<p>S is a student and loves the campus and people there. He has enjoyed some classes but uninspired by others.</p>
<p>Two downsides.
1. It has been surprisingly hard to get classes. Thought that attending smaller school would make that easier. The process for signing up is complex. Classes fill and professors change at the last minute, suggesting that faculty is understaffed or not well managed.</p>
<ol>
<li> It is hard to get to if you are not from the region. The nearest airport -- Greensboro -- is not a reasonable alternative. Your chances are better in Vegas than they are of experiencing something approaching scheduled air service at Greensboro. Charlotte and Raleigh airports are both 1.5 hours away, but transportation to/from is not convenient. There is no regular airport bus from Winston-Salem. Shuttles have to be arranged in advance and are expensive. If Wake is to become the truly national university that it wants to be it is going to need to pay more attention to such matters.</li>
</ol>
<p>On the issue of getting classes - it get easier every year as you move up in seniority. My son is a rising senior and he still has one divisional class that he needs to take in order to graduate - and he has never been able to get it. He is confident that he will be able to take it for the fall - as once you say that you need a particular class to graduate - you are at the top of the list.</p>
<p>He has also told me there is a procedure for “wait listing” a class - which he has done - some times successfully - some times not. I generally would say he has gotten the classes he wants with few exceptions.</p>
<p>@Dbldad
The Greensboro airport is really too far to offer a regular shuttle service to and from Wake. The university can’t just build an airport in Winston for itself.</p>
<p>I say Wake can definitely offer shuttle services regularly for weekends and spring/winter/summer breaks. It can’t be that expensive since I give rides to my friends all the time with no problems.</p>
<p>My S is a freshman. He has gotten all the classes he wanted/needed, but maybe not the section. He also had to talk to one professor and he let him in the class.</p>
<p>It is slightly more difficult to get classes you want here BECAUSE they are often so small. But I have found that I have been able to email the teacher, go to the class, and get into the class the first day, even without being on the waiting list.</p>
<p>When you show teachers you are interested in their class, it helps a lot. Some profs are a bit strict on the # they let in, while others will fill as many seats as fit in the room.</p>
<p>Regarding the shuttle situation, I agree Wake needs a FREE shuttle for students from Greensboro. High Point University has a free shuttle service as well and it is about the same distance from the airport as Wake is. The shuttle is $50 each way and is not very convenient either.</p>
<p>DblDad, I have to disagree regarding GSO Airport. My son catches a ride to airport from either shuttle, cab, friend. He boards his plane and lands in NYC 70 later. Can’t get easier than that. With Charlotte 90 min away, there are car services and the greyhound. Yes it costs $$$ but not every school is near a major airport. I have a daughter going to Notre Dame next year and getting in and out of South Bend even though it is 10 min from campus is a pain. Most flights require layover, service is limited. The best option is Chicago which is 2 hours away and kids have to catch a ride, take a train or board the greyhound to get there. THAT is a pain. You have to allow 4 hours min to get to Chicago, 2 hours flight to NYC that is 6 hours for roughly the same distance as NC.</p>
<p>I have to agree that the airport situation is a minus. No direct flights to BWI. Son has to go to Dulles or Reagan for direct. But, in the grand scheme of things, that’s really the only negative I can come up with. Well, besides the cost of attendance, lol. </p>
<p>My son got a cruddy schedule for his second semester. But, as a freshman, we knew that was possible. Low man, totem pole, etc. His soph scheduling has been much easier and convenient. He’s gotten into everything he wants, when he wants it. </p>
<p>Here’s a plus that most families probably don’t think about: The Counseling Center. Son faced some mental health issues during the spring of freshman year. (I’ll stop sort of saying “crisis,” but it was pretty serious.) The Counseling Center was wonderful. The whole staff and his assigned therapist were proactive and completely approachable. Since we couldn’t be there, it was a relief that others were looking out for his well-being. (He’s since made a full recovery and is thriving. )</p>
<p>Another minus (in my opinion): 3 year on-campus residency requirement. I understand it improves campus life and keeps more people active on campus, but Wake should have more/nicer apartment style housing. Instead they have eliminated tons of parking and are building upperclassmen dorms that aren’t even as nice as the newest freshman hall.
