Rhodes or Wake Forest, down to two!!!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rhodes College
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<p>I asked this over in the pre-med area, but thought I would try to get more input over here, for my accepted son who is today attending the accepted student day at Wake Forest.</p>

<p>He is studious but social, pre-med, has been shadowing at ER at local hospital for two years, conservative, non drinker (now, but can't see him going overboard), fairly straight kid. (and i don't want that to EVER change, good luck, eh!)</p>

<p>He enjoys small classes where everyone wants to be there and enjoys learning, he really has enjoyed him teachers throughout HS, and looks forward to that in college. Is a good writer, enjoys learning....hmmm, what else.</p>

<p>He is not intent on a frat, might do it at Rhodes, might not at Wake, although they have Spring rush.</p>

<p>Please tell me your thoughts.</p>

<p>My major concern is, like someone on this site said...."how high do you need to set the bar". That makes sense.</p>

<p>I think he would ultimately enjoy both. But would love to get this right the first time.</p>

<p>I thank you in advance for any input. </p>

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<p>We know a family whose son, who sounds similar to your son, chose Rhodes over Vanderbilt. The reason was that he wanted the very small classes and intimate nature of learning he found at his visit to Rhodes. He also chose it based on its connection to the 50 Colleges that Change Lives (I think that is the title). Service was important to him and very important at Rhodes. He has been very happy with his choice and as a bit of a shining start at Rhodes received many opportunities for research, etc. He works hard, but mentioned that it is very manageable. That could be a plus or minus if your son prefers to be very challenged constantly.
Just one young man’s story, @nettik4137 </p>

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<p>There’s a famous – or infamous :wink: – cc poster, curmudgeon, whose dd turned down Yale for a full ride at Rhodes. She eventually got to Yale – for medical school. Just my way of saying he can do well at Rhodes. Will he do an accepted students day there or otherwise get to visit?</p>

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<p>thanks, yes, YDS, I have spoken with him, he said, how high do you want to set the bar…which i think makes sense…alot of sense…and Off., yes, Rhodes has always been our number one, two and three choice. But he felt like he needed to see what Wake had to offer. So he is there…just visited in the fall…so two visits so far to each. No accepted students day at Rhodes as it is Prom. But he spent the night, etc.</p>

<p>I do think he would have more opportunity to do a few things at Rhodes, probably less competitive environment. Of course, you hear a few horror stories of both…and get concerned…drugs, mainly…but I suppose you can find that anywhere. He would like to join a Christian group on campus that had “life” to it…as a social outlet…may consider Greek life at either. He mentioned something today about “dry rushing”…but didn’t have time to explain much about that, at wake…</p>

<p>thoughts about that?? Christian group, dry rushing…need to check into substance free housing at either…</p>

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<p>ok, so he is back to Rhodes for the third and final visit next week. Tough when they are both good, pros and cons on each…he “feels” good on both campuses…how do you pick one???</p>

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<p>Has he contacted professors in his area of interest? If price is no object, then which is logistically simpler for getting there and back again? Does he know anyone at either choice who could shed light on the drinker/nondrinker atmosphere for Christians?</p>

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<p>Knoxpatch. yes, he has talked to professors at both. These are his impressions of Rhodes, yesterday. </p>

<p>He came back from yesterday from two days at Rhodes. He came back a bit troubled. More kids with weird piercings and odd colored hair than he expected. I asked how many, he said over a dozen…on a small campus , it made an impression to my preppy conservative kid. Went to a org chem class, which he followed the subject matter fine, despite, what he said was a rather hard to understand accent wise professor. noted that the interaction with St. Judes was perhaps more for research than he expected. liked the psych class he went to altho class participation was a bit lacking. noted the Search class curriculum, which he would do, was a bit more reading than he had expected, daily reading, altho he was surprised, but that was ok, he is a reader. Really like his meeting with the premed advisor/dept head. thought it felt a bit smaller than he remembered.</p>

<p>wrote his thoughts in a letter to me and himself in the Memphis airport, ending with “If St. Jude were here in the Memphis airport with a gun to my head to make a decision, he would go to Wake.”</p>

<p>So. The plot thickens. Woke up today without a Wake tshirt on, as I expected to see him. Eyes bleary from lack of sleep, and said he wished he would have applied to more colleges. He said going during classes made a huge difference, (I wonder on this, as the first time we went was during Spring Break junior year. so yes, no kids. But he went in the fall of senior year, October and spent night on campus and went to classes…) Any way, he said he wished he would have applied to more schools. But always thought Rhodes was the one. I asked him where, he said Boston College, Vanderbilt. Furman, which we visited but he declined applying to. We talked about the pros and cons of those schools, And what his decision was at that time, and that they were wise decisions.</p>

<p>At the end of the day, His options are the schools he applied to and was accepted. Baylor (he hates), Trinity in SA (which he got good money from but wants to go out of state), A and M (which he visited, and had not much interest in pursuing, too big, TA taught classes, wants to know his professors). He visited but declined applying to Furman, Davidson, W and Mary, wait listed at URichmond…idk…this is stressing me out beyond my limits!! :)</p>

<p>Says the only school he wants to go to that he applied to is Wake. And it is mega expensive and has a reputation for grade deflation so it is going to be extra hard to get the gpa he needs to get to go to Med School.</p>

<p>That, my friends, is where we are. I would appreciate any input. 7 days til decision day.</p>

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<p>wake it is! putting money down this weekend!</p>

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<p>Wonderful!! Congrats to you and your son!</p>