Info for the Class of 2031
You belong here.
Join us on a journey where you will meet other students who are catalysts for change. Whenever we’re faced with a challenge, we take action. That’s what Deacons do.
Steps to Becoming a Deac
What do you want from your college experience? You will discover the answer here. At Wake Forest, you will fuel your curiosity about the world while joining a vibrant, engaging community that recognizes the humanity in others and within yourself. You will pursue enriching academic opportunities that offer real-world experiences in research, the performing arts, and public service – all designed to prepare you for meaningful impact.
We want this page to be your one-stop destination for all the information you need to experience Wake Forest and our Pro Humanitate philosophy. It will be updated regularly as you move through your final year of high school.
The Application Process
Dates, deadlines, and a checklist of things to do before you apply
Interviews
A video interview is a great way for us to get to know you better.
Tour Campus
Student-led campus tours, self-guided tours, and a virtual tour
Information Sessions
Campus life, our admissions process, and Wake Forest stories
Affordability
A Wake Forest education can be within your reach.
Advice and Guidance
We asked Wake Foresters their guidance for seniors in high school.
The Application Process
Make note of the following deadlines and follow our checklist to make applying to Wake Forest a smooth process.
Application Checklist for First-Year Applicants
What’s required:
- All required parts of the Common Application or the Coalition, Powered by Scoir, Application
- $85 nonrefundable application fee, or fee waiver for qualified students
- Official high school transcript
- Secondary School Report
- One Letter of Recommendation, either from your college counselor/advisor or teacher
- TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo (international students only)
- Early Decision Agreement (only for those students applying Early Decision I or II)
What’s optional:
- Supplemental questions (Pick one)
- Video or virtual interview
- SAT/ACT scores
- Mid-Year School Report (for reporting senior-year grades, usually at the completion of an academic term)
Dates and Deadlines
We have provided a list of important dates and deadlines to keep track of below if you plan on applying for admission to Wake Forest this fall.
| What it is | What you need to know | Date or Deadline | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application for Admission | https://admissions.wfu.edu/apply/ | Wake Forest University applications for admissions become available | August 1 |
| Virtual Interview Request | https://admissions.wfu.edu/connect/interviews/#interview | You may request an optional virtual interview via Zoom after you have submitted your application for admission. You must do so within five days of submitting your application. | August – November 18 |
| Video Interview Question | https://admissions.wfu.edu/connect/interviews/#video | You may submit a video (optional) answering one of three prompts after you have submitted your application for admission. | August – January 9 |
| Need-Based Financial Aid Application | https://financialaid.wfu.edu/types-of-aid/need-based-aid/ | For Early Decision I applicants | Fall |
| Early Decision I | https://admissions.wfu.edu/apply/#deadlines | Application deadline if Wake Forest is your first-choice college | November 15 |
| Early Action for First-Gen Students | https://admissions.wfu.edu/apply/#deadlines | Early Action admissions is available for first-generation college students. | November 15 |
| Merit- and Talent-Based Scholarships | https://admissions.wfu.edu/become-a-deacon/first-year/#financial-aid | Scholarship programs that recognize extraordinary achievement, leadership, and talent | November 15 |
| Interview Request Deadline | https://admissions.wfu.edu/connect/interviews/ | The last day to request an optional virtual interview | November 18 |
| Early Decision II | https://admissions.wfu.edu/apply/#deadlines | If you meet the ED II deadline, you will receive an admissions decision from us by February 15. | January 1 |
| Regular Decision | https://admissions.wfu.edu/apply/#deadlines | Regular Decision applications are not binding, and you will receive an admissions decision from us by April 1. | January 1 |
| Video Interview Question Deadline | https://admissions.wfu.edu/connect/interviews/#video | We’ll be able to accept optional video interview submissions up until November 20 or January 9, depending on how you apply. | November 20, 11:59 p.m. EST (EDI, EA) January 9, 11:59 p.m. EST (EDII, RD) |
Your Senior Year To-Do List
You have plenty to think about your senior year, and we know applying to college is going to be on your mind a lot. As you navigate your way through your final year of high school, here are a few things we encourage you to do before applying to Wake Forest:
- Sign up for our mailing list.
