STUDENT COMMENTS
While many in the program, including myself, complain about grade deflation and an immense workload in many classes, the response from many alums is that firms appreciate the strong work ethic that Calloway students develop as a consequence of this coursework.
The main difference between Calloway and other schools is our class size. Intro to accounting has about 25 people, as opposed to 50 at my girlfriend's top school in Atlanta. Additionally, the faculty is currently working on a FAS 133 class—cutting-edge accounting-finance integration. The work is challenging, so students have lower GPAs than at other schools, but the quality is there.
The main problem at Wake Forest is grade deflation. For some strange reason the school is very open about their efforts to keep the average GPA around 2.7 and believes it will encourage students to try even harder. However, the deflation is often depressing and damaging when applying for jobs and scholarships. I could have gone to Stern or Kelly Business school and have a 3.3-plus but instead I have a 2.9 from WFU.
The school is good for helping students find accounting and financial-related jobs but poor for finding marketing jobs.
The workload at Wake Forest is very challenging, but sometimes it is too time-consuming so it takes away from a student's time to participate in other organizations like ones that support community service. On the other hand, after talking to business students at other schools, I feel like the strenuous workload has provided Wake students with a better understanding of business than other schools have.
As I have progressed farther into my degree I realize that much of what I learn I will never use or be useful in the work force, and that can be disheartening.
Wake Forest University is one of the best schools in the country. We do not believe in grade inflation like most schools.
The quality of the faculty is mostly superb with a few professors that enjoy making classes unnecessarily difficult. The workload and difficulty, however, well prepares us to succeed in the workplace and places us at a distinct advantage in terms of work ethic.
Career Services is very helpful in recruiting firms for on-campus interviews and in encouraging students to apply and interview. They also give helpful hints for résumés and interviewing skills.
While I will be starting an actuarial consulting job in July, and Wake Forest does not offer this major, I was able to prepare myself fairly well by taking relevant coursework.
Grade deflation, lack of compassion by professors, and a singular focus on banking and accounting are aspects that are not addressed in the previous questions, and are the chief drawbacks to anyone who wants to work outside the banking industry and who may not be one of the top 10 students in the class.
The Calloway School helps students in every possible way to learn and practice the skills necessary to succeed in the world of business. This includes academics, team projects, and career services.
I think that the overall quality of our professors is exceptional. Most have a vested interest in their students. Professors make themselves extremely accessible for outside assistance if needed in addition to challenging students in the classroom with regard to work and tests. The coursework for all classes for any major within the business school is extremely rigorous and time consuming. In addition, the level of difficulty of the tests, grading policies, and lack of grade curving tends to result in deflated GPAs, which can at times frustrate students. However, this does not detract from the overall superior quality of our undergraduate business program.
I have been interviewing in the last month and a degree from Calloway has been extemely helpful. The difficulty of the program is recognized and the networking has served me very well. My internship was through a Wake Forest alum and many of the jobs I have interviewed for were on our campus because an alumni wanted Wake students hired at his company.
The Calloway School is not recognized enough for its rigorous curriculum and qualified students. Fortunately, businesses (especially I-Banking firms) are starting to take notice of Wake Forest. Greater numbers of I-B firms are coming to interview at Wake now compared to five years ago. Everyone I spoke to at Banc of America Securities, Wachovia, SunTrust, Harris Williams, and other firms were very impressed with the quality of their Wake Forest alummi employees. I think this trend will continue.
Very challenging program, but very much rewarding at the same time. I feel am I very well-prepared for the business world. In fact, I believe I am more prepared than anyone else I know outside of Calloway to this point in my undergrad career.
Calloway has greatly exceeded my expectations. The Wayne Calloway School of Business and Accountancy has prepared me better than any other school I could have attended. It is very challenging with regard to the amount coursework, but the faculty is top-notch and is always help available. I am now set with multiple offers from top firms in banking and corporate finance and will be spending the next two years in the elite GE Financial Management Program.
Wake Forest has changed my life for the better, I feel I'm ready to enter the business world with all the tools needed to succeed.
Most of the hiring on campus is done by firms in the Charlotte and Atlanta area. In my estimation the biggest employers of Wake Forest students recently are Bank of America, Wachovia, and the big four accounting firms. Companies in New York, as well as other parts of the country, don't give Wake Forest nearly as much credit as firms in the South, which I can only attribute to our high grade deflation. For example, one KPMG manager told me that Wake Forest is one of the few schools, if not the only, that they consider hiring students with under a 3.0 GPA. I am disappointed that more New York City jobs are not open to Wake students because I am from New Jersey, but I am still very excited to work for Ernst & Young's FSA practice in Charlotte.
Overall, the business program has been extremely challenging. Sometimes the workload seems excessive, but professors are great about pushing the students to turn in their best work.
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