First-Year Students

Wake Forest’s philosophy is to meet the full demonstrated financial need of all of our students. Further, we limit loan indebtedness as much as possible, and we offer tuition deposit waivers to those who qualify. Ultimately, we are committed to making the dream of Wake Forest realizable.

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What criteria do you use when deciding who gets accepted?

There is no magic number of advanced courses to take, test score(s) to earn, or a GPA to possess. At Wake Forest, we evaluate applications holistically; this means that we consider a number of factors as we determine which students to admit in any given year.

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Your academic work — things like the classes you’ve taken and grades you’ve earned — are most important, but we’re also interested in learning more about you and your life outside of the classroom. (This is why our application provides opportunities to “share your voice” — in our written supplement or an interview!) Our campus community is dynamic, and comprised of students of varying talents, interests, and passions. There’s not one singular thing that we’re looking for; instead, we’re looking admit a class of students that build upon or strengthen aspects of the Wake Forest student community.

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Are SAT and/or ACT scores required for my application?

There is a sizable portion of our applicant pool that chooses to submit their scores, but neither the SAT or ACT are required in our admissions process. Wake Forest has been test-optional since 2008, and there are two long-held beliefs that have been confirmed since then: (1) standardized test scores don’t always reflect an applicant’s academic ability, and (2) scores, alone, should not determine an applicant’s likelihood of admission. It’s quite simple: if you think your scores are an accurate representation of your ability, feel free to submit them; if you feel they are not, don’t. You won’t be penalized.

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What minimum GPA and test scores do I need to be admitted?

We do not standardize the GPAs of the students in our applicant pool. Instead, we pride ourselves in getting to know schools across the country and understanding the nuance of their respective academic communities. So there is no minimum or average GPA required for admission. Further, there is no minimum SAT or ACT score required to be admitted.

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Do I need to choose a major when submitting my application?

We ask students to share with us their anticipated major(s) and minor(s) in our application. This information sometimes provides context for the classes they take, activities which they are involved, and even some of their responses to our optional supplement or optional interviews.

We do not, however, admit by major. So, while we ask about your academic plans, you are not bound to the course of study listed in your application.

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What percentage of the class do you admit through Early Decision?

While we tend to enroll just over half of our incoming classes through Early Decision, we do not begin an admissions cycle intending to do so. We are fortunate to have a significant number of highly qualified and capable students that are willing to apply with the commitment that Early Decision requires.

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How do I know if I qualify for Early Action?

Many factors should be considered when determining who is a first-generation college student. The Wake Forest University Office of Undergraduate Admissions recognizes that complexity.

For the purposes of our 2025 application, we will designate first-generation college students as, the child of parents who have not graduated from a four-year accredited college or university. Brothers, sisters, or other family members who graduated do not exclude you; neither does having a parent currently enrolled. This criteria also applies to international students. Lastly, a “first-generation college student” may also be the child of immigrants whose parents earned a degree in another country but are underemployed in the United States.

Whether domestic or international, if the student resides with and receives support from only one parent, the “first generation” classification is based on that parent’s education.

Applying for Early Action

Simply select the designation for Early Action on the Common Application or the Coalition, Powered by Scoir, Application. The deadline to apply is November 15.