<p>I picked Wake for the very qualities you worry about. I attend a small private international school and for me the small classes and personal attention have meant everything. I have absolutely excelled in this environment. It is wonderful to personally know your teachers and have them know not just your name but personal things about you. </p>
<p>My older brother attended Wake, he graduated in 2003. He had come from a large Catholic school in Pennsylvania and I guess had not really had exposure to such an education environment. He loved it. He loved his freshman seminar. He got to know his professors very well. When we went to visit him one of his professors invited all of us over to his house for barbeque and swimming. You'd never get that at a larger less personal university. It was great for him to have small classes. You really have a chance to have a more personal experience, ask questions and have your voice and opinions heard. It's also a good chance to get to know your peers better- since there are less of them. </p>
<p>I couldn't imagine going to a larger school. When I looked at colleges I set my limit at 5000 undergrad and went from there. I'd say go visit Wake and see what you think. It all comes down to your opinion of the environment.</p>
<p>thanks scarlet, that helps a lot. i think my visit this weekend will really bring things into perspective for me. the whole idea of interacting regularly and on a personal level with professors is so foreign to me just cause im more of an introverted person. however, i think itd be really beneficial and rewarding to have more involved professors and classmates</p>
<p>I'm also a quite introverted person. When I'm in a large class I find it difficult to speak up and participate. I also find it harder to approach teachers and other students. That's why I like the small close knit atmosphere. It really gives me a chance to come out of my shell.</p>
<p>When my son was looking at schools last year, he looked at Chapel Hill, NC State and Wake Forest among some others. Even after being encouraged to apply for the Morehead at UNC, he said there was no way he would go to a big school after seeing them. Really hated the idea of being a number and even on the tours it seemed you were always waiting in line for something! Wake and Elon impressed him the most. As for diversity, this year as a freshman he is on a research team with grad students from Mexico, China, India and a mid eastern country (can't remember which one).</p>
<p>Looks like Wake is looking to change some of their class requirments. I don't know when this will be implemented. Take a look at this article from today;s old gold and black, the Wake newspaper.</p>
<p>Bring an umbrella. They're calling for rain this weekend. :( Also, I suggest y'all eat a couple meals at Wake. Current parents or students (mkm56? juba?) can tell you where to eat. They've renovated since I last visited. You also might want to check out the thread below.</p>
<p>Mom06Grad-D and I visited today. Drove down and back from Northern VA for essentially a three hour visit. Last visit was October 04 for Homecoming which was fun. We called a former student from her HS and she gave us a nice "insiders" look at Wake. One thing that has stood out from both trips are the number of students who say "hello". As I write this, it sounds so silly but people are quite friendly and it's nice to be there. Living situations-dorms, dining hall, campus-are quite nice and professors are accessible and interesting. This could be a very happy and satisfying four years for anyone. My back and neck are aching from the car ride but it was worth the trip.</p>
<p>wake was amazing, for those of you who havent been there yet and are still deciding whether or not to attend, try and get down there! i loved the campus (which wasnt small at all by the way). i wasnt too impressed with downtown winstom-salem but hell, it looked like thered be plenty of on campus activities to compensate for a lack thereof in the city, overall, wake was basically sweet as hell and im definitely thinking that ill end up there next year</p>
<p>just wondering, could anyone fill me in (since i live in the west coast) what is wrong with winstom-salem? are there like 0 stores or something?</p>
<p>My dad lived in Winston-Salem for a year in the late '90s, while working on a project in the area, and he thought it was a nice place, though small. Said there was a very nice mall and movie theater. There was enough for him to do when he wasn't working -- hopefully a student would find it close to the same, since so much of a student's time would be devoted to studies or campus-based activities anyway.</p>
<p>There is nothing at all wrong with Winston-Salem! It is a delightful city of about 170,000. It's a very "artsy" town - lots of plays, concerts, etc. going on at all times, plus lots of opportunities to get involved in community service. True, there's no strip like Franklin St. in Chapel Hill where all the students can go and congregate, build bonfires to celebrate athletic victories, and drink themselves into oblivion. If this is your main criterion for choosing a college, then perhaps Wake Forest and Winston-Salem are not a good match for you. I thoroughly enjoyed W-S as a student in the late 70s and was able to get involved in Big Brothers/Big Sisters and tutor at the children's home near campus. My son is a freshman at Wake and loves the city, esp. all the theatre stuff going on, since that is his major.</p>
<p>Some more information about Winston-Salem:
There's a large mall (Hanes Mall) that for many years was the largest mall between Washington and Atlanta (although it may have been surpassed in recent years by Concord Mills, about one hour to the south). There are lots of restaurants and movie theaters. The beach is about 4 hours to the SE; the mountains are an hour or two to the NE, although there are some small mountains and state parks within 30 minutes (e.g. Hanging Rock State Park and Pilot Mtn.) For road trips or to visit friends at other schools, UNC, Duke, Appalachian St., Elon, UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Greensboro, Davidson, NC State and many other colleges are all within a 1-2 hour drive.
I hope this information helps. Good luck with your decision!</p>
<p>No, it's not a bad place at all - just not your typical "college town" like Chapel Hill where the whole town is centered around the university.
Correction: I should have said the mountains are to the NW.</p>
<p>Yes, there's lots to do in W-S. Sciworks (a hands-on science museum) and Old Salem (and Bethabara) are two of my favorite places in NC. Tanglewood's Festival of Lights at Christmas is amazing. There's also a bakery near campus (Great Harvest) that makes TO DIE FOR breads. :)</p>