Carlos

There's a large association with greek life, though this doesn't reach the level of rambunctiousness typified in movies and television. The statistic is that almost half of students belong to some greek association, hence many social events revolve around them which is maybe why there's such a large percentage. Another stereotype is that many of the kids here come from wealthy, old money families and are pretentious. While this is mostly true, the pretentiousness is only true on the rarest of occasions.

The campus is utterly breathtaking. The historic architecture set against the progressive backdrop of the seasons is just plain easy on the eyes. In terms of size, if you live on campus you avoid that winded feeling of a marathon runner you might get traveling between classes on a larger campus because everything is relatively close. Even on the worst days it takes 10 minutes at most to get to your farthest class. Yet you never feel smothered or cloistered by the people or surroundings. I'd say Wake Forest hits a relative sweet spot in terms of size. The quality you'll be most thankful for is the low student to teacher ratio. Learning is much more engaging when it has the chance to be interactive. The library is amazingly huge and has an in-house Starbucks that is a godsend on some days, and a computer trouble-shooting office. Wake Forest does a great job of accommodating students' needs. I've seldom had difficulty getting something done. Some detractions are that if you don't have a car there's isn't any good social hotspots nearby and social events on campus are largely directed at frats and sororities.

A good percentage of the time professors will know your name. Classes tend to be small so there is an expectation for you to participate. If you're looking for it, you will run into people willing to engage in intellectual conversations. Many of the people here are receptive, thoughtful, and curious about your views (if you have any). Studying makes up a large part of the academic culture here. True story, i've seen people reading textbooks while doing sit-ups and walking on the treadmill at the gym. So this is definitely a place intended for the intellectually curious and disciplined. I'm double majoring in English and Philosophy and it's inspiring to see how cultured and learned the professors are in each department, and others as well. Many speak more than one language and have an intimate knowledge of topics peripheral to their field. Though there are somewhat high expectations so be ready to be challenged. Much of Wake Forest's intentions are geared toward making sure you have opportunities to succeed, which means they provide many connections for job placement. Several students secure jobs soon after graduating.

My experiences have met with little friction in terms of race, religious beliefs, socio-economic conditions, etc. Though this school isn't as racially diverse as its pamphlets may try to convey. The school is mostly white, middle to upper class kids from around the area. Though there are some fragmented groups of minorities that tend to obscure themselves from the population by choice. Though if you're a minority and looking to find more people with a similar culture then it may not be the place you're looking for. Many students here are fairly well off so there might be some separation in that respect, but that kind of discrimination is hardly present. There's no real expectation as to what you should wear. People dress as casually or professionally as they please. Some of this might also be dictated by the types of classes they take. There are politically active associations so politics is definitely students are cognizant of, most tending to be right-leaning. Money and future professional success are large motivating factors here. There's definitely a liberal arts community here that's interested in issues, arts, and society, but more so students are inclined to getting well-paid, professionally respectable jobs like a lawyer or doctor. By no means am i discouraging the artistic or liberal-minded individual. There is a place here for you as well. The different tables at dinner are largely determined by what organizations you belong to (mostly greek), but some other categories are groups of minorities, an intellectual/artistic crowd, and athletes.

The most popular organizations are fraternities or sororities, though there are many groups dedicated to community service. The Wake Forest motto is Pro Humanitate so there's always some type of outreach or community service program/organization, which draws in large numbers of students. There are really several clubs to join, even something as obscure as water-rafting or meditation. It's doubtful you won't find something that you're interested in. I write for the school newspaper and help with the literary magazine, both things i vastly enjoy. The only problem is that i'd like to join more clubs but just don't have the time. If you're an incoming freshman, making friends is relatively easy and the dorms are generally sociable. Though as a transfer student there's definitely more work and initiative necessary to build a social circle. Athletic events are hugely popular here, especially tail-gating. If you're not involved in a fraternity or sorority it will be difficult to find social events on campus but if you have a car there are several things to do in town. Wake Forest also offers a shuttle service into town as well. Much of my time is spent attending club activities, going to lectures, presentation, or documentary screenings, and writing (sounds nerdy, but is in all honesty a blast to me). There is also the occasional game or party. There are many traditions here at Wake Forest, many of them dry and boring in themselves, but serve as excellent social frames for meeting people and spending time with friends. Some of the famous traditions are teepeeing the quad and Hit the Bricks, a fundraiser in which you complete circles around the quad with a bag full of bricks (no really, it's fun).