical, regional, economical, cultural, etc. but it is definitely an institution that is going through tremendous change every year, and the effect of this change is maximized when people (like you and me) become the voice and actively contribute. An international student from China informed me that she has never experienced aggression on campus, or at least that she herself did not notice any. Another international student from China had implemented ethnic food at Benson where she taught the chefs how to make Chinese dishes and ended up getting a part-time job cooking, mainly because of the previous lack of authentic Chinese food and the standards of the student body were not met. I have met people of color who expressed feelings of marginalization and those who did not, people who were part of a minority group who had joined Greek life and those who remained independent. It is nice that Wake’s Greek life is integrated with dorm life, and although parties are pretty dominated by Greek life, it is still very possible to find equally fun gatherings. As a person of color, I think it’s safe to say that we are the firsthand witnesses of an America that is far from post-racial, but we could become the accelerators of a process that is definitely getting more notice than ever in recent history, and we should continue to find where we fit in. College is a time of exploration and experiences, as everybody else, including those who aren’t minorities, is doing the same type of thing.

I felt like that was a lot of rambling but I want to assure you that college is really what you make of it, and becoming the change and finding your niche is the best way you can reward yourself and people who care:) and some of us bear similar uncertain feelings as you do, don’t forget to reach out

7

I am unfamiliar with the Korean American experience, forgive me for generalizing but I feel that Asian Americans are likely to have similar feelings about certain circumstances that are related to race, since we are so oftentimes being categorized together and our cultures could bear a lot of similarities. Before applying, I had visited several times and did not find the preppy reputation to be hindering in any way at all, until CC and other sites had told me about it, and that’s when I began looking into it out of curiosity. When I visited, I definitely heard Southern accents and saw people in boat shoes and khaki, but everyone was super nice and inquisitive and I did not feel out of place in any way, and speaking to my future classmates has also been a positive experience. Even to this day, I feel that Wake’s stereotypes have a lot to do with its history, its Southern setting, and the impression that it left for people years ago but it is definitely more than that at the moment, and these surface-level stereotypes have limited validity on how YOU could fit in on a campus. Hope that helped and Go Deacs!

8

Bump. I am also a Chinese/Korean American possibly looking at applying to Wake forest

9

I am going to attend Wake this fall and am Indian American so technically Asian American. When choosing between my colleges I also had the same concerns about Wake. What made me choose Wake was that I could see myself fit in. No matter where you go you will find friends who share common interests with you. College is what you make of it. Every school will have their share of rotten apples. However I have yet to hear about anything close to racism in person. I also have lived in Winston Salem for about 11 years. The people around here are friendly regardless from there you are from; this is not your stereotypical Southern town. In these 11 years I have been around Wake a lot too as my father works for Wake. I have never seen anything which would hinder me socially. Yes at first it can be intimidating in going to a predominantly white school. However not every white person at Wake is racist. There will be a few bad apples at Wake but what school does not have this. At Wake it will only seem more significant due to the student body being smaller than usual. The administration supports a more diverse environment. Our summer project this year is to explore the differences in culture and embrace diversity. We are required to read a book written on the topic of diversity and when school starts we will have discussions on the books we have read and how they have impacted us. You can also join a club which will help you connect with fellow Asian Americans at Wake. While choosing schools myself I asked people who were accepted to Wake but did not attend as to why they did so. Most of the responses were due to financial restrictions they could not attend; not once did I hear that they feared racism at the school. The social environment of Wake should not hinder you from choosing it. If you believe that Wake is a good fit for you, then you should choose it.

10

To add on: one of the pre-orientation themes (the one I will be involved in) is one about building leadership through inclusion and diversity, and they have done a stellar job in making sure that my transition to Wake happens smoothly. Various organizations such as the Intercultural Center and Center for Global Studies went above and beyond to inform me of their programs and the opportunities that they offer. If you are open to new things, there WILL be a community for you, and those who disagree will have their own. It is college and everybody is offered a chance to grow, and the celebration of diversity is vital and abundant for a college like Wake.