When I first applied, I really had no interest in going to Brandeis. Somehow I wound up changing my mind, and after taking a closer look, I fell in love. Now I'm here and not a day goes by that I'm not proud to be a Brandeisian.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Visit the campus and take a tour, definitely, but don't be discouraged by the way it looks on the surface. I really didn't want to go when I first started looking, but after talking to some of the students and sitting in on a couple of lectures, I was sold. Oh, and bring quarters; doing laundry is the worst.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
To be honest, it depends on the classes that you're taking, but, as a pre-med, I can tell you that the science courses are really intense. Chemistry especially is killer. While the courses are difficult, and you'll likely find yourself struggling to keep up, you'll come out of each and every one of your courses satisfied. How much you get from them depends on the amount of work you put in, but you'll never hear anyone at Brandeis say that they aren't being adequately challenged.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
Dorm life is kind of random. If you end up in a hall with cool people, you'll love it; if you don't, you won't. The actual dorm buildings are decent; some of the freshmen dorms are much nicer than others, though (you do NOT want to live in Shapiro). If you don't like the people living around you, though, you can always make friends elsewhere and hang out with them in their hall instead (I would still make an effort to do that even if you DO like your neighbors). Upperclassmen housing is nicer, for the most part. Some places in East are really run-down, but I don't hear many people complaining about their living space. I'm giving it four stars because the vast majority of the people here are some of the nicest and friendliest that you'll ever meet, so no matter where you're living, you'll have people to hang out with.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
The food is... okay. The two main dining halls are Sherman and Usdan. Sherman takes more of a quantity over quality mentality; you can eat as much food as you want (pizza, burgers, pasta, salad, ice cream, etc.) and it's not bad, but it's not great either. They DO have special theme nights sometimes, though, and the food at those is much better than the typical fare. Usdan takes the opposite approach; the food is better than what you'll find at Sherman, but it's a la carte, so you have to pay for everything individually.
Also worth mentioning is the dining plan: depending on which one you sign up for, you'll get meals or points. A meal is worth a set dollar amount, and that amount changes depending on the time of day; in the morning it's worth around $4, and at night it's worth roughly $8. You can use a meal to buy food worth up to that amount in Usdan, or you can use one to sit down at Sherman. Most people save their meals for Sherman, because that's the best deal. Points are
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
Student Events always has tons of awesome things going on, ranging anywhere from mini-golf to concerts (last year we had Childish Gambino and fun.), and the best part is that all of their events are free! Other than that, most people will spend their free time hanging out with friends, watching movies, or going into Boston. Brandeis runs a free shuttle into the city, Thursday through Sunday, so that's always a really nice option to have on weekends. If you're looking for a party school, Brandeis isn't for you. There are parties, but they're usually pretty tame, and when they get out of control, they get broken up quickly. Unless you're going to college looking for ragers and this is a dealbreaker for you, you'll never have to look far to find something to do.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Brandeis is expensive, but worth every penny. We're not as highly regarded as, say, Harvard, but a Brandeis degree still holds a lot of weight in the academic field. You'll have a leg up after graduation, no matter what you plan on doing. The people that you'll meet here are truly unique, too; Brandeisians are hardworkers that know what they want and are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve. Consequently, you'll find that many Brandeis alumni go on to be quite successful, which means you'll graduate with connections that are almost as valuable as your degree.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
The castle! I don't know if it's really a tradition, but one of the big rites of passage for freshmen is to find their way up onto the roof of one (or several) of the towers. This isn't really encouraged by the security people, but the view of Boston from the roof of B tower cannot be beat.
Chum's is another really well-known place on campus. It's a coffee shop in the castle, where they often have concerts (sometimes by well-known bands: Fleetwood Mac played here once) and student-run shows and events. It's really calm and the people that work there are probably the coolest on campus. Definitely check it out if you're touring.
There are dozens of other cool, secret places around campus that beg to be explored (the mirror room and graffiti tower in the castle, the peace room, and the roof of the Faculty Club, to name a few); I don't want to share them all here, because that takes all of the fun out of it, but if you're ever on campus, be sure to ask around!
Which types of students will excel at your college?
Students that are nerdy and proud. Everyone on campus is passionate about something, be that theatre, physics, Harry Potter, a capella, abstract math, Disney films, or anything else under the sun.
