Wake Forest University Visit Report by purplexed

Visit Activities:

Information Session: Yes - Informative, informal, speaker was a student, and she was funny, smart and engaging. Wake owns a house in Venice, in which students travel with a professor for a semester abroad.

Campus Tour: Yes - Beautiful campus, saw quads, classroom buildings, eating hall. Campus separate from town, not really walkable to town. Hills, grass, young trees (fairly new campus, different feel than old campuses.

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Campus:

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Two tour guides: friendly, smart young women. Having two helped broaden comments and answers. Neither were from the South -- large percentage of students are from out of state, surprisingly.

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Generally dealt directly with students. Not much interaction this trip with staff.

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See campus tour info.

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Spotless. One quad that got toilet-papered after one football victory -- was off limits to let grass regrow. See Youtube: search Wake Forest football (yes, football. It's not just about basketbal

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Rooms come with refrigerators. Bunks add space. Laundry costs included in tuition. Cellphones alert when washer or dryer is free. Sororities (and frats?) are in regular dorms, not houses.

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Gated campus. Gates go down after a certain hour in the evening, only students (and I guess visiting parents) can get through.

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Lovely, organized place, but feels removed from real nearby town. Going downtown to go out for dinner would require a car, though one upscale restaurant is nearby (not typical college food).

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Off-Campus:

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Beautiful part of town. Southeastern Center for Comtemporary Art is not far away..

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Winston-Salem houses facilities for N.C. School of the Arts, and some decent restaurants. Old Salem nearby. But generally, a small old tobacco Southern town. Location near Raleigh-Chapel Hill good.

Campus Visit Notes for Wake Forest University

Visit Description:

Did this visit as a combo. with UNC-Chapel Hill. Quite doable, and staying in Winston Salem is much more affordable than trying to stay in downtown Chapel Hill (within walking distance of campus). We know some other small college towns that have affordable rooms within walking distance of campus, but not Chapel Hill.
Surprising things: a large percentage of out-of-state students, adding geographic and perhaps religious diversity to campus. While Wake Forest is affiliated with Baptists, this is not necessarily a Southern Baptist crowd. Conservatives exist, but so do liberals. Flags representing/honoring fallen Iraqi soldiers were assembled in one quad during our visit. While it honored the soldiers, the number of flags gave us pause.
Sorority/fraternity focus is heavy, but tour guides said there is life outside the Greek system, if students get involved in something -- an intramural sports group or some other organization.

Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:

Holida Inn Select, 5790 University Parkway, Winston-Salem, 27105,
Hotel Front Desk: 1-336-7679595

Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments:

If the restaurant at Reynolda Village is crowded, trying venturing into old downtown Winston-Salem for some local flavor.

Other Comments (Transportation, local attractions, parking, etc.):

Flying in to Raleigh, renting a car and visiting several colleges in that area is doable. If totally by car, Wake is easily reachable off I-40, though definitely use Mapquest and your nose.