*Important Decision* Lehigh vs. Wake Forest

<p>when i first applied to colleges wake forest was my top choice. after i was waitlisted i had my doubts. i didnt expect an acceptance and convinced myself that i had been waitlisted for a reason and was meant to be at lehigh. i visited lehigh and liked it more than i thought i would. i became excited about lehigh and accepted the idea of attending. i just received a call yesterday from wake forest admissions informing me of my removal from the waitlist. this was a total surprise and now i am confused once again. i feel comfortable with lehigh because it is closer to home and the prospective workload does not seem as intimidating. but i feel like i should take advantage of my acceptance to wake forest because it has so much to offer. this is a difficult decision for me because both schools are fairly similar (same size, beautiful campuses, similar student bodies). one of the biggest differences to me is that wake forest focuses on a more well rounded curriculum while lehigh focuses more in a specific area (i was admitted to the school of business and economics at lehigh). if anyone has any thoughts about the two schools i would appreciate it. thanks!</p>

<p>Most selective colleges say that they get more qualified applicants than they can admit; the best schools say that they can fill their class many times over with talented kids who can do the work. Even if Wake flat-out rejected you, you could be capable of doing the work there. As you were waitlisted and admitted, you are certainly capable of succeeding.</p>

<p>The schools are in very different locations - one near Allentown, PA - about an hour and half from NYC and 45 min. from Philadelphia; and the other in sort-of-rural North Carolina. Which do you feel more comfortable with? Would you prefer to in a different area for college for a new experience?</p>

<p>Lehigh is a big party school, from what I've heard. How would you feel in that atmosphere?</p>

<p>I am going to vote for Wake Forest...it is more southern though, if that is not a fit for you...go to Lehigh. You will meet a lot of kids from Atlanta and other large metro Southern citites there. I think Wake has a lot of Middle Atlantic state kids. I think Wake Forest has an idyllic liberal arts foundation with intimacy with teachers and a lot of school spirit re sports on the weekends...the frats seem a bit lame (I am prejudiced against them since one rejected a wonderful guy from our town who is about to go to med school from there....)and it could be more diverse re students' race, economic background etc. but what I did like was an active physically fit student body that was outdoors doing rec league, biking, running on Friday afternoon...and very hard working Mon-Thurs in demanding classrooms. If you want Accounting you can't do better..they pass the big exams in droves. I think their name recognition is also very good for later years. Their grade deflation issue is a bit tiresome but teachers called every student by first names when my son attended classes and they get behind their students for grad school admissions. I think the students lean a bit toward middle of the road to conservative but the faculty is quite stimulating. It is wonderful that you are attached to Lehigh in a positive way as well..so go with your gut and love the school you choose.
best wishes and congrats. Wake had a highly selective admission season.</p>

<p>I vote for Wake Forest. You are right, they are more solid across more departments than Lehigh. When I visited w/my S, everyone there was very welcoming, and we were very impressed with the faculty we met in his interest, physics.</p>

<p>lehigh is a good school</p>

<p>Ariesathena - semi-rural??? Wake is in Winston-Salem with a population of nearly 200,000, in a metropolitan area of over a million. Not NYC, but much more urban than Allentown.</p>