<p>Hey all,</p>
<p>After receiving all my college decisions, I'm stuck between choosing these two colleges: Wake Forest and University of California- Santa Barbara. I'm from the Bay Area and have lived in California all of my life. I'm going to be pursuing a biology major and I really need help understanding the pros/cons of going to each of these universities.</p>
<p>A little bit about myself. I'm Indian, and I have always been around a large Asian population all of my life. By going to Wake Forest, I'm going to be going to a completely new environment with a new culture surrounding it as well. It is a fabulous school, but I'm concerned about whether or not I would fit in.</p>
<p>From a college experience, I want a good balance of an academic and social life. I'm really dedicated towards my goals of being a doctor and want to attend a good medical school in the future. At the same time, I want to have fun and be a part of a welcoming, inviting atmosphere. I'm also interested in joining a fraternity as well open to the partying lifestyle.</p>
<p>Which of these schools would be a better fit for me?</p>
<p>Hi, @bloodraign15:</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it would be very difficult for anyone to tell you if you would be able to fit in at a specific school. Wake Forest has a great pre-med program, though! I was wondering if you have visited Wake at all? I would definitely recommend doing that if you have the means to do so (although I see how this would be difficult, seeing as you are on the West coast). I think getting a “feel” for a school is important. </p>
<p>If you have any specific questions you can feel free to PM me, but best of luck with your decision!</p>
<p>Also, in regards of being Indian at WFU - the school has really increased the amount of racial minorities the past few years, and it seems like a trend that Admissions wants to continue. In that regard, it won’t be as diverse as maybe UCSB, but you’ll have a lot of peers that are also from an Indian/South Asian background. Also, as someone who grew up on a lot of homemade Indian food, the Indian restaurants here are not that great…</p>
<p>The pre-med program is top notch, although very, very challenging. Wake does have a pretty strong science program, as they offer MA/PhD in the biological sciences as well. Thus, you will have access to more research opportunities than some of the majors that only confer undergraduate degrees. Plus, the medical school will offer opportunities for research and independent studies. WFU is definitely a work hard, play hard, and my pre-med friends do work a lot!</p>
<p>I’d really try to go visit WFU, because I have been in the Bay area and the culture is quite different. In the most generic/stereotypical sense, WFU is probably most similar to the culture/vibe of SF’s Marina district as a rough comparison. However, honestly to really get a good feel for WFU, you should visit it - especially if you haven’t spent much time outside the west coast.</p>
<p>Also, I’d consider the differences in resources, academic opportunities, etc too. UCSB is a large state research institution, while WFU is a small-medium size university that essentially function a lot like LAC in the undergraduate level.</p>