Wake vs. Furman

Has anyone thoughts on Wake vs. Furman? Wake is clearly more selective than Furman and a tad more expensive. Barring the whole acceptance thing and merit based scholarship opportunities, we are weighing pros and cons for the difference in price, social setting, the level of academic success and experiences for each college. Any feedback would be appreciated.

What major are you considering? What type of college experience are you seeking?

Boy, I think they are pretty different schools, having visited both with our S a couple years ago. Very different vibes and student bodies. I would highly recommend visiting both, as I would be surprised if you would like both equally after spending some time on both campuses.

Wake does reflect, to some degree, its “Work Forest” nick-name. Furman has a very preppy feel.

Good luck!

S is a freshmen at Wake. He would describe the student body as very intelligent, hard working, and social. They definitely take their studies seriously but they also have a ton of fun. Not sure when they sleep. Between clubs, sporting events, speakers, company info sessions (business school), and parties there is a ton of things to do. Very active place.

My daughters first choice was Wake until she went and visited, then crossed it off of her list. She ended up at Furman and is a junior Biology major. She absolutely loves it! Furman’s president, Elizabeth Davis, is second to none. She is fantastic! She is really pushing the school to do what they do better. Every student is now guaranteed “real world experiences” outside the classroom with internships, that are personalized for what career or graduate degree you are seeking.

I think Wake is more geographically diverse than Furman if that matters. We saw Wake, and it seemed pretty intense. I agree that you should visit both if you can.

Though not completely committed D is interested in Pre-health leading to PA School. she’d like to maybe focus on Dermatology as she loved observing the Mohs surgeries on cancer patients while shadowing a practice last summer. She also has a deep passion for Economics and Entrepreneurship though extracurriculars. Varied I know, but that’s why she likes the idea of liberal arts schools.

Thanks for the perspective. Work hard play hard is what I’ve heard.

You really need to visit. Both are solid schools, but the choice should be easy after visiting both.

Downtown Greenville is more interesting than Winton Salem. It has a 30 foot waterfall right on a tree lined Main Street with a massive pedestrian bridge over it and a nice park around it.

Furman is about 10 minutes from downtown Greenville.

Hey @KHStuart , want to provide more info on the decision? My DS liked the Wake tour, but I wonder if the culture is maybe a little too preppy/social for him (he has a social life, but it’s non drinking, and he’s not into Greek life at all). Just discovered Furman as it is being compared to other schools he is interested in. Thanks!

My D’s close friend went back and forth between Wake Forest and Furman last year. She ended up at Furman because they offered her more money and she wanted to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond. She likes it so far overall, but has commented that it’s more religious and conservative than she expected which in her mind is not a good thing. The campus is beautiful and the resources great. Greenville is a real assetl.

Wake Forest has a great reputation and Winston-Salem is lovely and even funky in places – just not as cool as Greenville has become in recent years.

We didn’t tour last year either so I really can’t comment more on vibe.

My daughter is a sophomore at Wake and loves the school in every way. The academics are demanding; Wake students are serious about their studies. Many of her classes have had less that a dozen students, none have had more than 30. She studies 5-6 hours per day, as do all her friends. Grading is tough but fair, and professors are very accessible.

She belongs to a sorority, doesn’t drink, and has a good social life when she isn’t studying. Greek life is very relaxed there as opposed to SEC schools, for example. Many of her friends are not Greek. She enjoys the ACC athletics, which is a nice diversion from the academic rigor, and is also involved in a number of student associations.

Winston-Salem is a nice city with a lot of downtown development happening, so there’s that too. Surrounding the Wake campus are the Reynolda Village shopping/dining area, Reynolda House Museum and Gardens, and the Graylyn, a luxury resort. All are owned by or affiliated with the university. It’s a pretty nice place for a parent visit.

Furman wasn’t on her radar, so I can’t comment on that.

Have children and nephew/nieces at both. While Wake has more name recognition/selectivity, Academics are really neck and neck. Both schools have excellent post graduate results (graduate schools and jobs). Furman may have very slight edge on Study Abroad/Internship only because it is a big push at Furman right now. Furman is much more generous on merit financial aid. Wake’s got a bigger fraternity scene and bigger athletics. Greenville beats Winston hands down. Visit both because they are so similar on many things, fit will be based on that indefinable “it just feels right.”

Bumping this up to try to figure out if we should make the time for a Furman visit! My son is accepted with nice scholarship, but we never visited…learned of Furman late in the process. My DS decided NOT to apply to Wake, he is not a “work hard play hard” kind of guy but maybe more of a quiet intellect, close group of friends guy. No interest in athletics or Greek. So I would love to hear more about fit/culture differences between the two schools. I recently read that Furman is 50% Greek, and preppy…not sure if preppy is a fit for him or not. The Furman admitted student days are RIGHT when everyone else’s are, so it’s not just the easy answer of go there and then decide…hoping to get more info on culture to make the decision. Thanks all!

Daughter toured Wake, interviewed, and spent 40 minute lunch with a Junior female.

Too much Greek don’t want to go here and that was that.

Furman she liked and it felt much more subdued than Wake was all she said, but she didn’t like it enough to want to apply.

Furman is a very good school, and it’s environment is pretty similar to Wake Forest but draws from a more regional student population. If he didn’t like Wake, not sure he’ll love Furman, tbh.

Thanks @emptynesteryet, “more subdued than Wake” is a good insight. Do you mind saying what she didn’t like?

Not the deciding factors as mentioned above but as a data point that measures many different factors.

WSJ “all” college rankings.
WF 52 Furman 130

USNWR

LAC rankings Fruman 51
Major Universities WF 27