Hey guys! I’m really interested in applying to Wake, but I’m scared I won’t make any friends. I’m a gay male, and I would love to make friends by joining clubs for instance. But as someone who doesn’t play sports or likes to party, I feel like I might have a hard time. Could anyone please help me out? Thanks!
@Highschooler112 here https://lgbtq.wfu.edu/ join that and have fun dont sweat it just be yourself 
thankfully people today aren’t as they were in the 1950’s our campus systems have come a long way and for you wake forest has a LGBTQ center!
Thanks so much!! That means a lot!!!
@Highschooler112 no problem just be yourself. If someone has a problem with you being gay its their problem not yours. WFU looks like a good match because of its groups and its LGBTQ center 
have fun !
Are there any other students/parents of students/ alumni that could help me with further insight (:
@Highschooler112 have you contacted anyone at student life? reach out to them !
@Highschooler112 I’m sorry, I missed this thread earlier. Wake has a very dynamic, vibrant and thriving LGBTQ community, thanks in large part to the Director and Staff of the LGBTQ Center. They are very involved with the school and Wake has made a very significant effort to ensure that its members are welcomed and accepted at the University.
I would reach out to to either Dr. Mazaris or to Kayla Lisenby if you have specific questions about programs and/or events that may be of interest to you. You can reach them at 336-758-4665. They field questions like yours all of the time, so don’t be shy about asking.
Good luck! Go Deacs!
Parent of a senior student here. Our experience with our student and with friends who also have students at Wake, is that the campus is somewhat isolated, and so the social life of the school tends to be associated with Greek life which in turn means partying (and a fair amount of drama related to the administration’s conflicts with the Greek system). Also, the majority of students hail from the Southeast or Northeast, so social opportunities during freshman year can depend on your existing high school connections at Wake. I think the school makes an effort to provide other activities for non-Greek-affiliated students, and in the last couple of years perhaps has done a better job of providing shuttles so that non-Greek students without cars can get off campus and get involved in community activities, but if you are used to being in the social mainstream of your school, you may find yourself having a different experience at Wake. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but knowing what to expect going in is definitely preferable to having expectations based on school marketing efforts. No doubt this post will elicit a number of responses from other posters, reporting that their non-Greek, non-car-owning student from the West Coast has had an exceptional experience at Wake, so our experience, although shared by others, may be a minority one.
Everyone’s experience is going to be different. S is a non-Greek, Non -Car Sophomore who has really enjoyed his three semesters so far. He’s very involved in clubs, has a large group of friends (mostly non-Greek, but is quite friendly with many Greeks, just doesn’t hang out with them as they are generally doing things with their brothers).
Two points @WFUparent1 makes are valid. 1. Campus is somewhat of a bubble. There’s no destination within walking distance. Downtown WS is a short 10 minute drive and shuttles go all day long, but my S and his group rarely go downtown. It’s a shame because it’s actually a pretty cool place. Lots of restaurants, art, etc. I think when they are of legal drinking age they will explore more. Whenever we visit, we take him and a group of friends out to eat downtown and it’s pretty nice. 2. Greek life is big. For men, only 1/3 are Greek, but they still have most of the formal parties. I recently asked S if that was a problem. It’s not for him and his fairly large group (they actually call themselves something - almost like they formed their own frat but without all the nonsense). He basically said the only issue is that he and his friends have to “make it happen” meaning organize their activities vs. just showing up at a frat party. But they do. He’s told me they’ve fit 40 -50 people in a dorm room before so I guess they figured it out. Also, he frequently is invited to sorority “date functions” . I only mention this because it surprised me. I thought the sorority girls would primarily hang out with the frats but that’s not necessarily true.
Regarding geographic diversity, the east coast is heavily represented but there are lots of kids from OH, IL, TX, CA, IN, etc. S has friends from all over. We are from FL. He knew zero people going in and was the first form his school to attend Wake. There were some groups that new each other but that didn’t effect him one way or the other. Although he didn’t do a pre-orientation program, that’s a good way to get to meet a bunch of kids before you’re even on campus. They have several different themed programs for varying interests.
Bottom line, it’s a pretty tight knit community. If one makes the effort, s/he can have a very pleasing social life. It’s a time for personal growth and getting out of your comfort zone. I think that’s true wherever you attend.