Brandeis students also tend to be very liberal, and they're not afraid to show it; we're very concerned with social justice, and at any given moment you can find probably five or six different fundraisers or events going on with the goal of helping out those that are less fortunate. People who like to volunteer will fit in perfectly here.
If you work hard to pursue your passion, have an open mind, and care about the welfare of those around you, then Brandeis is absolutely the school for you.
**I also just want to say quickly: Brandeis is not just a place for Jewish students. While it is true that we have a very large Jewish population, you certainly won't feel alienated at all if you aren't. I was really worried about this when I moved in, but I was pleasantly surprised by how accepting and accommodating the Jewish community is. Not only have I made a lot of great friends, despite not being Jewish, but I've been exposed to a new culture and a new set of traditions that I knew virtually nothing about before coming. Don't listen to people that say that you have to be Jewish to go to Brandeis. You don't. I'm not.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
No matter what you want to do, you'll find other people at Brandeis that want to do it, too. We have everything that you'd expect to find at a university, from theatre and a capella groups to Physics Club, along with a lot of other groups that you wouldn't expect, like Brewing Club, Comic Book Club, and Pokemon Club. We also have some cool club sports, like fencing and quidditch (you should definitely try out quidditch. seriously.). And if somehow, you manage to think of something that we DON'T have, it's EXTREMELY easy to start your own club or organization on campus. If I could give Brandeis seven stars here, I would.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
While the university doesn't officially recognize the existence of frats/sororities, they do exist, just outside of campus. The vast majority of students aren't involved in Greek life, but if you're interested, they're there. The frat houses throw some of the better parties on the weekends, if that's something you're into, but beyond that they don't have a very large presence on campus. It's the sort of thing where if you want to find it, you don't have to look far, but at the same time, if you're not interested, nobody's going to try to force you to join.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
Brandeis is a remarkably safe campus. There's virtually no crime; last year there were only one or two theft incidents, and there really aren't any other sorts of safety threats that I can think of. The security is pretty lax, though, which is nice; students and guests can come and go as they please without signing in, and this works out for everyone because nobody likes having to fill out paperwork to have a friend stay over. I'm not sure if this is the result of an honest student body or if it's the cause, but either way I would say that Brandeis is probably up there with some of the safest schools in the country. If you don't believe me, look up the stats; all college campuses release their crime statistics publicly on the internet.
When I first applied, I really had no interest in going to Brandeis. Somehow I wound up changing my mind, and after taking a closer look, I fell in love. Now I'm here and not a day goes by that I'm not proud to be a Brandeisian.
Visit the campus and take a tour, definitely, but don't be discouraged by the way it looks on the surface. I really didn't want to go when I first started looking, but after talking to some of the students and sitting in on a couple of lectures, I was sold. Oh, and bring quarters; doing laundry is the worst.
To be honest, it depends on the classes that you're taking, but, as a pre-med, I can tell you that the science courses are really intense. Chemistry especially is killer. While the courses are difficult, and you'll likely find yourself struggling to keep up, you'll come out of each and every one of your courses satisfied. How much you get from them depends on the amount of work you put in, but you'll never hear anyone at Brandeis say that they aren't being adequately challenged.
Dorm life is kind of random. If you end up in a hall with cool people, you'll love it; if you don't, you won't. The actual dorm buildings are decent; some of the freshmen dorms are much nicer than others, though (you do NOT want to live in Shapiro). If you don't like the people living around you, though, you can always make friends elsewhere and hang out with them in their hall instead (I would still make an effort to do that even if you DO like your neighbors). Upperclassmen housing is nicer, for the most part. Some places in East are really run-down, but I don't hear many people complaining about their living space. I'm giving it four stars because the vast majority of the people here are some of the nicest and friendliest that you'll ever meet, so no matter where you're living, you'll have people to hang out with.
