<p>and it was awesome. The campus is beautiful (a bit old, but well maintained). School pride is amazing (toilet paper on the quad). Frat scene is not a big distraction as I thought it would be.....very nice overall.</p>
<p>Also, I didn't see a lot of BMW's and Range Rovers (except 1)...so not really a "rich kid scene" as I thought. people seemed very friendly. The girls did look stuck up compared to the guys, who seemed chill....but not all girls looked stuck up...so yea</p>
<p>Overall I'm very impressed and will apply soon. Hopefully I will get in and get some aid.</p>
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School pride is amazing (toilet paper on the quad).
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<p>You should have seen it Saturday night - it was insane. It was raining, but TONS of kids came out and rolled the quad after we shut out Florida State. The Chapel bell was ringing, we were chanting Wake...Forest across the quad, and people started a slip and slide in the mud on the grass. Probably the most fun I've had in a long time.</p>
<p>yeah saturday night was pretty craaazy, this football season has just been so much fun due to us actually winning games! It will be insane again this weekend when we beat va-tech.</p>
<p>However, this will probably hurt applicants as multiple sources have told me that admissions are supposed to go up with the success of the football team. Sounds strange, but we also had an admissions spike during the Chris Paul/Tim Duncan basketball eras. more applicants = more competitive.</p>
<p>oh crap didnt even think about the above...its true...I must admit I got more interested in wake after it received national football recognition. Before I was like its a good school, but after visiting, I'm like its awesome. It has everything, small class sizes, good education, great football team, etc.</p>
<p>Just to provide you with a slightly different perspective -- I'll throw in my two cents regarding Wake. I'm a freshman at Wake, and after three months, I'm fairly certain that I want to transfer next year. Everything you remarked is completely true: the campus is amazing and the school pride is relentless. However, the frat scene here is pretty dominating, and every party here is greek-related. From my experience, which I'll admit is very limited due to work-study in addition to my courseload, I've only run into the stuck-up, affluent, pompous white kids you'll hear about at Wake. Relying heavily on financial aid and having been raised in a modest family, I find it difficult to relate to a lot of the kids here. I think Wake is a school that you either live or die by; my roommate and everyone else in my hall loves it. The classroom environment is great and the work is completely manageable while also challenging in a good way. I feel like I can't do a lot here because I can't afford to spend money every weekend to go to "rap video" themed parties downtown... but it's different for every person. It's definitely a unique experience, it's worth coming to see if it's where you want to be. As much as I dislike the social scene, the academics and weather almost make up for it. I hope this helped, even though I doubt it did since I was just venting... good luck with your decision.</p>
<p>My son is from a financially "regular" family, he drives a 1982 Honda- (you get the picture!) and worked 15-20 hours per week all year, two jobs in the summer. He is not working this semester, even though financially, he knows next semester he has to. We really wanted him to adjust, as we are 8 hours away. He has not found Zoom1017's view to be true at all. If you are into sports,(not playing but supporting your school, do your homework, (that can keep you busy 24/7) are involved in a few clubs (goverment, flag football ect) you will not have all that much time to worry going to parties and their financial toll. I am not saying Zoom's view is not real to him/her. Sometimes it is the person's own view about realting to others. One does not have to be rich or poor to relate to a good, funny and kind person. I see that in my own town. Some of the people with the most money, give the most of themselves, and those with less sit there with a chip on their shoulders. It is all about the individual's way of viweing themselves and their surroundings. I have asked my son, because this was a worry to us (his parents) about Wake's reputation. He has not met the "stuck-up, affluent, pompous white kids you'll hear about at Wake", which I am sure there are some, but he has not found them. He does not know them because he has met plenty of people like himself, he does not know their finances, but he knows they are good people.</p>
<p>Just for the record- my son has not been to downtown Winston-Salem once! Movies, Walmart, and a few times to dinner is all. We know, as his debit card is linked to ours, and there is not much in there! :)</p>
<p>That seemed kind of like a personal attack. My view is very real to me, but, like I said, it's only my perspective. I also live 8 hours away, and I feel like working is really what prevented me from getting to know more people at the beginning of the school year. I was always too tired or too busy to go to hall functions or even to the frats, especially on Wednesdays since I have class at 9:30 on Thursdays. But I think the financial barriers are really exaggerated here, and they definitely do come into play. I see it everyday when people are dissatisfied with the pit and want to go to CookOut or a restaurant downtown. Be ready to spend lotsa $$ if you come here.</p>
<p>One other thing, I'm confused as to what you mean by this: "Sometimes it is the person's own view about realting to others. One does not have to be rich or poor to relate to a good, funny and kind person." If you're trying to say that because I have less money I find it impossible to relate to people with money, it's completely untrue. I don't use socioeconomic status as an excuse for having or not having friends. Other people here do, especially my roommate who has told me that I'm poor on multiple occasions. It is not by choice that I have yet to meet these wonderful people your son has... it is because of this financial barrier I described above. Anyway, Wake's alright if you have money, otherwise, go to Ohio State cause it rules.</p>
<p>I can see both sides of the view. But I'm used to being around rich people, as much as they **** me off. (please don't bash, I don't dislike them because I am jealous, but rather because they flaunt it. I do not think a teenager should be driving BMW's and Mercedes in high school, especially as their first car).</p>
<p>Anyway, I hope that wake becomes more diverse (besides just socioeconomic). I still like the school very much and will attend if accepted and given enough financial aid.</p>
<p>Zoom, I kind of see your point (I considered transferring after first semester last year too). It took me awhile - well into second semester - to find my niche, and for me that's not the really rich or preppy kids, Greek life, or partying all the time. You may have to look around some, but it IS possible to find people here that share your interests and are different from the norm.</p>
<p>I have not heard one word about rich, preppy kids or feeling out of place. My son is a sensitive person, so I know I would have if he felt it, or people were making him aware of it. As I said, it is the way each person views things. Perhaps that will change when my son starts working. Good luck next year.</p>
<p>I'm a freshman too, sorry to here you haven't had the same experience I have had. I know for sure that most of the kids here have more money than me (mainly by their clothing/cars), however not by their attitudes. Maybe it's just your hall, because I have friends on different halls who work a lot and who I have never seen spend money. It seems like most of us are just friends with kids on our halls. Maybe you just have a kind of stuckup hall. Luckily I have branched out, because if I judged Wake by kids on my hall I'd probably considering transfering, because I can't relate to most of the people. I think you have to give it more than just a semester to see whether you like it. I've seen so many people post on these boards about how they want to leave and wind up loving it.<br>
I guess it depends on what your perogatives are. If money prevents you from going and dropping 100+ dollars at a bar on the weekend than that is stupid. No one needs to do that. It depends on what you are interested in, like going out on Wednesdays. I have never done that and I don't know a ton of people who do, there is just too much work. You gotta give it more than just a semester of a chance. Hope it works out!</p>
<p>All schools are going to have positives and negatives. And what is positive and what is negative is going to vary by the individual. For my son, the profs., the class size, the campus, the location, the reputation are all strong positives. The negatives have included too heavily Greek (probably the biggest negative). It's not that he is really anti-frat. It is more that he didn't want to spend the time or the money and now as a soph finds that many guys are totally involved with only their "frat brothers". It is even hard to find an intramural team (football) that is not frat based (as a fresh. the teams were more by dorms).</p>