Personally, I love the green and trees of Wake Forest and with all these new buildings, despite their attractiveness, eliminate the beauty of nature on campus which is just awesome in fall. (See this image: <a href=“http://hr.wfu.edu/files/2011/11/fall4850.jpg[/url]”>http://hr.wfu.edu/files/2011/11/fall4850.jpg</a>)</p>
<p>More pluses: I honestly love my professors. I’ve never had a bad one (a few average ones). But I’ve made so many connections with my professors and other staff members that have become friends. I know there’s a thread on here that says a lot of Wake’s professors are not focused on research and are too focused on teaching, but I think it’s really been a benefit, and this is from someone who may go on to get a PhD or at least masters.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for being so open to chat and help and give input about the school; I really appreciate you taking the time to do that.</p>
<p>I’m getting ready to make my final choice of school here over the next 3-4 weeks, and I’m looking for a challenging program that may prep me for future professional studies (PhD or MD, etc). One of those choices is Wake Forest! With that said…</p>
<p>1) What percentage of your classmates have come to class well prepared, having done the reading and pushing hard to work and learn?</p>
<p>2) Do you feel like the school, with what you’ve experienced, has pushed you academically? Pushed you hard?</p>
<p>3) Is it cool to be known as a good student here? I am coming to school to work really hard and I’d like to be surrounded by peers who have the same work ethic when it comes to school. </p>
<p>4) What level of preparedness do you feel that you have as it relates to getting you ready for your next academic step, or the work world, whichever pertains to you?</p>
<p>5) How much grade deflation is there at Wake Forest?</p>
<p>Thanks for your candid replies and it’s getting to crunch time so I want to make the wisest choice. I know some of these questions have been asked here before, but a lot of water has gone under the bridge since some of these have been discussed, so I’d appreciate (others, too, most assuredly) full disclosure. </p>
<p>1) It really depends on the class. Some classes the teacher will assign a reading and won’t discuss it in class so only a handful of kids end up doing the reading. Other classes, everyone has done the reading. Also, my smaller classes (ie 10 people) are the ones where everyone at least does the reading and wants to be actively engaged. You always have the outliers, but I’d say class discussions are often decent, even if kids didn’t do the night’s readings. There are definitely some kids who don’t do the readings in all of my classes, and you end up knowing who they are because they never speak up in discussions. Yeah I guess that can be frustrating…</p>
<p>2) I personally think WFU has pushed me academically. I don’t necessarily mean it’s been impossible, but rather I’ve been able to take a number of courses in fields I’m not particularly comfortable in, like biology, and have been able to do research in this field, even though I’m a history/poly sci major. It’s been a really rewarding experience and has pushed me in a different way. I’ve also been pushed in the sense that most of WFU students get involved in 9 million activities and are always packed with scheduling stuff, so I’ve been pushed to schedule my time better.</p>
<p>3) I don’t know how to answer this. I am a huge nerd personally, and I spend 4 nights a week in the library usually. No one is ever asking me why I’m studying. In fact, the library at Wake is a really social place in many ways. I like to think Wake really isn’t all that competitive–as in students aren’t trying to “beat” each other on tests. They just want to do well themselves. Just my thoughts though. Yes there are plenty of slackers at this school who party more than study, but I’d say that’s a minority, even among the Greek community.</p>
<p>4) I think I’ve prepared myself well. My grandparents think I won’t get a job because I’m a history major, but I have a good gpa, have developed quality connections and have been able to be involved in lots of extracurriculars, so I think I’m totally okay finding a job once I get out of WFU. I have no idea if this is too optimistic or not, and this is more about me personally than about WFU. </p>
<p>5) It seems grade deflation isn’t as big an issue as it used to be. I know every single class I’ve taken here it hasn’t been impossible to get an A range grade. Maybe difficult, but not impossible. I know the biz school is trying to reduce the grade deflation as well.</p>
<p>You’ve been awesome for a long time on this board for Wake Forest, and I appreciate you stepping up once again to lead the informational charge! Thanks again and I really am thankful for your insightful answers. </p>
<p>Would anyone else care to offer any other insights? Thank you!</p>
<p>I was a history major at WFU too, so I agree with a lot of what Wneckid99 said regarding reading/discussion. I could not have been happier with my history classes, especially the smaller, seminar-style ones that were focused on my area of research interest. </p>
<p>The non-cuthroat nature of Wake Forest is something that makes it unique among more selective institutions. Students want to see each other do well and in that, it is a very positive environment.</p>
<p>Also, a Wneckid said, it is place that will push you socially and academically into a more well-rounded person. I can safely say that I would be struggling a lot more in my current job if I was not pushed like that.</p>
<p>In regards to grade deflation, it seemed to vary from department to department. However, if students get here and just expect to be making 4.0’s they are a bit misguided.</p>
<p>As far as college choices go, just remember that you are going to be living there for four years. Like the actually place, not just the idea of the place.</p>
