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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Wake was under 4K students when I attended (98 grad). It was the perfect "not too big, not too small" size for me. It was a good fit for me academically and socially. I definitely would not have liked a large state school in comparison.

With costs as they are NOW, different factors would play into the decision. We do OK, but we are targeting schools that cost no more than $35K/year after any "aid" (and obviously hoping for less than that!) for our current senior.

I still do think that a school like Wake is a pretty idyllic place to go to school - Gorgeous campus, very bright classmates/peers, engaging and accessible professors, small class sizes, etc. There is one school on my child's list that is pretty far from home but very much reminds me of my alma mater (size and campus) and I feel would be a very similar experience.[/quote]

+1. Wake 96 Grad. It was a great time to attend.  Rigorous academic, small classes, great relationships with professors.  DH and I had professors we remained close to who came  to our wedding.  Today?  One of my kids is at a Midwestern LAC with merit aid. Very similar and rigorous academic experience, but very different socially— less conservative, no Greek, no one cares about sports.  Much social fit for this kid and 30-40k less a year. Other kid is a W&M, which reminds me a lot of Wake back in the day. Definitely similar in terms of rigorous academics and a preppy, pre-professional bent to the student body. Again, less so socially because WM is not as Southern or as Greek (but does have Greek life) and has less focus of athletics. (Of course, if you were going to go to Wake to watch sports, it’s  hard to beat the Time Duncan years).

Wake was not on either of my kids lists. We both grew up in the South and were hesitant to send kids back there— especially our gay kid, since we were making decisions for them during COVID and at the end of the Trump Admin.

Plus, Wake was 12k a year tuition my first year. It’s over 60k now (just tuition, not room and board). And real salaries have not risen 500% since 1996. I loved my time at Wake. I got a great education. But, I’m not sure what my kids would get there now that they aren’t getting at their current schools at half the price.

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Thank fig. So helpful.
If $$$ no concern, what would you choose for schools of this ilk?[/quote]

PP here. And in 1996, Wake was 3200 Undergrads. So, smaller than today.  If money was no concern and the disclosure that my kid weren’t looking for Greek, party, big sports schools?  I’d look at larger SLACs and small to midsize private universities (plus WM which is the very unusual highly ranked national that acts like a SLAC/ midsized private).  And it’s said very often on here, while people scoff, but it’s all about fit: what schools are realistic given your child’s profile; what schools have departments that excel in your child’s area of interest; and what schools are good social fits for your kids.

I’m huge on strong undergrad teaching, few if any TAs, small class size, student faculty ratio, research or internship opportunities, and department specific outcomes— where kids head to grad school, first jobs out of college, Fulbright production (for my IR kid).  Schools I personally, liked (and my kids liked).  For my IR/foreign language kid: WM, Vassar, Carleton, Bates, Tufts, Brown (which was not realistic), Middlebury, Macalaster were all high on the list. This kid was accepted ED and admitted in September to Pitt, so safeties didn’t come into play.   For my STEM kid aiming for a PhD track: Carleton and WM (again), Grinnell, Oberlin, Case, U Rochester, Macalaster (again— they aren’t STEM heavy, but had a standout department in my kids area), with Pitt, Wooster and St. Olaf as safeties.

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