Wake Forest University
Wake Forest publishes an acceptance rate of 22% and is test-optional for the 2026-27 cycle.
Acceptance rate
What Wake Forest's 21% is made of
The published rate averages groups with very different odds. These are the splits Wake Forest reports itself.
Part of Real Acceptance Rates, our series decomposing published rates from each school's own Common Data Set.
Testing
Test-Optional for 2026-27
- Policy
Continuously test-optional since the policy took effect for the fall 2009 entering class (announced 2008); no exceptions for domestic applicants. Only international students must submit English-proficiency scores.
- SAT middle 50%
- 1410–1520sum of section 25th–75th percentiles
- ACT middle 50%
- 32–34
- Average HS GPA
- Not published by the school
Applying
Deadlines, essays and AI policy
- Early deadlines
- Nov 15, 2026 (ED1); Jan 1, 2027 (ED2)
- Regular decision
- Jan 1, 2027Source
- Supplemental essays
- 1 required
One required 'Why Wake?' response (~100 words). A second component — one written response chosen from 4 prompts (five books / intellectual curiosity / Maya Angelou quote / Top Ten list) OR a video — is optional, not required, for 2026-27. One letter of recommendation is now required (new this cycle, previously optional).
- AI use in essays
No Official Policy
We reviewed Wake Forest's first-year admissions pages, the main apply page, and the admissions blog — nothing published on AI.
Full cycle calendar: Application Deadlines.
At a glance
Size and cost
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 5,485
- Tuition (out-of-state)
- $67,642
- Category
- Elite Private
- Admissions site
- www.wfu.edu
What should this school mean for your list?
A published rate is one input. Working out what it means alongside the rest of your list is the part that actually changes an application. Free 25-minute call, no commitment.
Sources
- Wake Forest test policy (2026-27)
- Wake Forest deadlines
- Wake Forest admissions pages
- Wake Forest admissions pages
- Acceptance rate, test-score percentiles, enrollment and tuition: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, pulled 2026-08-19.
Test policy and deadlines last verified 2026-08-17.
Is this school right for your student?
Talk through Wake Forest with an advisor.
Tell us about your student and we'll tell you whether Wake Forest is a reach, a target or a likely, and what would change that.
Book my free consult
