<p>Honestly, I'm scared of (the rumor...) Wake's reputation for being impossibly difficult.</p>
<p>Background about me: (I am accepted..)
In high school, I was (am) bright - but not the brightest. I took several honors and 3 AP courses, got straight A's, and I'm expecting a 5 on calc AB, 5 on computers science A, and a 4 on french language. I scored a 1400 on SAT's in one sitting, 670v 730m, and 710's on several SAT II's. I'm in the top 10 % of a very small public (under 100 students in my senior class). I did not take AP English and while my teachers tell me I write well, I know its nothing special. I'm more a math/science kinda guy. I plan on majoring in accounting, but I would really like the liberal arts background Wake offers for that "enriched learning experience" etc etc...</p>
<p>Why I want to go to Wake:
I loved everything about it - campus, people, academics. (well, the food could use some work - but I hear thats being revamped)</p>
<p>Dilemma:
I'm afraid to go from the top of the class in high school to the bottom end at Wake. I'm not sure I have the work ethic for Wake - actually, I'm pretty sure that Wake would improve my work ethic, I'm not sure I want it to! =X I think I might just lack the self-confidence (or maybe I am a fluke in the admissions process)</p>
<p>Is there anyone out there attending wake, or planning to attend Wake, that is NOT the super-genius? Everyone talks about minorites of race - what about those of intelligence.</p>
<p>Decisions05
-I was just planning on asking the same question. I plan on applying to wake as well and absolutely love it! however I've heard the average grades are very, very, low and it is one of the hardest schools. I just wouldn't want to go there being the bottom of my class struggling for 4 years...that would suck :)</p>
<p>I understand your apprehension. My daughter is currently a freshmen at Wake. She had very similar admission stats to yours. Let me start off by saying she absolutely LOVES wake and has no regrets about her decision to attend. However, what you have read and heard is very true. The workload is very heavy especially in the sciences where labs are required in addition to regular classtime.. What makes Wake more difficult than most schools (even Ivies) is that there dont seem to be very many what we called in my day "GUTT" courses. Even the divisional course requirements tend to have a heavy workload. </p>
<p>That being said, my daughter was able to make the deans list first semester but not without putting in an average of 35 hours of study outside of classtime per week. Many a Saturday or Sunday were spent in the library. Even with this she was able to play a club sport, volunteer and of course enjoy the usual college "fun". She also attended every home basketball game which was a highlight with the great season they had. </p>
<p>Grade deflation is a reality at Wake and can be very frustrating. My daughter received the first B in her life ...so be prepared. I can offer you one piece of advice....from day 1 make a point of going to the library to get your work done. My daughter initially did not and soon discovered the temptations and distractions are far too great in the dorm. It is very easy to find yourself behind in the first weeks if you dont stay on top of things. As long as you can dicipline yourself and establish good work habits you will do fine. The rigorous schedule will become more manageable as time goes on. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks eden- that helped a lot actually. I don't need to make the Dean's list...but it would be nice. Everyone's telling me to suck it up - maybe I just need to get better work habits. I get distracted here at my computer a lot. A library would help I bet. =P</p>
<p>Glad to pass on some info to you. Just remember everyone has a laptop at Wake so even though you're at the library the infamous IM is always lurking as the worlds BIGGEST distraction!! I often wonder how kids get anything done while they are constantly jumping on and off IM and talking on their cell phones. Students today have to be so much more disiplined than my generation when we didnt have all this technology. Again good luck to you!</p>
<p>Yikes, eden, 35 hours of work a week?! I barely do 4 hours a week.</p>
<p>OK, here's a brief run-down on academics at Wake:</p>
<p>1) There is grade deflation
2) If Wake has accepted you, they are telling you that you can handle the work
3) If you have any post-graduation plans (i.e. law school, med school, grad school), you will have to put in work to combat the grade deflation
4) Even though a 4.00 is unheard of, I have seen transcripts of people with 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, and a 3.9. It is possible.
5) Take 15 credits a semester. You can also take 14 or 13, depending on how hard the classes are. Do not take 16, 17, etc.
6) Balance out your classes, don't take 200-level courses your first semester at Wake.</p>
<p>So here's my advice: Do not worry about graduating in the lower part of the class. Right now I'm sitting on a 3.5, which will probably be lower thanks to this semester. Maybe a 3.4 or a 3.3 if I'm really unlucky.</p>
<p>The thing to Wake is that there is a lot of fun to be had. After your first semester at Wake, you will drop the ball. Just put in your work and manage your time well. You only spend about five hours a week in a classroom, the rest of the time you have to budget for fun, reading, and studying.</p>
<p>I'm betting this isn't very clear or as coherent as it could be. Any follow-ups would be appreciated!</p>
<p>4 hours a week! You mean you study less than an hour a day and can maintain a 3.5? If that is the case you are very lucky. My daughter is planning on med school so does need the high est gpa possible which does add a lot of pressure. I have to say, when we visited campus prior to her coming to wake almost every student we spoke to said they put in unbelievable hours studying but partied hard on the weekend. For the most part that is what she has found to be true (at least as a freshmen). Im glad to hear that mabye it wont remain as taxing as the years go on.</p>
<p>Do not be fooled by someone's GPA, you should also take into account what kind of classes they take, sure I know people with 3.5+, but then again their schedule is either full of communication or sociology classes or they take classes like volleyball and bowling. Since your daughter is pre-med like me, things will not get easier, she will just have to adjust. I say a lot of studying in still in the cards, and if she ever works during school, things will get a harder as well. I would say for everyone that the amount of studying you have to do depends on the classes you take, what your plans will be after Wake, and what you personally think works best for you.</p>
<p>Correct BB, class level and the professor determines how much time you put it. How much of the required time you put in ultimately determines your grade.</p>
<p>Last semester I took two politics classes (usually for sophomores), a Spanish Lit class (lotsa freshmen), two economics classes (freshmen).</p>
<p>This semester stings a little more since I'm taking three 200-level classes and I'm the only freshman in two of them. Two economics classes, one english writing seminar, and one art class. I also took HES 101.</p>
<p>Next semester will be pretty similar. Two 200-level economics courses, one 200-level politics class, Philosophy 111, and HES 100. Ndbisme will just study more next time around.</p>
<p>If you do three hours of homework a night, you should be golden. Ndbisme usually does one hour of homework a night, sometimes sufficient to get by (i.e. B+, A-). Sophomore year will be my turnaround year!!! There's not much turning around to be done, though. Just more studying and more meeting with professors about my progress.</p>
<p>The great thing about Wake is that everyone is smart, but they also HAVE LIVES!! There is time to hang out and all that. That said, business majors rarely get a break- their workload is INSANE, but they're all happy by senior year. And if you want to do pre-med and aren't prepared to work yourself to death than you just shouldn't do it to begin with. Other than that, the classes are great- you can actually ask questions and not feel stupid like you might at HYP. Overall, you can really dig yourself a ditch if you don't get work done, but if you're liberal arts, you'll be just fine!</p>
<p>I had the same fear when I started at Wake. Wake is not easy, don't get me wrong. There were days when I was so mad I didn't go to the state school or an "easier" school. But it is doable. Wake has a 95% retention rate, so 960 something students "survive" their Freshmen year (which is the hardest of all). If you were accepted, you will CERTAINLY do well. </p>
<p>Wake is a great place. It is not easy, but I think I am smarter and "stronger" than I was when I entered. I met some incredible people and had an even better experience. You will love it.</p>