<p>Kitesurfer, I will give you a “parent” opinion and also that of a current high school senior who considered WFU for next year. I currently have a son at Wake who loves the place. He has made great friends, joined a fraternity (which is the one thing he disliked when looking at Wake), and is involved in many ec’s there. He did well in high school and he has certainly been more than challenged at Wake. It is not a place that kids coast through their classes. I tend to think that effort is rewarded and certainly some majors are far more difficult than others. Do I think there is grade deflation? Well yes and no. One thing my son has complained about is that in some classes there are few opportunities for grades. My experience seeing his mid term grades through the years is that it is not unusual for there to be one or two classes without any grade at all come midterm. When asked, he will say he hasn’t had any “graded” work yet. That is where I think the grade deflation kicks in. By the time you hit the midterm, you should have something on which to judge your performance in a class. He has had classes that the grade is based on a midterm, final and one other random test/paper, if that. Do the math, if you should do lousy on one, that kind of kills any opportunity for an A. He has also had classes where the sole grade is a final group project. I am not a fan of those either. Now the moral of the story is don’t have a mishap, but the reality is we are talking about college students here. He does best in classes that have more frequent work. He has some profs he has loved and others not so much. </p>
<p>To continue my opinion on the grade deflation issue. My daughter is a high school senior who intends to major in business in college. While my son is not in the business school, he has many friends who are. In fact he went to Wake intending to major in business. He spent his first year taking divisionals and took the higher level math for intended business majors which he did just fine in. But he watched his friends complain about the required acct/econ classes and decided all that stress wasn’t for him. I couldn’t believe that these kids were complaining about acct 111, and I know that it has been referred to as a weed out class on cc. I was an accounting major in college and trust me, there is no way an intended business major should be stressed about this class. It is basic acct fundamentals for crying out loud. If you are struggling with this class then something is up. That was red flag #1 to me. Do I think that maybe there are some profs who try to complicate this class? Yes. But, business schools should encourage kids to want to enroll, not scare them off. So, when my daughter was considering Wake, this was a concern of mine. Since Wake did not offer EA she sat on applying there and applied to other EA schools with similiar reputations. In the end she was deciding between Notre Dame and UVA. I have talked with several business students from these two schools in addition to current Wake business students. I noticed a different vibe from ND/UVA kids. Many feel that their programs are not trying to weed them out or kill their gpa. In fact, at ND many of the business majors have extremely high gpas, by Wake standards and the business school preaches a collaborative relationship between prof and student. They will tell you that they want their students to succeed and do well whether it is currently or in MBA school. They have an amazing placement in top MBA programs and this doesn’t happen because kids are getting hammered in basic accounting. And they must have some clue about what they are doing because ND’s Mendoza SOB has been ranked #1 for a few years now. </p>
<p>Wake has an impressive pass rate on the CPA exam, but it is a 5 year program and I suspect it is because they have gotten rid of all the kids who may have had to take it more than once. Wneckkid touched on the fact that the bus. school is trying to address grade deflation, but it is a bit too late for that in my daughter’s case. </p>
<p>While I know you said you are planning on pre med, I mention the business scenario so that you investigate the premed program along with med school acceptance rates. What is the philosophy of the department? Research, med school? Talk to current students, they will certainly tell you the pros and cons of their major. </p>
<p>Wake is a wonderful school and I am so glad that my son has loved his time there. I think that you don’t have to worry about finding like-minded, conscientious students such as yourself there. Good luck.</p>
<p>This thread has been extremely helpful with my pros and cons list. One of my worries about Wake Forest is how small it is. I come from an extremely small high school and would like to have a few strangers on campus but not be too overwhelmed. Does anyone know how it is at Wake? Does mostly everyone recognize everyone or will there still be some people I won’t know?</p>
<p>I think it really depends on your personal wants. </p>
<p>For me Wake is the basically the most ideal size for me. Not too small, not too big. It can sometimes feel too small in the sense that I’ll see the same people out a lot. But there are times when I won’t see some of my better friends for the week because they’ll be busy or what not. </p>
<p>I recognize a lot of people but I certainly don’t know close to everyone in my classes. Don’t even know all the people in my major, many of whom I’ve taken classes with. </p>
<p>I think it really depends on the person though on whether they think a school is too big or too small.</p>
<p>@HSC719: Although Wake is a small school, there will always be people you do not know. There are 4,500 of us and there are some people you will never ever cross paths with. That being said, you will recognize a majority of the people.</p>
<p>@DblDad: Agree about course registration. However, once you get into a major, registration is done through your major adviser instead of on your own. Also, this semester, they are revamping the waitlist system! … towards your second point, I have never had an issue getting a ride back from Greensboro. It’s a 25 minute drive but people are always driving back and forth, and on-site parking is not expensive.</p>
<p>I’m a freshman at Wake and I also went to a small, exclusive hs in a small town. I found that Wake was the perfect size for me-- I like it because you can’t walk to class or the cafeteria without at least seeing 2 people you know and saying hello. But I do meet a lot of new people in each one of my classes and going out on the weekend. As previously mentioned, sometimes I won’t see some of my friends all week just because we’re all busy with other stuff sometimes. It’s a good size because it’s small enough to feel like a community but large enough that people don’t know/don’t care about your whole life story (which is what my HS was like).</p>
Son has to go to Dulles or Reagan for direct. But, in the grand scheme of things, that’s really the only negative I can come up with. Well, besides the cost of attendance, lol. </p>
)</p>![http://hr.wfu.edu/files/2011/11/fall4850.jpg[/url]](http://hr.wfu.edu/files/2011/11/fall4850.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
