FYI for anyone applying to Wake Forest this cycle (accepted applicant here from previous cycle).

Wake receives a HUGE number of applications (~12,000+) and accepts ~195 students (~145 Winston-Salem, ~50 Charlotte). It is one of the most competitive medical schools in the nation to get into simply by statistics, with a matriculation rate of ~1.5%. They send secondaries almost immediately after receiving your primary (~June 27–28) and decisions are released in waves throughout the cycle.

Because Wake is a private medical school, it is OOS friendly and you'll see students from all over the country in each class. The student body is geographically diverse, though you will also find some regional students.

The interview process is unique. You'll complete an asynchronous Kira Talent interview before attending another virtual interview day with a larger group of applicants (MMI style). It's essentially a two-step interview process. Decisions are usually released within ~2-3 weeks.

Wake is not especially stats-obsessed and appears to value life experiences, service, diversity, and clinical exposure. So if you're someone with decent stats and lots of life experiences, this school may be up your alley.

A major difference between both campuses is that Winston-Salem is the main academic medical center and home to most subspecialty residency programs. If you're interested in competitive fields like ENT, ophthalmology, dermatology, plastics, or neurosurgery, Winston-Salem offers more opportunities to work with faculty and program directors. The curriculum is also more lecture-based, with recorded lectures, optional attendance, and a traditional cadaver anatomy lab. Charlotte has strong core residency programs, but they are more geared toward primary care (IM, EM, FM, OB/GYN) plus Orthopedics and Neurosurgery, with fewer subspecialties overall. Its curriculum emphasizes small-group and individualized learning, has more required attendance, and uses plastinated specimens rather than a traditional cadaver lab. Students in Charlotte do not perform cadaver dissections or physically dissect specimens. If you're someone who enjoys hands-on anatomy, wants to dissect and explore anatomy yourself, or is considering a surgical specialty, Winston-Salem may be the better fit. Also, Winston-Salem is a smaller city whereas Charlotte is a much larger city, do with that information what you will.

Academically, Wake is a true pass/fail preclinical curriculum and students consistently perform well on board exams, with Step pass rates typically exceeding 96%. Match outcomes are also very strong. In the 2026 Match alone, students matched into highly competitive specialties including Plastic Surgery, ENT, Dermatology, Orthopedic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Thoracic Surgery, and others. Multiple students matched at top-tier institutions, including 7 matches at Harvard-affiliated programs (one in Dermatology). Very impressive overall.

Research opportunities are also abundant. Wake has a strong research infrastructure and students interested in academic medicine, competitive specialties, or scholarly work will have no shortage of opportunities to get involved. The institution is particularly well known for its contributions to regenerative medicine and stem cell research, with the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine being one of the leading centers of its kind in the country.

Regarding aid, Wake has limited scholarship resources due to it being a private school. Aid packages are generally released around April 15. Need-based aid can be strong for lower-income families, but many students rely heavily on loans.

IMPORTANT: Wake DOES provide the Dean's Medical Excellence Scholarship, which is a full ride scholarship providing aid beyond full tuition coverage. Only a handful of incoming students are awarded annually. This scholarship is merit-based and financial need-based. From what I've seen, recipients are selected more for their backgrounds, experiences, and personal stories than for pure stats.

One last thing I'll add is that Wake students generally seem genuinely happy. The culture is collaborative rather than cutthroat, and I consistently heard positive things about the student body, faculty accessibility, and overall quality of life. I can personally attest to this from my own experience. Throughout the admissions process, I found both the students and faculty to be incredibly welcoming, supportive, and attentive. They went out of their way to answer questions, connect applicants with resources, and make people feel valued. This was one of the things that stood out to me most about this school.

Hope this helps. Good luck to everyone applying this cycle!