Wake Forest - Yes/No?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it is worth the money. I doubt you're going to be offered opportunities someone from a state school would not. It isn't an ivy league and is expensive.

That being said, I don't believe in going to an expensive school unless it is an ivy or equivalent. Especially if student loans are involved.

+1. Overall, this is my thinking too. If I'm going to pay the big bucks, I want a name brand. Otherwise, go cheap and avoid expensive knock-offs.

+2 agree

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For what its worth, the so-called Big 3 here in DC seem to send at 2 or 3 students per class every year to this school. They must think its "wroth" it.

They're probably so rich there isn't a significant difference between the cost of Wake Forest and UVA. Just because some people are buying private helicopters doesn't mean it's worth it for me...

I agree that the "worth it" argument is almost "useless" without context. We aren't buying helicopters but have told our kids they could go anywhere they were accepted and they'd graduate debt free. DD is at a school very similar to Wake (but not as Southern and everything that "Southern" typically entails). We're all very satisfied with her school and its $60,000 per year price tag.

Well, there you go. If you're willing to spend that kind of money on Wake, it's your prerogative to do so. This thread might end up devolving into an argument about whether it's objectively a good ideato spend $60k a year on Wake Forest, which is silly because there is no objective answer. It all depends on personal values and what you see as a good use of money.

The choice to pay $60,000 per year for college (or whether "it's a good idea") is not open to an objective debate IMO. It's not a "Value"-based decision either IMO. It's a subjective decision. We have the money saved for college and our kids can go where they want. Our kid chose a school similar to WF and we're very satisfied, even with the $60k per year price tag. If my kid loved WF, we'd be happy to have him there.

[Anonymous]

+1...if you've got the bucks...and want to spend it....and DC is happy WF...more power to you.....the thread has degraded to $$$....no one yet can say its not a great school scholastically......

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wake Forest is not comparable to a state school and yes is worth the money.

I would agree the experience may be different than a state school but don't think the outcome is. I had quite a few from my high school class go here and they aren't doing any better than smart kids that went to state schools. Also, you need to consider where you want to end up. Outside of the east coast, no one is going to know Wake Forest. I would definitely send my child there if money were no object. But if it is an object I would go with a state school.

Medical school is rated 15th in the US, but no one knows that. Right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It has gone up in the rankings on US News and I have no dog in this fight. I work with a guy who went there and liked it. But, he was the typical white, preppy, Republican kind of guy.

Typical in comparison to what?

[Anonymous]

The relevant sports teams are awful.

[Anonymous]

Seems to consistently come in at or about 25 on the rankings....now that doesn't seem too bad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The relevant sports teams are awful.

It's about what you can expect for a school of its size.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wake Forest is not comparable to a state school and yes is worth the money.

I would agree the experience may be different than a state school but don't think the outcome is. I had quite a few from my high school class go here and they aren't doing any better than smart kids that went to state schools. Also, you need to consider where you want to end up. Outside of the east coast, no one is going to know Wake Forest. I would definitely send my child there if money were no object. But if it is an object I would go with a state school.

Medical school is rated 15th in the US, but no one knows that. Right.

Bowman Gray has been a well respected medical school for a long time, but this forum has quite a few people posting who can't bring themselves to give a southern institution its due.

[Anonymous]

I spent 4 years at "Work Forest" feeling wholly inadequate. When I got into the "real world" I suddenly felt smart again. Strange experience. I was challenged daily. My academic courses were tough. My peers were incredibly intelligent. I avoided the Greek Scene and still had an active and exciting social calendar. Studying Abroad was amazing. The relationships I had with professors was incredible.

Negatives... I honestly think that larger universities have better alumni networking. While Liberal Arts was wonderful to study it has not been as applicable in getting a job. Friends who attended schools with more focused and technical career paths landed jobs more easily. WFU was great for business and premed, but other degrees you had to know someone. And due to the intense work load, competitive peers, and general atmosphere of very limited "A" grades... my gpa was only a 3.3. Friends who went to state schools had better gpas which translated to better grad school scholarships.

Going back, not sure I would pick it again. Loved it. Glad I went. But 15 years later... the decision would be made for very different reasons. Job prospects. Lower Tuition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I spent 4 years at "Work Forest" feeling wholly inadequate. When I got into the "real world" I suddenly felt smart again. Strange experience. I was challenged daily. My academic courses were tough. My peers were incredibly intelligent. I avoided the Greek Scene and still had an active and exciting social calendar. Studying Abroad was amazing. The relationships I had with professors was incredible.

Negatives... I honestly think that larger universities have better alumni networking. While Liberal Arts was wonderful to study it has not been as applicable in getting a job. Friends who attended schools with more focused and technical career paths landed jobs more easily. WFU was great for business and premed, but other degrees you had to know someone. And due to the intense work load, competitive peers, and general atmosphere of very limited "A" grades... my gpa was only a 3.3. Friends who went to state schools had better gpas which translated to better grad school scholarships.

Going back, not sure I would pick it again. Loved it. Glad I went. But 15 years later... the decision would be made for very different reasons. Job prospects. Lower Tuition.

Given the ever-increasing status of WF, it would appear that despite the work load and lower GPAs, employers and grad schools would come to recognize the value of the degree. Word has it that this year's acceptance rate is down to about 28%. Not sure where the school is ranked these days but clearly has to be in top 25 (?) following this year's acceptance class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The relevant sports teams are awful.

It's about what you can expect for a school of its size.

maybe unlike UNC, the athletes actually have to go to class

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The relevant sports teams are awful.

It's about what you can expect for a school of its size.

maybe unlike UNC, the athletes actually have to go to class

+1. I attended way back when, and sat in several classes with starters on the Tim Duncan era teams. They attended class with everyone else, and earned their degrees-- several in computer science, which is not a slacker major. I guess that make up for the terrible W-L records. *sigh*

[Anonymous]

Very Greek because there is no city walkable or not much to do close by. Need a car or a Greek House to attend parties.
Kids go off very off campus to drink and then have to find their way back. Would prefer an urban setting. Much more to do especially if you
want a more balanced kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very Greek because there is no city walkable or not much to do close by. Need a car or a Greek House to attend parties.
Kids go off very off campus to drink and then have to find their way back. Would prefer an urban setting. Much more to do especially if you
want a more balanced kid.

Not sure about the balanced kid comment. Most of the SLACs are far more remote than WF and those kids all seem to do just fine. I know current students who claim that only about 30% of the male population does any Greek (official). For the price of the tuition, let's hope that going to arties isn't what its all about.