- Plan a campus visit.
- Attend an in-person and/or an online information session.
- Begin working on essay/short-answer prompts.
- Ask a teacher if they’d be willing to write a recommendation for you.
- Familiarize yourself with our application materials and requirements.
- Explore the Undergraduate Admissions Viewbook.
Interviews
Requesting an optional virtual interview or submitting a video interview with your application is a great way for us to get to know you better.
Requesting a Virtual Interview
At Wake Forest, we want to know about you. We are interested in how you have formed convictions, tackled complex questions, mastered new skills, and envision a future that changes the world. Through your virtual interview—which you may request through your status portal—we look forward to learning how you pursue your passions with purpose
The option to do an optional virtual interview with us or submit a video response will only be available to seniors once they have applied for admission for the Fall 2027 semester.
If you choose to request an interview or submit a video, you must do so within five (5) days of submitting your application.
The last day to request an optional virtual interview is Wednesday, November 18, 2026. This means that, if you submit your application between November 14 and November 18, you will have fewer than five days to request a virtual interview.
Submitting a Video Interview
Another great option for us to know you better: the video interview. The two-to-three-minute interview may be submitted through your status portal and is treated with the same consideration as the virtual interview.
Like the virtual interview, your video can let us know what fuels your curiosity about the world and about the enriching academic opportunities you have already pursued.
Again, please note the video interview is optional. We invite, but by no means require, an interview in the admissions process.
Interview FAQs
No; they are optional. They are simply another opportunity for us to get to know you better. Plenty of people will be admitted without an interview or a video submission. Again, they are not required.
After you submit your application, you may request a virtual interview. Interviews are generally 25 minutes long. We’ll ask you questions about your high school and classes, your academic interests, your most treasured books, your talents, your service work, what you think about, and what you are studying!
So before you interview, think of things you want to make sure we know about you. This is your chance. Think about what you are most proud of, most energized by, most concerned about, most looking forward to about the future. Try to work those things into your interview responses. We always end our interviews with, “What have we forgotten to ask you that you need to tell me?” And happily, the response is usually, “Not a thing. You got it.”
Check out our blog where we give you steps in the right direction.
Plain and simple: we interview and invite video submissions because we want to know as much about you as possible in the admissions process.
And not just what’s on your transcript or your recommendation letters or the essay that may have had some editorial suggestions from Mom or your English teacher.
Wake Forest is a place that values intellectual curiosity, character, community, inclusion, and open-mindedness, and, in the course of our virtual-interview conversations or our video-essay question, we’re going to explore that.
We want to hear from students who can speak about their intellectual interests.
Tour Campus
It’s a wonderful experience to walk the Magnolia Quad, visit Wait Chapel, and speak with the faculty, staff, and students that make Wake Forest the special community that it is.
Student-Led Campus Tour
Tour Wake Forest and learn about how this remarkable place attracts incredibly talented people who engage with the world in life-changing ways. You may well see that you have the potential to become part of the next class of students doing exactly that.
Student-led campus tours are offered year-round, with the exception of a few times a year when students are not available. Additionally, we offer information sessions that precede the tour where families will learn more about the Wake Forest admissions process.
Self-Guided Tour
Our self-guided tour will allow you to tour campus at your own pace while providing you with some of the “must see” areas of campus that you would see on a student-led tour. You may explore campus at a time that is convenient for you.
Self-guided tour books can be picked up outside of the Porter Byrum Welcome Center. You can also download the tour book or use our interactive campus map to familiarize yourself with our campus.
Virtual Campus Tour
We understand that many of you may not be able to make the trip to visit our campus in person. Our virtual campus tour lets you experience the beauty, community, and academic rigor that Wake Forest has to offer.
Virtual Information Sessions
A liberal-arts education is about freedom. And we want to offer you the freedom to choose to join us for one or more of our online information sessions.
