is wake forest a good fit for me?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Wake Forest University
1

<p>Academically, I want to major in math, econ., or chemistry and would prefer for the REAL professors, as opposed to the graduate students, to teach the undergrads. Socially, I enjoy having parties and going out every once in a while, but not to the point where it distracts me from my studies. In terms of residential life, having the residential college system, similar to that of Yale, would be optimal for me. I also would like Wake Forest to have a solid financial aid system. By the way, based on my stats below, can I make Wake a safety? </p>

<p>-GA resident, male
-Ethnicity:mixed Hispanic (Spanish) and Asian (Filipino)
-UW GPA: 3.94ish
-Weighted GPA: 4.14
-school doesn't rank, but I got an award for being the junior with the highest weighted GPA, meaning I'm a would-be valedictorian.</p>

<p>SAT I's (I'm retaking this October or November. I will aim for getting as close to perfect as possible.)</p>

<p>Math: 800
CR: 730
Writing:710</p>

<p>SAT II's (should I take some more, I'm also applying to 6/8 of the ivies and Stanford as well)
Math II: 800
Chem: 720
U.S. History: 710</p>

<p>Past AP's: US Gov and Politics-5
Projected AP scores for this year:
APUSH: 5
AP Chem: 4/5
AP Eng. Lang: 4/5</p>

<p>Senior Load
1. AP Calculus BC
2. AP Statistics (is it true stats is not really math, but is more like reading?)
3. AP Biology
4. AP Physics C
5. AP Literature
6. Economics (I wish my school offered AP.)</p>

<p>-school doesn't offer honors classes, but mentions "due to the rigorous curriculum of the school, no classes are designated as honors" in school description.</p>

<p>My only B's have been graphic design freshman year, AP Gov last year(will a 5 on the exam atone for this), and a mandatory composition class at our school this summer? I got straight A's junior year.</p>

<p>-will mention Math, Economics, and Chemistry respectively as my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice majors. I want to be an investment banker or hedge fund manager when I grow up.</p>

<p>EC's:</p>

<p>Boy Scouts
-Eagle Scout (just did my board of review). My project was building benches, pressure-washing old ones, and putting sealant.
-Senior Patrol Leader during 10th grade, Patrol Leader during 9th
-broke a national record for hiking. I hiked the Bartram Trail (100 miles/5 days, has a lot of elevation): honored by Governor Sonny Purdue and national head of boy scouts for this feat
-LOTS of community service projects
-raised money for inner-city kids to buy scout uniforms
-Philmont Summer 2010</p>

<p>Tennis (all 4 years)
-private lesons
-varsity tennis</p>

<p>Academic Quiz Bowl team (10-12)</p>

<p>I founded and am president of our school's food critic club. We go to restaurants about once a month and write critiques about them, which are published in the school newspaper.</p>

<p>Trumpet
-private lessons
-Superior Rating (9,10,11) at Solo Ensemble Festival
-Community Jazz Band (9-12)
-GISA all-select band member (11th grade) (top band members of private schools in GA)
-played for church on Sundays
-invited to play at school's open house 10th grade</p>

<p>Piano
-lessons
-invited to play at several concerts</p>

<p>Young Republicans (should i say this? i know prestigious colleges are very liberal?)
-Vice President in club
-Raised money every year for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan (don't know exact amount, club's teacher sponsor can tell us).
-campaigned for McCain for president, and Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson for U.S. Senate</p>

<p>Duke TIP summer program (summers after 9th and 10th grade, I respectively studied macroecon. and robotics)</p>

<p>Academic Awards:
-Georgia Certificate of Merit
-Phi Beta Kappa Award (given to Junior with the highest weighted GPA in class)</p>

<p>Hobbies:
-food-trying at restaurants (and even cooking some by myself)
-camping/backpacking</p>

<p>Miscellaneous:
I also volunteer at the library during the summer.
-I'm almost certain my PSAT score will qualify me for semifinalist standing in the NMS search. I didn't fill out Hispanic in the ethnicity section, so I wont get National Hispanic Recognition Program Honors.</p>

<p>Recommendations: I know several teachers at my school who like me and will probably write well about me.
Essay: 1) talk about perseverance, about how I thought I could accomplish anything after my national record hike (would this sound too trite?)
2) talk about how certain adversity in a trumpet competition didn't kill my trumpet passions.</p>

2

<p>You will be a slam dunk admit , yes a safety for you.</p>

3

<p>I’m not sure if anyone could call Wake Forest a “safety,” but with that said, you would be very competitive for some of the top scholarships.
Best of luck.</p>

4

<p>Seeing as Wake is a top 30 school, I don’t think it’s really a safety for anyone… just sayin’, Ulysses.</p>

