<p>Of all the schools that i have gotten into, i've narrowed down my list to 2. Wake and Colgate. Now i know that these 2 schools are very different, that being said there are different reasons why i like them and why i do not like them. It would be great if someone could discuss each of the schools based. Both of the schools i love academically, but there are some questions:</p>
<p>their social atmospheres of these schools - what kind of things people are involved in and what a typical weekend would entail (parties/clubs/sports)
In terms of night life, i liked how at colgate there was a variety of social options (the jug, frats, dorm parties, etc whereas at wake i thought not only was it confined largely to frats, but also you needed to go off-campus by car to get there </p>
<p>The quality of dorms/living accommodations also like food and athletic facilities at each of these schools are very different - wake more cramped and less options it seems but you also have winston-salem, whereas hamilton really doesn't offer too much of anything but Colgate has a bit nicer dorms and a wider variety of dining options</p>
<p>the people/weather: i love the south, and love the weather there, this compared to up north where i feel like colgate will be a bit more homologous with respect to the people there (where they're from, what they're like) and it is friken cold. </p>
<p>Altogether, i could honestly see myself at either of these schools and really do not want to give up one over the other. I feel that both of them are unique in their own way, and I like both of them for different reasons, which only makes my decision that much more difficult.</p>
<p>Any advice, recommendations, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated and valued.</p>
<p>I think you pretty correctly described the schools. As for wake, some parties are on campus and you won’t need cars (that includes frat parties). I agree I wish we had some sort of frat row, but getting driven over to a house thats a minute away isn’t too bad either.</p>
<p>As for other things: what do you want to study? Where are you from? Do you want to get involved in greek life? Any interests you have…maybe outdoors stuff, sports, etc?</p>
<p>To add to Wneckid – you will never have to drive to an off campus party. There are always sober rides to take you. </p>
<p>Colgate is cold and that’s really all I know about it, unfortunately. If you have any questions specifically about Wake that would help you with your decision, please feel free to ask :)</p>
<p>I will throw in a parent’s perspective… First of all you have two great schools to choose from!!! My kids are at Boston College and Wake Forest. S got into a bunch of schools including BC, WF and Colgate and ended up at BC for a variety of reasons. His second choice was WF. D loved Colgate but decided WF was the place for her and applied and got in ED. We visited Colgate multiple times and were always SO impressed with the Admissions Office, the academic programs, the students, the grounds, the dorms, and of course the ice cream sandwiches! </p>
<p>Some of the reasons both my kids preferred WF over Colgate were: that hard to explain feeling that WF was a better fit for them, WF much more well known outside the Northeast, bigger student body, better winter weather, in a larger city, easier access to airport with direct flights to DFW, Division I Athletics, a business school, more off campus (dining, movies, etc), etc. I think they would agree that the dorms and food seemed better at Colgate but that didn’t outweigh the other things for them.</p>
<p>At WF, D is definitely involved in all the Greek stuff so I can’t comment on other social activities. But she is having a blast at all these theme parties, dress up events, bus trips to events out of town,etc. I know she and her friends use the driver system the students talk about. She also enjoys being able to go off campus to a variety of restaurants, movies, Whole Foods, and Target.</p>
<p>Both WF and Colgate are great schools so I think you can’t go wrong, just go with where you feel the most comfortable. Have you been back to visit recently when school is in session??</p>
<p>This thread really caught my eye because my S has the exact same decision to make. We went to both schools over the last two weekends and that didn’t make the decision any easier. Both are great schools! And both campuses are gorgeous (although very different in look). I am sure you have done all the obvious comparisons like size, presence of Business School at Wake, weather, etc. I was very impressed with Colgate’s strong alumni network and their absolute devotion to the liberal arts model. One thing you might want to think about is where do you think you will want to land after college. While both schools have national reputations, my gut tells me that the Colgate brand would be better in the Northeast and the same for Wake in the South. At this point I think my S is leaning towards Colgate but I don’t think there is any right or wrong choice here. Go with your gut. Where do you think you would fit in best. Good luck!</p>
<p>My Son is wrestling with the same decision. We live 2 1/2 hours from Colgate and are very familiar with the weather! He is leaning towards Wake because of the much better weather, Division 1 Sports, the better “resources” offered from a University in regards to Research, etc., more opportunities to going abroad and what seems like a better organized effort to help students interested in going to Medical School. Both are excellent schools and he honestly would thrive in either one. My wife and I would like him to be closer to home (selfish, I know!) but we have to push our kids out of the nest sometime!</p>