Question 1

So, why Wake Forest?

Accepted Answer

Almost every report lists it, and a 2026 applicant says it is always the first question. They want to see that you know what Wake is actually like and why it fits you. Give two or three reasons tied to real Wake features and to you, such as the Engaged Liberal Arts approach, the motto Pro Humanitate, Faculty Fellows, or the houses in London, Vienna and Venice. Connect each reason to something you have done or want to do. Applicants advise having your reasons outlined before the call.

Question 2

Tell me about yourself.

Accepted Answer

A wide opening that lets the interviewer see what you choose to lead with. Applicants report it in a 2017 thread. Spend about a minute on who you are, what fills your days and one or two things you care about most. Show qualities through examples instead of listing adjectives, as one applicant advises.

Question 3

Tell me about where you grew up. What do you like about it?

Accepted Answer

A warm-up that shows how you see your community and family, and gives the interviewer a way to find common ground. Pick one or two specific things about your town or family life and say how they shaped you. A small, vivid detail works better than a general description.

Question 4

What have you enjoyed most about high school?

Accepted Answer

Shows what energizes you and how you spend your time when you have a choice. Name one thing and tell a short story about it: a class, a team, a project or a group of people. Say why it mattered, not just what it was.

Question 5

What are you thinking of studying, and what do you like about it?

Accepted Answer

Academic interests are the first topic Wake lists for the conversation. They want to see real interest and reasoning, not a label. Explain how the interest started, what you have done about it on your own, and a question in the field you want to explore. It is fine to be undecided; Wake says applicants are not bound to the plans on their application.

Question 6

What makes Wake a good place to study that?

Accepted Answer

Checks whether you have looked at what Wake actually offers in your area. Name something real: Wake Downtown for engineering or biochemistry, the undergraduate business majors in Farrell Hall, the Entrepreneurship minor, Wake Washington, or a project-based course style. Say how you would use it.

Question 7

What do you want to do after college?

Accepted Answer

They want to see how you connect your studies to the future and whether you have thought about it. Share a direction and the reason behind it, even if it is loose. Show that you are open to changing as you learn.

Question 8

What classes are you taking this year?

Accepted Answer

Wake says the interview covers high school classes. Applicants report questions about specific IB or AP courses, sometimes from a form they filled out beforehand. Know your schedule and have one interesting thing to say about each hard course. Reread your application before the call, as one applicant advises, since questions may come straight from it.

Question 9

What has been your favorite class, and your least favorite? Which one challenged you most?

Accepted Answer

Shows how you learn, how you handle difficulty, and whether you can talk honestly about a struggle. For the favorite, describe a specific assignment or idea that changed how you think. For the least favorite or hardest, say what made it hard and what you did about it.

Question 10

What do you geek out about? What are you intellectually passionate about?

Accepted Answer

Intellectual curiosity is one of the topics Wake lists. They want to see you light up about an idea. Choose something you truly get lost in, inside or outside school, and explain one specific thing you find fascinating about it. Let your energy show.

Question 11

What book are you reading right now?

Accepted Answer

Books are one of the most reported topics. It shows whether you read on your own and how you think about what you read. Have a real current book ready and be able to say what it is about, one idea you are chewing on, and how it connects to you. Summer reading counts.

Question 12

Tell me about a book that sparked your curiosity or meant a lot to you.

Accepted Answer

Goes deeper than what you are reading now: it asks how a book changed your thinking. Pick one and explain the moment or idea that stuck with you and what you did or thought differently afterwards. A 2021 applicant asked the interviewer the same question back, and the interviewer liked it.

Question 13

Tell me about your activities. Why did you get involved, and what challenges came up?

Accepted Answer

They want the why behind your activities and how you handle problems, not the list itself. Pick the one or two you care most about and tell a story with a real challenge and what you did. Be ready for follow-ups on anything you mention.

Question 14

What do you do outside of school, just for fun?

Accepted Answer

Shows the person behind the grades and what you would bring to campus life. Be honest and specific, even if it is small or quirky. A concrete detail makes you memorable.

Question 15

Have you done any community service? What did it mean to you?

Accepted Answer

Wake lists service work as a topic, and its motto Pro Humanitate means "for humanity." Talk about one service experience and the people involved, what you actually did, and what you learned. If you have done little formal service, talk about how you help in your family or community.

Question 16

What is the most fulfilling school project you have done?

Accepted Answer

Shows how you work, what you care about finishing well, and how you think about your own effort. Describe the project, your part in it, a problem you hit and what you were proud of at the end. Wake's own pages stress project-based and real-world learning, so this fits.

Question 17

How would other people describe you? How would you describe yourself?

Accepted Answer

Tests self-awareness and honesty about who you are, part of what Wake calls character. Give a short answer for each and back it with a quick example. If the two descriptions differ, say why; that gap is interesting.

Question 18

Tell me something about yourself that shows what kind of person you are.

Accepted Answer

Asks you to show character through a story rather than a claim. Tell one short, real story where you made a choice that reflects your values. Let the story do the work instead of naming the trait.

Question 19

Tell me about a time you talked with someone whose views were very different from yours.

Accepted Answer

No applicant reports this exact question, but Wake says the interview explores inclusion and open-mindedness, and an applicant reports behavioral questions. Describe a real conversation, what you learned from the other person, and whether anything changed in your thinking. Show respect for the person even if you still disagree.

Question 20

What communities are you part of, and what do you bring to them?

Accepted Answer

No applicant reports this wording, but Wake names community as an interview topic, and it requires three years of living on campus. Name one community, like a team, a faith group or your neighborhood, and give a specific example of something you did for it. Then say how you would carry that into a residence hall at Wake.

Question 21

What is a current issue or news story you have been following closely?

Accepted Answer

Shows whether you pay attention to the world and can think about a complex issue with an open mind. Pick one story you have really followed and explain what is happening, why it matters to you and what you are still unsure about. An applicant (2020) says reading the news somewhat is enough to be ready.

Question 22

If you could solve one problem in the world, what would it be, and why?

Accepted Answer

This is one of Wake's three video prompts. It shows what you care about and how you think about causes and solutions. Choose a problem you have some real connection to and explain why it matters to you. Show you understand it is hard and name one concrete first step.

Question 23

What does Pro Humanitate mean to you, and how would you put it into action as a student?

Accepted Answer

Another of Wake's video prompts. The motto means "for humanity," and they want to see if it fits how you already live. Connect the motto to something you have already done, then give a specific way you would carry it on at Wake. Keep it concrete and personal.

Question 24

Tell me something about yourself you haven't mentioned yet.

Accepted Answer

A last chance to add something new. Wake's third video prompt asks nearly the same thing: something important to or about you that is not already in your application. Have one interesting story or detail held back for this moment, as a 2020 applicant advises. Make it something that adds a new side of you.

Question 25

What questions do you have for me?

Accepted Answer

Applicants say it is a two-way conversation, and a good question shows real interest and curiosity. Prepare one or two questions about the interviewer's own experience, like why they chose Wake or their favorite traditions. A 2021 applicant turned an interview question back on the interviewer, which went over well.

Questions Wake Forest applicants report

Opening

What you want to study, and why here

Books, activities and service

Character and how you see others

The world and current issues

Closing