College Highlight
Wake Forest University
From the Fiske Guide to Colleges
Wake Forest's Baptist heritage and Winston-Salem location give it a more down-home flavor than Duke or Emory. With nearly 5,000 undergraduates, Wake Forest is small compared with its Atlantic Coast Conference rivals but bigger than most liberal arts colleges. It holds its own in the ACC with universities more than five times its size. The strong Greek system dominates the social scene.
Long one of the top private schools in the Southeast, Wake Forest has transformed its regional recognition into a national reputation. Known for basketball—at least half the student body attends every home game, one junior says—Wake Forest's solid academics are worthy of a look as well. Students work hard, hence the nickname "Work Forest," but the university's size and strong Greek system means it's also easy to establish close friendships. "Wake Forest is the best of both worlds," says a political science major. "Academics are challenging and you're surrounded by motivated and intelligent peers. At the same time, students pride themselves on being social."
Located in the Central Piedmont region of North Carolina, Wake Forest's 340-acre campus features flowers, wooded trails, and stately magnolias. There are more than 40 Georgian-style buildings constructed of old Virginia brick with granite trim. The campus is bordered by the lush, 148-acre Reynolda Gardens annex, which features a formal garden, greenhouses, and one of the first collections of Japanese cherry trees in the U.S. In 2017 the university opened Wake Downtown, a 115,000-square-foot, STEM-focused space adjacent to Wake's School of Medicine in downtown Winston-Salem.
To graduate from Wake Forest, students must complete a standard distribution of liberal arts and sciences courses, in addition to taking an introductory first-year seminar and satisfying a cultural diversity requirement. The most popular programs include finance, communication, economics, psychology, and politics and international affairs; the School of Business is highly regarded. Four new undergraduate programs—a B.S. in engineering, a B.S. in biochemistry and molecular biology, a minor in biomaterials science, and a concentration in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery—are housed at Wake Downtown.
Fifty-nine percent of classes have fewer than 20 students. Faculty members get high marks; graduate assistants teach some labs and health classes, but otherwise professors are at the lectern. "I've been told by professors, department heads, and academic advisors that their first goal for me is that I learn the material and have enriching experiences while at school," says a physics major. "It's very refreshing to have faculty who put the emphasis on this rather than grades." The Office of Personal and Career Development takes a four-year approach to helping students prepare for future careers.
Seventy-six percent of students live on campus, as they are required to do for their first three years. Thirty-five percent of men and 60 percent of women go Greek, and Greek life dominates the social scene. Fraternities and sororities do not have houses on campus, but they throw open parties in dorm lounges or in off-campus houses. "Other organizations, such as Student Union, make a huge effort to bring other social options, such as concerts, movies, and events, to campus," says a student. The school's honor code helps to keep rowdy behavior in check; as one student says, "If you are caught with alcohol, and you are under 21, there are strict consequences." Everyone enjoys the annual homecoming festivities, and after the Demon Deacons score big athletic victories, students roll the quad in toilet paper to celebrate. Other favorite events include a midnight concert by the school orchestra every Halloween, with members in full costume, and Lilting Banshees comedy troupe shows.
When it comes to sports, basketball is the undisputed king at Wake Forest and is perennially strong in the incredibly tough Division I Atlantic Coast Conference. Men's soccer and tennis are recent conference champs, and other solid teams include baseball and women's golf and soccer. Of course, virtually any contest against in-state rival UNC at Chapel Hill is guaranteed to get students excited. Intramural and club sports are also offered—soccer, basketball, and floor hockey are some of the most popular—and according to a senior, "Fun supersedes talent."
A spirit of involvement and dedication to the community pervades the Wake Forest experience. Whether students are serving the less fortunate or chipping away at their heavy workloads, they benefit from motivated peers, dedicated faculty, and gorgeous surroundings. As one student says, "We are a small school with big school spirit."