Was wondering if anyone could list colleges that are similar to Wake Forest in terms of strong academics, size, etc. Location can be anywhere. Thanks.
URichmond, W&L
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William and Mary; Chicago; Wesleyan; Wash U. in St. Louis; and Vanderbilt. Maybe Boston College if you want to go north.
William & Mary, Davidson, Vanderbilt, Bucknell, Villanova, URichmond, Washington & Lee, Boston College
Also Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) if you are interested in science/engineering. It’s sort of an unknown gem, and student salaries after graduation are among the highest in the nation. Campus is very impressive and in a nice area. The downtown area has improved enormously.
How is WPI like Wake Forest? Just curious. @TTG
I agree with Shawnspencer but I would also add Lehigh to the list. Some of these don’t make any sense. WPI? Wesleyan? Chicago?
For me, a “school like Wake Forest” would be:
(1) an unusually small university or unusually large liberal arts college
(2) highly ranked (as either a university or LAC)
(3) emphasizing undergraduate instruction
(4) not focused on research – not an AAU member
(5) nonsectarian
(6) not funky
Some schools that more or less meet all of these criteria:
Dartmouth, Tufts, William & Mary, Lehigh, Clark, Bucknell, Lafayette
Schools that come close, but miss in one respect:
- Davidson, Washington & Lee, Richmond, and Colgate are smaller
- Boston College, Holy Cross, and Villanova are Catholic
- RPI, WPI, and Stevens are tech-focused
- Wesleyan is funky
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^^^^
@Corbett
I like your logic there. Only thing I would say is that Colgate and Richmond are actually bigger than Lafayette in terms of undergraduate population.
You’re quite right. Colgate and Richmond are actually bigger than I thought, so they could be potential matches. Lafayette is actually smaller than I thought, but they have announced plans to expand by some 400 students over the next several years, which would put them in the same ballpark.
I was looking for a minimum enrollment of around 3,000 and a maximum of around 10,000.
OK, revised suggested criteria for “schools like Wake Forest”:
(1) an unusually small university or unusually large liberal arts college
(2) highly ranked (as either a university or LAC)
(3) emphasizing undergraduate instruction
(4) with Division I athletics
(5) not focused on research – not an AAU member
(6) nonsectarian
(7) not funky
(8) not particularly tech-oriented
Some schools that more or less meet all of these criteria:
Dartmouth, William & Mary, Lehigh, Bucknell, Colgate, Lafayette, Richmond
Schools that come close, but miss in one respect:
- Davidson and Washington & Lee are smaller (as are many non-southern LACs)
- Boston College, Holy Cross, and Villanova are Catholic
- RPI, WPI, and Stevens are tech-focused
- Wesleyan is funky
- Tufts and Clark have DIII athletics
SMU (in Dallas)
Rice may also come pretty close to that criteria
Emory?
Duke?
I would say BC in the North, Duke in the South, and USC in the West