WFU General Info Sessions
Join us to learn about our academic programs, residential living, extracurricular activities, and the application process.
| Date | Time | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, October 8 | 7 p.m. ET | Register Now |
| Tuesday, November 3 | 7 p.m. ET | Register Now |
Distinctively Wake
Distinctively Wake allows you to have a conversation where you can engage with Wake Forest University admissions staff and a current student.
| Date | Time | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, October 20 | 4 p.m. ET | Register Now |
| Thursday, November 12 | 4 p.m. ET | Register Now |
International Chat
If you’re a student from outside the United States, please consider joining us to discuss any questions you might have about Wake Forest.
| Date | Time | Register |
|---|---|---|
| There are no upcoming sessions at this time. |
Affordability
We should talk about money. It’s a difficult conversation, but, when it comes to college, it’s unavoidable. So let’s talk about that. Sooner rather than later.
Cost of Attendance
The following costs and fees apply to the 2026-27 academic year. Estimated costs for the 2027-28 academic year will be announced in the spring.
$98,730
2026-27 Estimated Total Cost of Attending Wake Forest
$73,170
Tuition and Fees
$12,900
Housing
$7,396
Food
$5,264
Additional Expenses
To see a breakdown of all costs and fees associated with attending Wake Forest University, refer to our Affordability page.
Financial Aid
Wake Forest is committed to meeting 100% of demonstrated need with a combination of grants, scholarships, work study, and loans. We also offer merit-based scholarships, which are very selective, but we encourage you to learn more about them to see if you’re a good fit.
We are committed to making a Wake Forest education accessible.
Net Price Calculator
Need help determining your eligibility for need-based aid? Our Net Price Calculator can estimate your eligibility for financial aid. Many families are surprised to learn that a Wake Forest University education can be more affordable than they expected.
Advice and Guidance
Throughout your time at Wake Forest, faculty, staff, and fellow students will help guide you with purpose and direction. We want to begin that process now by giving you some advice from Wake Forest staff and students.
For Prospective Applicants
Considering Early Decision?
August 1 is an important day in our applicant cycle: it’s the day that our application opens!
Along with the questions about studying abroad or completing research, we respond to a number of questions students and their parents have about Early Decision.
To learn more about the Early Decision process, take a moment to read this guidance provided by our Associate Dean of Admissions, Thomas Ray.
Advice for all applicants
One parent recently asked us what good advice we had for her rising senior in high school. Here was our advice for her—and for you:
- don’t specialize too much academically in high school; explore all subjects with equal fervor and see how they connect,
- be sure to maintain academic rigor in your senior year,
- visit college campuses of all kinds—whether in person or virtually—just for the exposure,
- do something productive, constructive, and engaging during your school breaks, while, of course, taking time to relax, recharge, and read, and
- start thinking about what teachers you will ask for recommendation letters.
Student Perspectives and Advice
Wake Forest students want to share advice and guidance about our classes, programs, clubs, and organizations that draw you in, give voice to your passions, and offer leadership possibilities.
Maddie Smiley
Office Hours Available: Wake Forest’s Collaborative Nature
Makena Moore
Beyond the Motto: Pro Humanitate across the Disciplines
Blake Robison
Pro Humanitate, Pro Tips: My Guide to the WFU Application
Maya Roth
From Pit Swipes to the Quad: A Day in My Life at Wake Forest
Joshua Yama
From Concrete Jungle to Magnolia Trees: My Move to Wake Forest
River Ward
Cozy Corners and Campus Culture: Finding Your Place in Our Library
Hailey Auster
10 Things Wake Forest Taught Me (That Weren’t on the Syllabus)
Andrew Smith
Life Beyond the Quad: Exploring the Twin City
From the Forest Blog
Let’s start with your getting to know us – and our getting to know you. Our blog shares information about our application questions, optional interviews and video submissions, and admissions procedures. We then let you know all the ways you can share with us your talents and accomplishments, thoughts and ideas, and motivations.
Latest Updates for the Class of ’31
- We are releasing our first decisions of the year!We’re pleased to share that the first decisions of the 2026-2027 admissions cycle will be available later this evening! Because our Early Decision I round is “rolling,” we’ll continue releasing […]
- A Few Administrative NotesOur application is now open! We’d like to offer a few notes for those planning to apply in the coming weeks. If you have not already, we encourage you to […]
- Wake Forest Applications Open August 1! Here’s What’s New.August 1 is nearly here! We know that many rising seniors are eager to know the details about Wake Forest’s application process; today’s post should be helpful to those students […]
