How to get into Wake Forest
What 62 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 138 Wake Forest results that students posted for the 2016 to 2026 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
Applying to Wake Forest? Book a free call with a Specialist to see how your student’s file compares.
Wake Forest admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
3.96
Middle half 3.85 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,510
Middle half 1,440 to 1,550
Median ACT
34
Middle half 33 to 35
Median weighted GPA
4.50
Middle half 4.33 to 4.69
Results posted: 62 admitted, 15 rejected, 61 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the Wake Forest acceptance rate; the official rate is in Wake Forest’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 3.96 | 3.73 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What Wake Forest admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service66%
- Athletics58%
- Research34%
- Student government34%
- Tutoring/Teaching34%
- Internship31%
- Debate/MUN/Speech29%
- Music29%
Held a leadership role
89%
Founded something
32%
National or intl. award
65%
Did research
34%
Intended majors of Wake Forest admits
- Biology16%
- Political Science15%
- Engineering13%
- Business11%
- Pre-med/Health10%
- Neuroscience5%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 23% first-generation, 13% low income, 32% underrepresented minority, 8% legacy, 0% recruited athlete and 11% international. Of those who said where they enrolled, 8% chose Wake Forest.
Three recent Wake Forest admits
2026 cycle · Economics
Football captain and student body president with an economics and politics focus.
GPA 3.90 UW · SAT 1550 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · Neuroscience
Rural Asian student with strong STEM grades, orchestra leadership, and student government roles.
GPA 3.96 UW · ACT 34 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · Business
Finance-focused applicant who founded an investment club and led several school organizations.
GPA 4.00 UW · ACT 34 · Original post
Essays that worked for Wake Forest
Wake Forest Maya Angelou Quote Essay
“There is a common impression that humans are meant to find a ‘destiny’ or perfect place of belonging. Yet, labeling a person by a set of standards automatically dulls the essence of their character.”
Published by CollegeEssayGuy
Where else Wake Forest admits got in
Wake Forest admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into Wake Forest?
- Among 62 applicants who posted a Wake Forest admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 3.96 and the middle half reported 3.85 to 4.00 (43 reported a GPA). Wake Forest sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for Wake Forest?
- Among 62 applicants who posted a Wake Forest admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,510 and the middle half scored 1,440 to 1,550 (37 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 34.
- What extracurriculars do Wake Forest admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (66%), athletics (58%), research (34%), student government (34%). 89% held at least one leadership role and 65% listed a national or international award.
- What is the Wake Forest acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by Wake Forest in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to Wake Forest?
A Specialist who got into a school like Wake Forest can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2016 to 2026 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Wake Forest. All colleges