Looking for info about Wake Forest and Duke social climates
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Anonymous
| We are planning to take junior DS to visit both ths spring. He is a serious kid, pretty much an introvert, who does not want to go to a big party school and would prefer a school with no frats or where frats aren't a big deal. We are from VA, for example, and he much prefers W&M to UVA because of size and social climate. We need to broaden his list. He isn't eager to go much farther north or more than about 6-8hours away. Can anyone tell me whether a kid like this could be happy at either of these schools? TIA. I have gotten a lot of good info from this forum. |
Anonymous
| Might be better to consider Emory and Tulane. Wake Forest is pretty frat/sorority heavy and in our experience with classmates of my DD and DS who went there, the place was a bit of a shock after at least DC independent schools. The other school you should have him look at is Rice, academically just about at Duke's level, no frats or sororities at all, nice size (medium) organized on a residential college/house system where kids stay in the same residential "college" for the entire time which does fulfill some of the functions of a frat or sorority. Every kid we know who has gone there is super happy, my DD loved it but in the end decided to stay closer to home given another great choice in the northeast. It is in Houston, but I hear the campus itself is really nice. Particularly strong in sciences, international relations, music. |
Anonymous
| They are both too Greek. How about CMU in Pittsburg. |
Anonymous
| Duke has frats. While they aren't a huge proportion of the student body, they are a big deal and have a disproportionate effect on the social environment. I'm an introvert who went to Duke and made most of my best friends there, but I found a lot of things about its social climate troubling. |
Anonymous
| I agree with the above sentiments. Wake Forest is pretty heavily Greek, and Duke is not that far behind. Rice is probably out of his geographic range but it would fit his interests, and it is a terrific school. Vanderbilt pretty heavy Greek too, not so sure about Emory but if he wants to head South he might have some difficulty finding a good match other than at some of the smaller schools (Guilford in Greensboro but it is pretty hippyish). |
Anonymous
|
+1 to Carnegie Mellon.
Others to consider: Case Western Kenyon Oberlin College of Wooster Dickinson Haverford Juniata Muhlenberg Susquehanna Swarthmore College of Charleston Southwestern U Rice Mary Washington |
Anonymous
These are all stupidly overpriced schools that confer worthless degrees. |
Anonymous
| ^^should have added--some of these may be more north or further away than he would like, but in my experience looking for a college with similar attributes, there aren't a lot of options that are "south" but not "southern" IYKWIM, especially if you want to stay within striking distance of DC. There are many Midwestern colleges that might interest him (Macalester, Earlham, Northwestern, UChicago, Knox, Grinnell, Carleton, Kalamazoo) but then you are dealing with cold AND distance. |
Anonymous
| Furman? |
Anonymous
| Thank you for the suggestions. Looks like there may be a trade off with distance and climate (weather) and social climate. Does everyone agree W&M would fit the bill socially? |
Anonymous
| Why don't you let your kid decide whether the social climates at these schools appeal to him? |
Anonymous
|
My husband went to a small all-boys school in MD and hated Wake. He is kind of a nerd, a little of an introvert but also social (just not one to go out and make friends on his own) and didn't drink in HS (or college). Wake was not his scene and he wished he had transferred.
I would recommend your DS go small. |
Anonymous
Rice degree is worthless? |
Anonymous
| SMU? |
Anonymous
And these are not all "stupidly overpriced"? Give me a break. |