I am thinking about attending either Wake Forest University or the University of Rochester. They are fairly similar in their curriculum set up (open curriculum), about the same size student population, and have top tier medical schools which I plan to pursue after graduating from one of these universities. What makes each university stand out? What qualities makes one university better than the other?
In terms a single distinguishing aspect, the ideal balance between academics and athletics seems to be better represented at the University of Rochester.
@merc81 Can you elaborate a bit?
At division III schools, particularly those within the UAA, athletes tend be representative of the student body. In my opinion, this relationship seems to approach an ideal that many schools with division I athletics can’t match.
I’ve always been a huge fan of Wake Forest. It offers the school spirit and lively social scene of a much larger school while maintaining the close-knit, friendly atmosphere and small class sizes of a small school.
Class sizes are in fact a key differentiator. 11.3% of classes at Rochester enroll 50+ students, a figure on par with much larger universities like UNC Chapel Hill (12.7%) and UGA (11.1%). A mere 1% of classes at Wake have more than 50 students – a smaller percentage than at many of the top LACs such as Middlebury (1.3%), Williams (2%), Bowdoin (2.2%), Swarthmore (2.7%), Amherst (2.8%), Wesleyan (3%), and Harvey Mudd (4%). Rochester’s class sizes are likely to be particularly large in STEM fields, which are Rochester’s strongest and most popular majors along with music and poli sci, something to consider as a prospective pre-med.
Wake wins handily in a comparison of campus beauty and weather, in my opinion, but those are obviously pretty subjective factors.
Not sure what you mean by “open curriculum”. S is a sophomore at Wake (loves it as most do). He is a finance major. However, Wake has a core curriculum which is very LAC like. First two yrs are essentially knocking out the core. Very academic / tough classes even in the early stages. Lots of reading and writing. Very social campus. Great sense of community. Everyone is required to live on campus for 3 yrs which adds to the community feel. ACC sports is a big deal and well followed (all sports, not just the revenue ones. They have 5k attend soccer games!).
Both are really good schools, but yes, only Rochester has what I would call an Open Curriculum. One other big difference besides location and sports emphasis is the percentage participating in Greek Life. A quick google search puts that at 49% for WF and 21% for UR. Which type is “better” for each of these differences depends upon the individual. I know happy students and/or graduates at both.
They are both so great. What a choice!
IMHO in the world outside of academia, Wake is a more widely known and respected academic brand. It is also a real school spirit type place. Go to one of the football games or basketball. It’s really a fun place. But that’s not a big deal to many kids. To each his or her own.
UR in academic circles is very well respected too and certain industries is as well respected or moreso.
But the national name recognition is at a different level for Wake. But this is my world view not any scientific study. Does that help? I think so, but just at the margins.
The student is what ultimately determines outcomes.
Good luck and let us know how it all shakes out for you in the end.
Wake does have great academics, as does Rochester. You can’t go wrong either way. Wake is very Greek, probably more so than just about any other school that I’m familiar with. I’m not saying a student who is not interested in Greek life cannot thrive there, but the Greek system is a dominant part of the social life. We also found it to have more of a country club vibe than Rochester and Tufts and W&M, which I’m about to mention. I do know most of these schools extremely well, and the others pretty well. That might be a positive or a negative for you. Tufts, Wash U, and William and Mary are similar schools in terms of size and academics. Good luck!
With respect to Greek life, Wake Forest women in particular choose to participate in large numbers, here placing seventh by sorority membership when compared across all U.S. colleges, as well as first among National Universities: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/most-sororities.
I have not visited Wake Forest yet, but I have visited Rochester and loved it. I do want to pursue greek life, but that will not be a determining factor. In terms of what I’m looking for in a college, I want strong academics (STEM), the ability to pursue a double major/minor(s), and a positive community with a plethora of activities. To differentiate the two schools based on my knowledge I understand that greek life and athletics are more prominent in Wake compared to Rochester. Rochester has an open curriculum which I enjoy and I like the location. The two schools are ranked fairly similarly by US News (Wake 27 and Rochester 33). Based these differences, I still can’t decide which school is better or which one I should choose.
I have not visited Wake Forest yet, but I have visited Rochester and loved it. I do want to pursue greek life, but that will not be a determining factor. In terms of what I’m looking for in a college, I want strong academics (STEM), the ability to pursue a double major/minor(s), and a positive community with a plethora of activities. To differentiate the two schools based on my knowledge I understand that greek life and athletics are more prominent in Wake compared to Rochester. Rochester has an open curriculum which I enjoy and I like the location. The two schools are ranked fairly similarly by US News (Wake 27 and Rochester 33). Based these differences, I still can’t decide which school is better or which one I should choose.
Rochester’s academic prominence can be interesting to consider from a historical perspective. By student profile, UR once held par with other well-known universities such as Chicago, Stanford and Brown, while surpassing those such as Penn and Duke. Though the exact arrangements may have changed, Rochester nonetheless seems to offer top-notch academics as part of its DNA.
My daughter is a sophomore at Wake, double majoring in business and English. The academics are rigorous (they don’t call it "Work Forest " for nothing) and the students are serious and motivated to succeed. Classes are very small and the professors are demanding, but supportive and accessible. Many of her friends have double majors. The learning environment is pretty special, and most of the students are really focused on their studies.
Greek life at Wake is not all encompassing as it is at some other ACC and SEC schools due to the academic workload. My daughter loves her sorority, but it doesn’t take up a lot of her time.
ACC athletics differentiate Wake Forest from other similar schools. Sporting events are well attended by the student body, and provide a nice respite from the academic workload. I disagree that Division 1 students are not representative of the student body there. I’ve met several athletes, and they’ve all been fairly typical students from what I can tell.
Based largely on his sister’s experience, our 2020 son is going to apply ED to Wake Forest this summer.
Re your comment in #11, yes visit Wake and see how it feels. Wake and Rochester are very comparable in lots of ways, and have different vibes, one would appeal more to some, one more to others, which is the beauty of all of us being different and the gift of having lots of good choices (though the financial side very unfortunately can be extremely limiting). Do check out W&M if you have the time while you are down at Wake. No med school, but students do great getting into med school. I’m an alum and a few months ago did a trip with college friends, and almost half were doctors, and a couple of professors too. And Tufts as well, if that works. You really might look at Wash U. Really all are outstanding. Remember that difference between #27 and #33 is out of thousands of schools, so no real difference at all. It’s like if your high school had 3000 students, and you were trying to differentiate between the #27 best athlete and the #33 best athlete. Wouldn’t the wrestling coach have a different opinion from the basketball coach from the gymnastics coach? Is speed more important, or strength? Where does hard work and training fit in? Or, if you took the student ranked #27 academically at the school and the one ranked #33. Wouldn’t they be essentially identical at a general level, and it impossible to decide, and wouldn’t they have different strengths in different classes, maybe one better in math, the other in writing. So giving weight to ranking/reputation is certainly valid, to some extent, but, also it is a place you will live and learn for four years, and probably make friends who will last a lifetime. And it’s best to be at a place that will make us our best, and with people who make us our best. I’d argue all that is very important. Good luck!
If you end up liking both, you could always let finances help you decide. Go to the one that ends up costing less and save the difference for med school - or whatever your future holds if you were to change your mind. Many students at the school where I work get down to their final options and let finances decide. It’s a smart option when all else is fine.
Also note that most students attend a different med school than their undergrad. Not all, but most.
@TTG Excellent summary of the rankings
Regarding rankings, I’d add that in U.S. News these schools differ by only two points in overall score (Wake Forest, 72; Rochester, 70).