5

<p>pink: wake is great, but it’s not Duke , Stanford or Ivy League.Be realistic ,not elitist.
There are a handful of other top 30 schools this applicant could also call a safety.</p>

<p>Have we seen any applicants with this SAT/GPA profile being rejected from Wake Forest recently?</p>

<p>For a hispanic applicant with a 1530 CR SAT , 2240 SAT out of 2400 , 3 subject test above 700 , 8 AP’s, and these EC’s: Eagle Scout , 4 year varsity athlete , musician , politically active , and other volunteering ,I would have to say WF is a safety for saints2009.</p>

<p>Definition of safety is a school that an applicant should have an almost certainty of being offered admission.</p>

<p>If this applicant profile is correct , saints2009 will be offered admission to Wake Forest ,unless the interview is laughably bad or has a behavior issue like cheating or criminal behavior.</p>

<p>Saints 2009 , please keep us posted when you are offered admission.</p>

6

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<p>I understand, and I am probably being oversensitive, but it sounds presumptuous and a bit arrogant to say that. Wake Forest University judges applicants very holistically and I do not think you are a “slam dunk,” as eloquently put by Ulysses, if you do not put care into your application, ace your interview, write great essays, and get meaningful recommendations. Wake Forest wants students attending their Magnolia-lined campus who want to be there. As an alumnus, I would rather have students there who want to be there, rather than students who are using it as a last resort. Additionally, this attitude is illustrated by Wake Forest admissions and the administration through their decision to make the school SAT-optional and require interviews and multiple supplementary essays.</p>

<p>A lot of us worked very hard to get into Wake Forest and worked even harder to graduate.</p>

<p>Additionally:
With this said, saint2009, put care into your application, if you would really like to attend Wake Forest University. It looks like you would be a real asset to the school and a well polished application and some desire would seal the deal and really make you stand out when the appropriate committees are reviewing scholarship applicants. Best of luck.</p>

7

<p>“pink: wake is great, but it’s not Duke , Stanford or Ivy League.Be realistic ,not elitist.”</p>

<p>I know people who were rejected from Wake but got into Duke. More over, I’m most certainly not elitist…? Wake isn’t a safety school for anyone … neither are Duke, Boston College, Harvard, or UNC. </p>

<p>“Have we seen any applicants with this SAT/GPA profile being rejected from Wake Forest recently?”</p>

<p>Umm, yes. </p>

<p>“Definition of safety is a school that an applicant should have an almost certainty of being offered admission.”</p>

<p>Repeat: I know what a safety school is, thhhhanks. A top 30 school is hardly a safety school for anyone. I have a zillion stories about people being rejected by their “safety” schools that were top 50 or so. Don’t get me started. </p>

<p>“If this applicant profile is correct , saints2009 will be offered admission to Wake Forest ,unless the interview is laughably bad or has a behavior issue like cheating or criminal behavior.”</p>

<p>You shouldn’t say things like this. People are rejected for all sorts of reasons, not just because their interview went poorly or because they have a criminal record. Does Harvard accept everyone with a 4.0 GPA and a 2400 SAT? I think not. Do I think this applicant has a good chance of getting into Wake? Yes, I do. Do I think this should be a safety school for him? No, I don’t.</p>

8

<p>OK , who wants to put up a dollar on saints 2009 application?</p>

<p>My prediction , saints 2009 will be accepted to Wake and will attend another college.</p>

<p>Again , saints 2009 math and cr sat is 100 points / 40 points above the 75th percentile for WF enrolled class of 2009. 75% of WF 2009 enrolled class has SAT sections under 700.</p>

<p>Wake offered admission to almost 4000 students last year, 38% of its applicant pool.
It is highly selective but classifying some applications as safety is not derogatory. Boston College is also a safety for this application.</p>

<p>This applicant’s sat was in the 98th percentile for the entire country.
Combine that with ec’s , class rank ,course rigor , urm status , it is unreasonable to expect that this application will not be offered admission if the application is followed through without arrogance.
Again , I loved Wake when I visited , but for some exceptional applicants Wake can be a safety school , and so can USC , Michigan , Carnegie Mellon. </p>

<p>Be proud of Wake , but let’s not be hysterical .</p>

<p>Pink and Wave , you are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to disagree.
My opnion is this application is almost certain to be offered admission.</p>

9

<p>I thought a 2240 was the 99th percentile. </p>

<p>here’s my source: <a href=“http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/sat_percentile_ranks_composite_cr_m_w.pdf[/url]”>http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/sat_percentile_ranks_composite_cr_m_w.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

10

<p>My case for you gets even better !</p>