Any experience with Brandeis?

[Anonymous]

DD is looking at it as a mid sized university in an urban environment without a crazy low acceptance rate. Does anyone have an anecdotes about it? She’s undecided on major.

[Anonymous]

Friend's son is a freshman. He likes it. It was his top choice and he received good aid. Waltham is an ok town, close enough to Boston. Academically rigorous, serious and quirky student body. Brandeis students may take certain courses offered at Tufts and MIT. Good study abroad program, about half do it. 40% of 3600+ students are Jewish.

[Anonymous]

I primarily know the school through the Transitional Year Program which admits academically promising students who haven't had access to the coursework normally required for a Brandeis admit. It's a 5 year BA and it's really an excellent program. Many schools spend a lot of time recruiting similar students but just let them flounder when they get to campus. Brandeis does it right, and that makes me trust their overall administration.

[Anonymous]

We recently visited. The info session was great; very clear about their values. I got the impression the academics are very strong with a big commitment to their students. The negatives to us were the campus. Really not very attractive at all; dorms were utilitarian at best and the architecture did not support a connected community feel to the campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We recently visited. The info session was great; very clear about their values. I got the impression the academics are very strong with a big commitment to their students. The negatives to us were the campus. Really not very attractive at all; dorms were utilitarian at best and the architecture did not support a connected community feel to the campus.

+1

[Anonymous]

It is a great school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We recently visited. The info session was great; very clear about their values. I got the impression the academics are very strong with a big commitment to their students. The negatives to us were the campus. Really not very attractive at all; dorms were utilitarian at best and the architecture did not support a connected community feel to the campus.

+1

+2

[Anonymous]

I think the campus is ugly. My niece went there. She is very very liberal, and seemed to have a positive experience. She came out to be an excellent writer.

[Anonymous]

Case Western and WPI would be mid size research options too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Case Western and WPI would be mid size research options too

+1

And U of Rochester.

Case Western gives a lot of merit aid to kids with great stats.

[Anonymous]

My daughter was in love with the idea of Brandeis, but when we visited she felt like she didn’t belong there because she is neither a social justice warrior, nor Jewish. The atmosphere seemed overwhelmingly both to her.

[Anonymous]

My daughter graduated from Brandeis a few years ago and had a very good experience. It is a nurturing environment with lots of ways to get involved. Relatively easy to get to Boston. Academics are great and she found it easy to get to know her professors and make an impact. Lots of social justice and leadership opportunities. Also good theater and music opportunities. Downside is the housing (which didn’t really bother her) and the food.

[Anonymous]

Their new President, Ron Leibovitz, is exceptional. Was a great professor and then became a successful President at Middlebury. Left VT to be closer to a metropolitan area. If his history is any indicator, Brandeis will be on the upswing.

[Anonymous]

My DD loved Brandeis. She graduated two years ago. One reason she chose Brandeis is because it allowed her to double major (a lot of colleges/universities don't). She thought it was academically stimulating, was close to the professors, and took advantage of a lot of internship that were available through the labs. In terms of a lot of Jewish people, it was great for my DD because Brandeis had two spring breaks. One around the Jewish holiday and one around Easter.

[Anonymous]

DC of an Asian family we are great friends with is planning to be a Freshman at Brandeis this Fall and is very excited about it. They visited the campus at least twice, if not more and we never heard them speak negatively about their impression of the school.