decision time

<p>so ive gotten all my letters back and my only real options left are wake and miami(oh)... (i was waitlisted at both uva and emory), anywho, i applied to wake knowing very little about it, ive been looking into it a lot more and i knew wake had a small undergraduate student body but i didnt realize it was only around 4500, i also am a little worried about those compulsory freshmen seminars and the smaller classes because i have never been one to participate much in class as i tend to excel in more of an individual curriculum, im visiting this weekend actually to check out the campus (which im sure ill enjoy)</p>

<p>should i let those factors really sway my decision? i know wake is an AMAZING school and is far superior academically to miami, but miami was generous financially and i think i might enjoy the enviroment there more, i want to challenge myself next year but i dont want to pass up wake for petty reasons, any input would be much appreciated</p>

<p>I was thinking about the same thing when looking at Wake. However, that is what I want, a broader education. That's why you go to a liberal arts school, for cultural literacy. Also people say how its so homogeneous and what-not, but seriously, how alike can almost 5,000 people be. Also weather wise, Winston-Salem > Ohio anyday. Definately visit Wake, that is what made me apply ED. GL!</p>

<p>i'm in the exact same position you are! i got waitlisted where i really want to go (UNC), and i dont want to go to bucknell or richmond so its down to miami (OH) or wake forest. </p>

<p>i don't really know much about wake forest, and i'm scared about it being too small as well. i also got money from miami and feel like i'd be more comfortable there, but i feel like i should go to wake since it's better academically. let me know how wake was after you visit this weekend, i'm visiting miami and doing an overnight monday. also, what are you planning on majoring in?</p>

<p>will, i have to disagree with u, because 85% of the student body @ wake forest is white, even if its 4500 of them out of 5,000 is still not a lot of diversity...I would rethink your statement...</p>

<p>^
According to their Common Data Set, Miami (OH) is at least 87% white. </p>

<p>4500 undergrad students really isn't that small. That's the same size (or larger) than Rice, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, U Chicago, MIT, etc.</p>

<p>Meh, my high school is 97% white, so it really doesn't bother me. I don't feel that the size will pose a problem for me as my town doesn't even have 4,500 hundred people. So theres no reason for me to rethink that. To each their own, I just don't think race should even be an issue.</p>

<p>"diversity" does not always have to be about race. aren't there other ways a student body can be diverse (economic background, religion...or lack of, private/public school, IDEAS) ?</p>

<p>Chapel Hill is 79% white. And who says diversity only means race?</p>

<p>diversity isn't skin color</p>

<p>thanks for everybody's input </p>

<p>jacqui -- im not really too sure yet about my major, i really need to do some more investigating before i make a decision, but ill definitely let you know how wake is after the visit this weekend</p>

<p>i think that UNC is a gay school for rejecting you, and if they accept that little skinny kid instead JUST b/c he jumps on a STIFF BOARD in a speedo then they're gay and their missing out on one of the best students ive known (honestly). You are very intelligent yet not a nerd. Your choices are down to two good schools b/c let's face it theyre not community colleges, so ur fine on that. but the choice is urs and i wouldnt let the factor of "no friends there" influence my future. But, you're gonna be there for four years and environment is important. So is the curriculum and quality so i guess u really kinda have a tough decision. All i have to say is GOOD LUCK! and......ill cya in school tm haha</p>

<p>To those of you who brought up the fact that diversity is more then skin color- good for you for being so wise so young! Maybe those who constantly quote "white" or "black" percentage could learn from you......</p>

<p>Im sorry, but i have to disagree with all of you who said that diversity isnt just skin color. Although i agree there are many types of diversity, Skin plays a role in diversity and even though you may say it doesnt, it certainly does! I doubt i will ever find a white person to speak japanese or perfect spanish and i will certainly base my decision on diversity as even though i went to an all-white school, i would like to go to a university that has individuals who share the same beliefs and cultures...skin color can, for the most part, indicate the certain culture one believes in, even though it may sound a bit discriminatory, its true and its something i believe in...I would feel more comfortable around minorities, such as myself, than a pure white school (no offense to anyone) that is particularly the reason why minorities tend to segragate...</p>

<p>It is good of you to say you are the one who has a an issue feeling comfortable with non-minorities. I feel sorry for people who would specify an "all anything" school. Good luck wherever you go.</p>

<p>I dont have an issue feeling comfortable with non minorities, its just that we dont share the same language or the same racist comments minorities get everyday....</p>

<p>I am from a family of Italian immigrants, grandparents "right off the boat". No English, no education- worked for practically nothing laying bricks.They would have been amazed at the opportunities offered to minorities and immigrants now. They heard many, many comments that were awful. (greaseball, dingo, ect.) I guess people were "less sensitive" then. (LOL!) Gee, I wonder what they would have thought about going to a great college with goverment assistance. At any rate, my son will be going to Wake (first generation). Thanks, ancestors, for assimilating!!!!</p>

<p>wouldnt you feel more comfortable with italians (someone who you would share similar feelings/ancestry with) than someone outside of your own? i dont know, thats the way i see it... its not more of having an issue...its more of having a common bond...something that you can talk about...:)</p>

<p><<i doubt="" i="" will="" ever="" find="" a="" white="" person="" to="" speak="" japanese="" or="" perfect="" spanish="">></i></p><i doubt="" i="" will="" ever="" find="" a="" white="" person="" to="" speak="" japanese="" or="" perfect="" spanish="">

<p>You just haven't met enough people yet...like my Caucasian cousin who speaks Japanese and studied in Tokyo for a year.</p>
</i>

<p>Although I am a white female, I am in the minority at my (majority minority) inner-city school. I deal with racial issues and questions in my school on a weekly basis. I feel that I have greatly benefited from this experience and I would not change a thing. However, I feel comfortable going to a campus such as Wake. I have learned the importance of diversity of skin color and believe that it should not be ignored, BUT I have learned something far greater. To truely benefit from diversity of culture, race, religion, etc. we have to be able to step outside of our comfort zones. We can only be affected by this diversity if we want to be... If you choose to become involved in forming relationships with those different from you, it doesn't matter whether there are 1,000 or 10,000 minorities, or whether there are 1,000 or 10,000 Caucasians. Stop viewing people as statistics and start seeing the numbers as individuals for you to interact with. This generation will not gain anything by trying to "self-segregate", as mojo suggests. I experience these attitudes everyday - they are dangerous and are getting us nowhere. Hopefully we can all work on embracing those around us next year a whatever college we choose.</p>

<p>mojo - I thought that you might be interested in reading the Student Body President's (he is black, by the way) position <a href="http://www.wfu.edu/%7Emathrm2/platform.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.wfu.edu/~mathrm2/platform.html&lt;/a> ... notice the first two words.</p>

<p>sandsurf, i do agree with your points of views, but i was just stating that minorities do tend to self segregate as they feel more comfortable with someone they could relate to (other minorities), rather than feeling like outsiders. I know that i havent necessarily been as open as i should be, but that is where i will learn to grow as an individual and i'll see where this journey will take me :) With that said, uh im sure that you didnt like feeling like a minority in an all-minority school, which is what im trying to state, we dont feel comfortable being minorities... and im sorry for turning this topic into a race relation topic haha</p>