Wake Forest University is one of the top 50 most competitive universities in the world for undergraduate admissions, according to admissions statistics. Wake Forest University’s acceptance rates have decreased over the past eight years and are almost certainly going to continue to do so in the future, following the trends at all top universities.
One of the most difficult classes to be admitted to Wake Forest University was the Class of 2023. For the Class of 2023, 12,500 students applied to Wake Forest University of which 3,625 students were accepted, yielding an overall acceptance rate of 29% Overall applications decreased by 3. 1% over last year (2022 to 2023) from 12,900 to 12,500
| Early Decision/Regular Decision/Waitlist | Number of Students | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Early Decision | 2047 | 30.6% |
| Regular Decision | 10512 | 29.4% |
| Waitlist | NA | NA |
Students applying to Wake Forest may also find the following blogs to be of interest:
How to Get Into:
Let’s start by looking at the most recent admissions information.
Wake Forest: Early Decision Acceptance Rate
Wake Forest offers two application rounds: an ED I round with a deadline of November 15 and an ED II round with a deadline of January 1. Although they have yet to disclose their acceptance rates for the Classes of 2025 and 2026, we do know that they accepted 773 of 2,241 ED applicants for the Class of 2024. This 34% ED acceptance rate was only a touch higher than the 31% acceptance rate for regular decision applicants that same year However, our own student data indicates that minor variations between ED and RD may be explained by the fact that the ED pool contains a disproportionately high number of non-competitive applicants. In other words, it’s possible that these statistical discrepancies understate the benefit that Wake’s competitive applicants receive from applying ED.
Wake Forest Acceptance Rate – Class of 2026
Only 3,816 of the 15,156 applicants who applied for a spot in the Demon Deacon Class of 2025 were accepted. This calculates to an acceptance rate of 25%. Wake Forest hasn’t released any official information about admissions for the Class of 2026, but we do know that there were more applicants this year—nearly 18,000 people applied. Therefore, we can project that the Wake Forest Class of 2026 acceptance rate may fall as low as 21%
Wake Forest Admissions – SAT, ACT and Class Rank
According to the most recent official statistics available (Class of 2025), the mid-50% SAT range for enrolled freshman was 1380-1480; the ACT the range was 30-33 It is important to note that Wake Forest has been a test-optional institution since way back in 2008, but 23% of accepted students did submit SAT scores to go along with 32% who submitted ACT results On the class rank front, 69% of freshmen had earned a place in the top 10% of their high school class and 91% were in the top quartile
Admissions Trends & Notes – (Class of 2026)
- The number of applications received for the Class of 2026 rose roughly 19%
- WFU hopes to enroll 1,400 freshmen in the class of 2022–2023.
- 57% of freshmen in 2021-22 were female.
- Class of 2025 students included representatives from 42 U. S. states and 23 countries.
- Last but not least, almost a quarter identified as having multiple racial backgrounds, including African American, Asian American, Latinx, and Native American.
Who Gets Into Wake Forest?
Let’s now focus on Wake Forest’s undergraduate student population’s demographics.
Geographically speaking, the top ten states with the largest undergraduate population are:
- North Carolina
- New York
- Florida
- New Jersey
- Georgia
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Pennsylvania
- Maryland
- Connecticut
Wake Forest is looking for geographic diversity, as it would at any highly selective institution. Your geographic location is more likely to improve your chances of admission if you are from a state with fewer residents, such as Wyoming (3 students), Idaho (3 students), or South Dakota (1 student), as opposed to a state with a high number of applicants each year, such as the ten states above.
Foreign students make up 9. 2% of the undergraduate population at Wake Forest. Forty-nine countries are represented. In the past ten years, there has been an increase in the number of international students—7 years ago, there were only 7 5% of the campus population.
The distribution of Wake Forest students according to ethnicity is as follows:
- White: 69%
- Asian: 4%
- Hispanic: 8%
- African American: 6%
- Two or more races: 4%
The following are the ways in which students most frequently identify with their religious or spiritual identity:
- Catholic: 24%
- Presbyterian: 7%
- Christian: 6%
- Baptist: 6%
- Methodist: 6%
- Jewish: 5%
- No Preference: 17%
- Other/Unknown: 6%
Wake Forest’s Yield Rate
Wake Forest University%E2%80%99s yield rate%E2%80%94the percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted is 37% This ranks behind other elite private schools in the same region like Duke (61%) Vanderbilt (40%), and Tulane (45%) This indicates that most admitted students ultimately decide to enroll at a different school.
