My Class of 2025 daughter has pretty consistently preferred Wake Forest over the past year – even as her exact academic interests evolved a little and as she saw many other schools. She is seriously considering applying ED. Her test scores are above their reported middle 50 (with only about half of enrolled students submitting scores), she will be a NMSF Commended Scholar, and she has strong grades (her school doesn’t rank but she’s in the top group) and some consistent strong though not spectacular extracurriculars and awards. It would be nice if she could apply ED because it’s where she wants to go and still be considered for merit scholarship (she won’t qualify for need-based aid). I just fear they wouldn’t give someone merit who was already committed to attending.
Anyone been there, done that? Or anyone received or whose kid received merit aid at Wake Forest – it may be that she’d have no real chance anyway. Any info would be appreciated.
Wake Forest has large scholarships but they are highly competitive. There are many students who are at the very top of their class, 99% test scores, fabulous leadership and ECs etc…who are accepted but do not receive merit.
I would only apply ED if you could afford the costs for all 4 years….without merit.
Affordability isn’t an issue - per the previous note.
If OP wants to compare offers, they shouldn’t ED.
They might have the full amount set aside but that doesn’t mean they want to spend the full amount - and those folks shouldn’t ED.
Someone strong enough to get into Wake will undoubtedly have large merit offers elsewhere if they apply to the right set of schools.
The OP has to decide if - they’d like to spend as low as $80 or $100K - or nearly $400K (Wake is showing $91K last year and it will go up). Or somewhere in between.
If they’re ok spending $380-400K and unconcerned they can save 75%, 50% or whatever a lower cost school they would choose would cost, then they can ED.
If concerned, then they shouldn’t.
While some schools do merit on ED (likely a limited amount to plant the seed that ED is considered) - one has to assume there won’t be merit in ED. Why would a school spend it’s marketing budget on kids that are committed up front? That’d be a dumb use of limited funds vs. attracting customers (that’s what you are) that need a discount to choose Wake over another (likely more esteemed) school.
But putting a little amount out there - to show - yep, it can and does happen - is smart - so as to not dry out the ED pool. If someone believes they can get merit, it might tip them into the ED pool vs. not - and schools LOVE ED.
Two years ago it looks like 108 first year were awarded a merit award - and for $14K on average - so the school isn’t likely to be overly generous anyway (for the far majority of kids).
“Wake Forest’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions offers merit scholarships to fewer than 3% of first-year applicants.
“Most scholarships (including the full-cost of attendance Signature Scholarships) do not require a scholarship application, but only a completed admission application by November 15. Finalists for scholarships that require comprehensive interviews or auditions are notified by April.
“Merit scholarship programs recognize extraordinary achievement, leadership, and talent. Recipients since 1986 have subsequently earned international and national honors including thirteen Rhodes Scholarships, three Marshall Scholarships, twelve Truman Scholarships, over ninety Fulbright Scholars, and other honors including Gates, Goldwater, Beinecke, and Luce. The Wake Forest Scholars Office provides profiles of selected previous merit scholarship recipients.”
That data isn’t all that applicable to OP though, as it doesn’t show ED merit recipients, if any. I agree with those who said the most likely scenario if accepted ED is no merit aid.
Thanks all, I appreciate this – esp highlighting the CDS section. Barring any firsthand story of ED students being granted merit aid (which doesn’t really make sense for them, I would think), we’ll just have to decide if the benefits of doing one application and hearing early outweigh the higher chance of what appears to be not-that-much merit aid on average awarded to under 10% of students.
The website refers to all first-year applicants including those who weren’t accepted.
The CDS report refers only to freshmen who got accepted and decided to attend the school.
Right. The website language specifies that. In contrast, the statistical population for the CDS data is enrolled freshman (first year) students.
I did not make any claims or interpretations, I just cut and pasted. Given that the OP’s daughter is a prospective applicant and not an enrolled student, it seemed relevant.
We would not get need-based aid, and Wake Forest’s position on merit scholarships takes it out of the running. WF looks like a great school, but I’m just not gonna blow $400K when my kid can get into other excellent schools for far less. There must be enough affluent families out there willing to pay full freight.