If you’re reading this, you probably received disappointing news from Wake Forest in the Early Decision round, or you’re planning ahead in case that’s how things work out. Wake Forest offers both Early Decision I and Early Action application options, but we’re focusing on EDI here because you will most likely receive a response with time (albeit rushed) to make big changes to your college application strategy in the Regular Decision and Early Decision II round. The EA decisions for Wake Forest come out after most Regular Decision and EDII deadlines, so it’ll be too late to implement our advice in this post (an incentive to plan ahead!).

Wake Forest recently received 17,479 applications and accepted only 3,768 students, a acceptance rate overall. But the Early Decision acceptance rate is significantly higher than the overall average. So, if it’s easier to get in ED, what went wrong with your application? There are a few options, and it could be more than one. First, we’re assuming that you have strong grades, and are objectively a competitive candidate for Wake Forest. With those preconditions, here are the potential diagnoses.

Like many colleges, Wake Forest has a required for applicants. The easiest reason for rejection to diagnose is not meeting this inflexible bar.

Another reason could be your standardized scores — if you submitted them. Wake Forest is , which means that scores that are submitted skew high. If you submitted an SAT Composite score under 1450, or an ACT under 33, and didn’t have a transcript that showed high levels of achievement, that may have tipped your application into the “no” pile. Similarly, they expect a high level of achievement academically in high school. Potential is important, but if you haven’t begun to realize it already in a quantifiable form, like standardized test scores, that can be a problem.

And then there is your story. Your story comes out in your application through your essays and supplements. The Wake Forest supplements aren’t long, but the application readers take them very seriously. If a student matches up with Wake Forest academically, the most common reason for rejection is that your supplements didn’t make a case for why you are perfect for Wake Forest. Even if the application reader left impressed by you, they may have struggled to envision you there.

Whatever the reason for a rejection from Wake Forest, in this post we’ll break down how to bounce back from an early rejection by taking a fresh approach to your college admissions strategy that will set you up for success. Basically, we’ve got you.

A rejection from a dream school can feel like a gut punch. Contact us for a recovery strategy that sets you up stronger for future success.

Step 1: Slow Down

It’s natural to start spinning in circles or to start looking for immediate actions you can take immediately after a disappointing admissions decision in the Early Decision round. But while this is a natural reaction, it’s not really a positive nor production one. Few great decisions are made from a place of panic, and so we highly recommend that you take a moment, maybe even a few days, to lower your heartrate and have some relaxing fun. Go for a hike, get a massage, and hang out with friends without talking about college stuff. You’ve worked really hard, and you are continuing to work hard to succeed through your senior year. That deserves to be honored and recognized, especially because that same commitment to hard work is what will carry you through to a top college come next fall.

Once you’ve regained control of your stress level and had, at minimum, one delicious treat, it’s time to get back to work.

Step 2: Reevaluate Your College List

The most important piece of a successful college application process is a well-balanced college list. This is, without a doubt, also the most overlooked part of the college application process. Undoubtedly, when we see students who are frustrated by their outcomes, the origin is somewhere in the college list. After a disappointing early decision, though, you can still bounce back with the help of a strong, well-balanced list.

A great college list starts with a foundation of 3-4 safety schools, or schools that you are very likely to get into based on your grades, scores, academic interests, personal profiles, and any additional factors like being an in-state applicant or a family connection.

Next up you have 3-4 targets. The targets are schools that you are a strong fit for, but that you can’t count on. Now, to be clear, you can’t count on anything in college admissions until you get an acceptance letter, but targets and safeties are both schools that you are more likely to get into than not.

Reaches, however, are not. You should have 2-3 reach schools on your list, or schools that you are stretching for. However, it’s important to pick reach schools aren’t too much of a stretch. If you pick reaches that are completely outside of the realm of likelihood, it’s sort of a waste of your time and effort. Instead, pick reaches that are, well, within reach — even if that reach requires a bit of a stretch.

Remember when picking schools for each of these categories that college is, first and foremost, about learning. Schools on your list must have programs that match your academic interests. After that comes location, size, and culture, but only after finding an academic fit. As you search for these perfect fits, remember to stay open. You should also seriously consider applying Early Decision II, ideally to a school that is somewhere between a target and a reach.

Step 3: Essay Time

The third step in your new and improved college application process is writing the actual applications. Obviously, you’ve already done this. Unfortunately, we’re going to ask you to start over.

Now, we haven’t seen your common app essay, and it’s possible that it is perfect. However, if you have the grades and the scores for Wake Forest, there was something in your writing that didn’t resonate strongly enough with the application reader(s) to warrant a deeper look, or even a deferral. To us, this is a strong reason to start fresh.

A great college essay tells a story that is unique to you, but universal in theme. We break down how to do this in our 2024-2025 Guide to the Common App Essay. What we advise, in a broad sense (read the guide to go deeper), is telling your story in your way. This can sound overwhelming on its face, as we advise writing college essays that look very different from the standard five-paragraph personal narrative with a lesson at the end. Doing something bold can feel scary, but it’s also a calculated risk if you play it right. You can see how our students have played it right in the past in these strong sample essays from real students.   

After you have your new and improved main college essay, you’ll have to tackle the supplements. Whether a college has one supplement or ten, you need to treat them like mini-essays that each have an important role to play. Yes, a question may be as simple as “what do you do for fun?” but the answer needs to be more than a throw-away or an attempt to sound fancy. We all know that you probably don’t read the economist for fun, so what’s the real story (sans screens)? If you walk your dog, that matters. If you spend time with friends, that matters. And if you bake chocolate chip cookies in a hunt for the perfect recipe, that matters.  

We have college-specific step-by-step supplement guides to help you on your way.  

Step Four: Ask for Help

When you’re applying to college, it helps to have help. As you’ve experienced in the Early Decision round, simply putting in effort doesn’t necessarily result in the desired outcome. Having an expert on your side can give you an exceptional advantage. Asking for help isn’t easy, but it’s important — especially if you want to get into a dream school. This is why we offer the “It’s Going to be Okay” package. 

We help strong students get into exceptional schools. Email us to learn more.