Thought on Wake Forest?

[Anonymous]

William and Mary is better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone compare Wake to William and Mary? We got the sense on the tour that Wake was particularly strong with out placement (careers, internships). But would it be worth turning down in state tuition at WM? I think these two schools are DC's top choices. I am inclined to encourage DC to do ED at WM because I don't see any reason why Wake would be worth the extra cost (DC does value the air conditioned dorms at Wake, though!)

In state at WM is the sensible choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone compare Wake to William and Mary? We got the sense on the tour that Wake was particularly strong with out placement (careers, internships). But would it be worth turning down in state tuition at WM? I think these two schools are DC's top choices. I am inclined to encourage DC to do ED at WM because I don't see any reason why Wake would be worth the extra cost (DC does value the air conditioned dorms at Wake, though!)

The schools offer a very different social experience, if that is important to you. W&M, as a public school, is going to have more economic diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure if there are statistics to back this up, but it seems to me that Wake Forrest is becoming one of the most popular private schools destinations for kids from the DMV.

Stats now back this up.

[Anonymous]

The rep is that Wake Forest is easier of the top schools to get in but once you're in, the work is overwhelming. I can't imagine it's worth the extra cost over and above in state W&M if your kid likes both schools.

[Anonymous]

In-state William & Mary would be superb. Having said that, Wake is a spectacular school w/the new head of school coming from Vandy. It will continue to move up in the rankings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The rep is that Wake Forest is easier of the top schools to get in but once you're in, the work is overwhelming. I can't imagine it's worth the extra cost over and above in state W&M if your kid likes both schools.

This sounds miserable. It is always mentioned when WF comes up. Anyone with recent experience have any insight on the work load, grade deflation, etc.?

[Anonymous]

If your child doesn’t like to work hard then skip Wake. Personally, my child is a worker and achiever so she values her growth and development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:William and Mary is better.

Now THAT is funny! Look at the rankings and the campus and the education.

[Anonymous]

You need to look at Wake’s ranking and campus. Truly outstanding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:William and Mary is better.

Now THAT is funny! Look at the rankings and the campus and the education.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:William and Mary is better.

Now THAT is funny! Look at the rankings and the campus and the education.

+100

Looking at their USNWR scores they seem pretty similar. Wake's score is 78, W&M is 74. Not a difference to base a decision on if there's a substantial price differential.

In the subgroups, in undergraduate teaching (IMO one of the most important metrics) W&M is #4 vs. Wake at #44.

Both great schools, both with a reputation that kids have to work really hard. Wake does meet 100% of need so if your income is lower could be cheaper than W&M which is probably why Wake ranks higher in value (#24 vs. #122). But for an in-state student who doesn't have a low EFC, W&M seems like the better value.

[Anonymous]

Agreed for in-state, W&M is a better value. If not and you qualify for need, Wake maybe of interest. Either way, two excellent schools that a student can’t go wrong with attending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are schools similar to Wake in terms of admissions and reputation?

Vanderbilt and Washington & Lee in the South.

How would you rank those 3, prestige wise.

Vanderbuilt, WF, W & L

Vandy, W&L, WF but not too far apart. Vandy has become much more selective in recent years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's fine if you want to live in the south. But outside of the south, it's not well-known.

So what? Most people don't know about small New England LACs outside of the Boston-DC corredor.

Not the PP, but the point is that Wake Forest might not be a good choice for students who don't want to stay in the south after graduation. So, a kid from this area who isn't familiar with the south, but who's thinking, "well, I'll try living in the south for college and if I don't like it, I'll move elsewhere after graduation" might find it tough going to look for a job in other parts of the country. A fair point, but maybe not determinative. Keep in mind, school reputations rise and fall. Not a lot of folks in this area had heard of Wash U 30 years ago, but it's a hot school now.

As far as your point about NE SLACs, I'd say it depends on the school -- Williams and Amherst definitely have national reputations; Middlebury, Bowdoin and Wesleyan somewhat less so, but they're certainly not unknown. I'm a native Californian who went to one of these schools, so I speak with some experience on this point.

In general, though, when you consider a school's reputation or prestige, you need to define your terms -- do you mean bumper sticker cred? recognition by grad school admissions committees (if so, in which field)? value in searching for a first job (again, if so, in which field)? alum network? For example: UMD computer science has a national reputation that far exceeds some other programs/departments. So, CS grads have plenty of job offers and an advantage in grad school applications. Additionally, they're building a strong alum network. But the bumper sticker might not mean a lot to most folks in Mountain View or Austin . . . yet. (For the record, I have no connection whatsoever to UMD, but my cousin recruits CS grads for Google.)

Not true. Early 2000s grad here. People know the school. I'm successful in my field and have attended grad school, including receiving prestigious scholarships. I have lived on both coasts and have never had a name recognition problem. People are aware of its educational reputation. Excellent education and incredible extra educational opportunities. Truly. Academically, I loved every minute. It was a lovely liberal arts education with small classes, dedicated professors who knew you well and rigorous standards. Student body leans old money, Greek and conservative. I am none of those. That was tough but I found my group and it was fine. For our kids, I'd wait to see where we're living. Winston-Salem Salem is fine enough but I'd not want to fly and visit twice a year.