Wake Forest University Reviews

"This has been a challenging, yet rewarding year. Looking forward to the next year!"

"The PA program at Wake Forest is one of the best in the country. They have a new and innovative building with top of the line technology to educate their students. While the cadavers are not dissected, the program utilizes IBL learning to make the most of the didactic year."

"So far, my overall experience at Wake Forest has been a really positive one (both within the Chemistry department and at the university as a whole). Our department is filled with dedicated faculty who have found a good balance between teaching and research. It's important to note that Wake Forest is an undergraduate focused institution, so the graduate teaching load tends to be a bit heavier than that of some of my friends at other larger research universities. This is great if your ultimate goal is to enter academia, but it sometimes frustrates those students who just want to get their research done so they can go on to industry. Most of my coursework has been challenging but doable. In terms of research, Wake Forest's chemistry department is very well equipped (especially considering that this is a fairly small department). There are lots of opportunities to collaborate with other departments (usually physics and biology), and several graduate students also work on joint projects with faculty at Wake's medical school campus downtown. Due to the small size of the department, all the graduate students know each other and support each other. I know most of the faculty by name, and I have at least a general sense of what they are working on even if it is completely unrelated to my own research projects. The department also organizes a very good weekly seminar that helps us stay current on developments outside of own faculty's research interest. One of my favorite things about the university is the ZSR library; it is rare that I do not have access to the resources I need to do my job well, and I have yet to request an article that they have not been able to obtain and email to me in less than 24 hours. Lastly, Winston-Salem is a great place to live; it is both fairly affordable and filled with good local restaurants, arts and music."

"Pros are they the program has recruited really intelligent, honest, and hardworking students. The tension due to lack of funding is palpable in faculty relationships with other faculty and with students."

"The best part about the Wake Forest program is its faculty. They are helpful, intelligent and always avaliable and willing to help."

"Professors are supportive, the academic environment is vigorous, and the quality and value of the program is superb!"

"I love the MA in Management program. It provides an excellent grounding in business for students that possess a liberal arts, non-business background."

"Wake Forest is a great University as far as network and customer (student) service. The majority of the faculty in the mathematics department are there to see you succeed and will help you every step along the way. The majority hail from California and have that type of laid back and relaxed personality, while still proficient in their craft. There are a few who are condescending in nature, but even they will go to bat for you when needed. Being a black male coming from a HBCU in a big city to Wake Forest University in a small town like Winston-Salem, it has been a culture shock to say the least. There is a racial tension on campus as well as in the community, but nothing volatile. The campus is very conservative and would not allow anything extremely overt to occur. At the same time campus parties thrown by white fraternities need no security while black fraternities need Winston-Salem PD. Even so there are programs, like the Office of Multicultural Affairs, for minorities to speak out and contribute a vital part to the community that is Wake Forest University. There are apartments that offer shuttle service to the campus, though they are expensive. There are also a number of houses near to campus that rent out to students that may be more affordable. I personally live in an apartment complex walking distance from the school at half the rate most students pay, just without the glamor the apartments the shuttle goes to. At the end of the day school is what you make it. It can be the best of times or the worst of time, its all about what you focus on."

"Wake Forest University School of Divinity is a great program because of the quality of education and the faculty care and desire for students to succeed in not only in the divinity program, but grow as ministers and people. The small classes, rigorous academic work, and the intentional community environment has helped shaped, challenged, and stretched me in my theology and my calling as a minister to ensure that I am prepared to be a change agent in the world."

"The faculty are great and the courses are definitely challenging. I think that the program itself is somewhat prohibitively expensive, making it difficult for all qualified applicants to have the opportunity to attend."

"This program is great because you have patient interactions within your first week. During your first two years they really stress the clinical applications of the basic science information. The faculty are so supportive and willing to help you."

"The pros of the neuroscience program include great faculty support of students in well-rounded course work. Additionally, the quality of life in Winston Salem is high because of the low cost of living in the area. Many graduate students enjoy the comforts of owning a home. On the con side, institutional support of faculty and students is dwindling, and overall morale is low. I find that this is the case most everywhere, though. Additionally, career development support is lacking, but this is something the program is actively seeking to improve. Overall, if a student is diligent in searching for a lab with funding and interesting research *before* coming into the program, the quality of life and education is pretty great."

"It is a wonderful place to get your graduate education. The location is also very affordable and friendly."

"Winston-Salem is a beautiful town with easy mountain access and beach access for those willing to journey further. For those confined to the city limits, it is a warm community, open to university students, with a small town feel. There's a thriving art's district, a minor league baseball team, and countless outdoor events in the fall, spring, and summer months. Wake Forest University is nestled in the northwestern part of the city in its own enclave. The campus is absolutely beautiful and even the expansion efforts currently happening perfectly blend with the current surroundings. The school is not the most diverse at first appearance, but one quickly realizes that with Law, Business, Divinity, and Graduate Programs on campus, and an off-campus Medical School, there is a wealth of backgrounds making this university unique. Like all Law Schools, one can expect to work hard, experience the highs and lows of speaking in class, and the anxiety of one-exam-takes-all for grading. But, the professors maintain a great open-door policy when they are not teaching that allows ample accessibility. It is definitely a university worth exploring if you want to get a great education (Ranked #31), live well (avg. rent 1 bdrm-$600/mth), and explore the outdoors (Asheville is 2 hours away)."

"The pros of this program are the prestigious education, strong funding, educational opportunities, clinical experiences, cohort model, and excellent supervision. The cons are the culture of W-S and lack of diversity within the population."

"For me the pros were that I the university had the PI that I wanted to conduct my work under. Additionally, the school has some limited research and travel funds. The cons are financial and academic. Financially, as a graduate student the school nickel-and-dimes you. Parking is $500+, they ticket cars on weekends and off-hours/holidays ($50+ per), charge $200+ for student health fees, charge you for ID card, and on and on. If you bike like me, people will try to kill you in Winston-Salem. Academically, the school is lacking a community. My peers do not want to talk about science."

"Pros- small school, great instructors, lots of practical work Cons- in a state with seven other law schools"

"The Pros of the Wake Forest School of Divinity is that it is challenging, diverse, and a loving community. The Cons are that its expensive, affordability is the issue in whether or not I can continue my education."

"The pros of the graduate program are that I enjoy my peers. The cons are that we are not supported in pursuing alternative career paths in science. We are punished for wanting to do extracurricular activities that would align us for a job in our interests. Additionally, there is a lot of unprofessionalism in the program."

"The main pro of my graduate program are my peers. A major con is that the morale is very low among faculty members and there are unprofessional relationships between faculty members and graduate students."