Help on College Decision

<p>I am making my decision between Wake Forest and Syracuse. I really don't know exactly what I want to do after college,but the current moment I plan on majoring in business (not exactly sure what though). I believe Wake Forest is overall better academically but I'm not sure I like the liberal arts aspect of it, where your required to take courses in many different fields and then you have to apply to the business school your sophomore year (no guarantee that you get in). However, this could be a good thing because it may attract me to another major that I may not ever experience without the liberal arts education. On the other hand, I have already been accepted to the Syracuse Buisness School (Whitman) and even though it is not raked as highly as the Calloway School of Buisness (Wake Forest) I like their facility better and they offer more majors and a entrepreneurship program that is regarded as one of the best in the country which I am very interested in.</p>

<p>Any advice?</p>

<p>My advice: state the two schools in your thread heading. You’ll get more responses. (Wake Forest and Syracuse don’t show up on the title.)</p>

<p>Wake Forest: nicer weather, big frat school
Syracuse: terrible weather, bigger school, better basketball (spirit)
This sounds like you’ve already decided:

If you’re undecided about a business major, take courses across many disciplines.</p>

<p>Do you think the difference in overall academic rating is something to take into serious account for when comparing these two schools?</p>

<p>Throw those rankings away and think about the schools themselves. </p>

<p>Where did you feel more comfortable: the bigger university or a LAC? Where did you want to go to school: North or South? Are you interested in a school that has a lot on frats, or a one that offers a wider variety of social hang-outs? Did you want an overall more diverse student body or a more homogeneous one? What do your peers think of these two schools? Your parents? Your GC?</p>

<p>lima, since when is Wake Forest a “Liberal Arts College”?</p>

<p>Wake Forest
4,476 Undergraduates
2,386 Graduates</p>

<p>and why throw the overall rankings away?</p>

<p>there is big difference in these two schools:</p>

<p>USNWR Ranking of Major Universities
Wake Forest - 28 (same as Tufts)
Syracuse - 58</p>

<p>Average SAT Scores
Math

Wake Forest - 650
Syracuse - 595
Critical Reading
Wake Forest - 635
Syracuse - 565</p>

<p>Business Week Undergraduate Business Rankings
18. Wake Forest
47. Syracuse</p>

<p>To me, Wake seems like a much better choice for you for two reasons: firstly, as you yourself mentioned, the liberal arts requirements will enable you to explore many disciplines, and you may find something you like a heck of a lot more than “business.”</p>

<p>Secondly, as John Adams points out, Wake appears to be the superior school overall academically, and in the area you THINK you want to concentrate in. (SU has some really superior programs in communications, for example.)</p>

<p>Thank you for your insight, I really appreciate it</p>

<p>Mr. President, Here’s when:

</p>

<p>And while those SAT rankings are ‘helpful’, the difference between a Math 650 and 595 can literally be one correct answer. And while those rankings are indeed interesting, they don’t tell everything. For instance, what about name recognition? I don’t have explicit data to say this, but I can bet Wake Forest is much lower “ranked” in name recognition and contacts compared to Syracuse and aspects like those count a lot in business.</p>

<p>Anyway Spencer, you choose (obviously). My point was that you were already leaning towards Syracuse and there’s a lot of good things to say about SU, just as there are good things to say about Wake Forest, but they are VERY different.</p>

<p>Also just to point out, Wake Forest gives the option of reporting test scores when you apply so who knows what their real average scores are, I chose not to report my scores when applying, both my SAT scores for both Reading and Math were both below the Wake Forest average</p>

<p>Have you visited each and spent time talking to current students? If not, that may help you decide.</p>

<p>Yes, I have visited both schools twice (regular visit and student accept day) and I know and have talked to people from both schools. There’s just a lot of things outside of the academics I like about both schools. For example I like the weather and community feel of Wake more than Syracuse but Syracuse offers a lot more options when it comes to activities outside of school and it would be closer to home and most of my family.</p>