The food is... okay. The two main dining halls are Sherman and Usdan. Sherman takes more of a quantity over quality mentality; you can eat as much food as you want (pizza, burgers, pasta, salad, ice cream, etc.) and it's not bad, but it's not great either. They DO have special theme nights sometimes, though, and the food at those is much better than the typical fare. Usdan takes the opposite approach; the food is better than what you'll find at Sherman, but it's a la carte, so you have to pay for everything individually. Also worth mentioning is the dining plan: depending on which one you sign up for, you'll get meals or points. A meal is worth a set dollar amount, and that amount changes depending on the time of day; in the morning it's worth around $4, and at night it's worth roughly $8. You can use a meal to buy food worth up to that amount in Usdan, or you can use one to sit down at Sherman. Most people save their meals for Sherman, because that's the best deal. Points are
Student Events always has tons of awesome things going on, ranging anywhere from mini-golf to concerts (last year we had Childish Gambino and fun.), and the best part is that all of their events are free! Other than that, most people will spend their free time hanging out with friends, watching movies, or going into Boston. Brandeis runs a free shuttle into the city, Thursday through Sunday, so that's always a really nice option to have on weekends. If you're looking for a party school, Brandeis isn't for you. There are parties, but they're usually pretty tame, and when they get out of control, they get broken up quickly. Unless you're going to college looking for ragers and this is a dealbreaker for you, you'll never have to look far to find something to do.
Brandeis is expensive, but worth every penny. We're not as highly regarded as, say, Harvard, but a Brandeis degree still holds a lot of weight in the academic field. You'll have a leg up after graduation, no matter what you plan on doing. The people that you'll meet here are truly unique, too; Brandeisians are hardworkers that know what they want and are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve. Consequently, you'll find that many Brandeis alumni go on to be quite successful, which means you'll graduate with connections that are almost as valuable as your degree.
The castle! I don't know if it's really a tradition, but one of the big rites of passage for freshmen is to find their way up onto the roof of one (or several) of the towers. This isn't really encouraged by the security people, but the view of Boston from the roof of B tower cannot be beat. Chum's is another really well-known place on campus. It's a coffee shop in the castle, where they often have concerts (sometimes by well-known bands: Fleetwood Mac played here once) and student-run shows and events. It's really calm and the people that work there are probably the coolest on campus. Definitely check it out if you're touring. There are dozens of other cool, secret places around campus that beg to be explored (the mirror room and graffiti tower in the castle, the peace room, and the roof of the Faculty Club, to name a few); I don't want to share them all here, because that takes all of the fun out of it, but if you're ever on campus, be sure to ask around!
Students that are nerdy and proud. Everyone on campus is passionate about something, be that theatre, physics, Harry Potter, a capella, abstract math, Disney films, or anything else under the sun. Brandeis students also tend to be very liberal, and they're not afraid to show it; we're very concerned with social justice, and at any given moment you can find probably five or six different fundraisers or events going on with the goal of helping out those that are less fortunate. People who like to volunteer will fit in perfectly here. If you work hard to pursue your passion, have an open mind, and care about the welfare of those around you, then Brandeis is absolutely the school for you. **I also just want to say quickly: Brandeis is not just a place for Jewish students. While it is true that we have a very large Jewish population, you certainly won't feel alienated at all if you aren't. I was really worried about this when I moved in, but I was pleasantly surprised by how accepting and accommodating the Jewish community is. Not only have I made a lot of great friends, despite not being Jewish, but I've been exposed to a new culture and a new set of traditions that I knew virtually nothing about before coming. Don't listen to people that say that you have to be Jewish to go to Brandeis. You don't. I'm not.
No matter what you want to do, you'll find other people at Brandeis that want to do it, too. We have everything that you'd expect to find at a university, from theatre and a capella groups to Physics Club, along with a lot of other groups that you wouldn't expect, like Brewing Club, Comic Book Club, and Pokemon Club. We also have some cool club sports, like fencing and quidditch (you should definitely try out quidditch. seriously.). And if somehow, you manage to think of something that we DON'T have, it's EXTREMELY easy to start your own club or organization on campus. If I could give Brandeis seven stars here, I would.
While the university doesn't officially recognize the existence of frats/sororities, they do exist, just outside of campus. The vast majority of students aren't involved in Greek life, but if you're interested, they're there. The frat houses throw some of the better parties on the weekends, if that's something you're into, but beyond that they don't have a very large presence on campus. It's the sort of thing where if you want to find it, you don't have to look far, but at the same time, if you're not interested, nobody's going to try to force you to join.
Brandeis is a remarkably safe campus. There's virtually no crime; last year there were only one or two theft incidents, and there really aren't any other sorts of safety threats that I can think of. The security is pretty lax, though, which is nice; students and guests can come and go as they please without signing in, and this works out for everyone because nobody likes having to fill out paperwork to have a friend stay over. I'm not sure if this is the result of an honest student body or if it's the cause, but either way I would say that Brandeis is probably up there with some of the safest schools in the country. If you don't believe me, look up the stats; all college campuses release their crime statistics publicly on the internet.