How Wake Forest Evaluates Applicants
The rigor of secondary school records, class rank, GPA, application essays, and character/personal qualities are listed by Wake Forest as being “very important” to the admissions process. It is deemed “important” to have recommendations, an interview, extracurricular activities, and talent or ability. ”.
“A holistic and careful process allows us to consider each candidate individually,” the dean of admissions once said. We look for students who have demonstrated academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, and creativity, as well as character and concern for others. We consider carefully what each student could contribute to the Wake Forest community in terms of abilities, skills, and experiences. ”.
Additionally, having an athletic recruit can greatly improve your chances of getting accepted. Each year, 470 undergraduates compete for Wake Forest’s 16 varsity teams. Check out our previous blog post, How Many Extracurricular Activities Do I Need for College?, for tips on how to stand out on the extracurricular front.
Tips for Applying to Wake Forest
If you intend to be one of the 12,000 applicants to Wake Forest for the upcoming admissions cycle, you should be aware of the following:
- To begin with, although it is not required, Wake Forest does strongly advise scheduling an interview with the admissions staff. Each interview lasts approximately 25 minutes and is evaluation-based. During the pandemic, these interviews have been conducted virtually. The school does not offer alumni interviews. Visit our blog, College Interview Tips, for guidance on the kinds of questions you should be prepared to ask or to answer.
- WFU does factor legacy status into the admissions process. As a result, those whose parent graduated from Wake Forest will have a better chance of getting admitted.
- Wake Forest does take into account “demonstrated interest,” so you should follow them on social media, get in touch with an admissions officer, and, if you can, visit campus, go on an official tour, or meet admissions staff at a college fair close to you.
- Last but not least, be sure to devote enough time and energy to the additional essays and short answers Wake Forest requires. In the 2021-22 cycle, they were as follows:
- Question 1: How did you learn about Wake Forest University? Please share any memorable interactions you may have had with the university. (150 words, required).
- Prompt 2A: List five books you’ve read that intrigued you. (You must specify the work’s title, author, and whether it was necessary.)
- Explain how a book you’ve read has helped you comprehend the complexity of the world in response to question 2B. (150 words, optional).
- Question 3: Describe the subject that piques your intellectual curiosity in more detail. (150 words, optional).
- Prompt 4: Give us your Top Ten list. There is a space for the list’s theme, and each item is listed on ten separate lines with a character limit of 100. (optional).
These essays are EXTREMELY important in the admissions process. Wake Forest sincerely is interested in learning a great deal about each applicant for a spot in their freshman class. Wake University’s supplemental prompts are distinctive, so it’s unlikely that you will be able to modify content that you have already written for other schools to which you are applying.
The admissions staff’s words: “Our short-response prompts represent questions that are specifically Wake Forest and give you the chance to demonstrate what is “uniquely you” to us.” As a result, when writing your essay and responding to these questions, make the most of the chance to show us what inspires you intellectually. Let us know what you’ve read, done, and what you think. Anything and everything that is significant to you, that is what. ”.
Should I Apply to Wake Forest?
As long as you have the extra $65 and are academically qualified, there is no harm in submitting a Wake Forest application; however, excellent grades in a demanding high school curriculum (AP/IB) are essentially a requirement for admission. Star students can greatly benefit from the school’s long-standing test-optional policy, which may have helped them perform better on standardized tests. Even so, a variety of “Target” and “Safety” schools should be chosen for applicants, even if their qualifications are above average (compared to those of other WFU applicants. Visit our blog post How to Create the Perfect College List for more information on this.
College Admissions: Inside the Decision Room
FAQ
How long does it take to hear from Wake Forest early decision?
Students interested in Early Decision I (ED I) may submit an application after the junior year, but no later than November 15. ED I applicants receive rolling notifications, usually six to eight weeks after submitting their applications.
Does early decision increase chances of acceptance?
Some students and high school guidance counselors mistakenly believe that applying early decision increases their chances of admission, but early acceptance rates and admissions requirements differ from school to school.
Does Wake Forest offer early decision?
First-year applicants (seniors in high school) may apply for Early Decision or Regular Decision. If accepted, early decision is a legally binding commitment to enroll.
Is Wake Forest a hard school to get into?