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Well, the title of the post says it all. What's Brandeis like? I have a list of 5 far-reach schools on the East Coast that I'm going to apply to (I'm from California) but, since they probably won't accept me, I've been trying to find a safety or two over there. Some basic info about me:

I'm interested in Romance Languages (Italian and Spanish), Anthropology, and Linguistics, but don't know if I'll actually major in them. I like playing tennis but am definitely not Varsity level, and I've been in the Regional and All-State Honor Choirs. Does Brandeis have good Humanities courses?

Is it pretty diverse, and does it have lots of people from public schools? Do most people live on campus?

Some other schools I've been considering are Colby and Bowdoin, but I've heard Colby is very preppy (correct me if I'm wrong) and I don't know anything about Bowdoin.

So, anyone who has any info, please enlighten me! =)

By Girlinbraids (Girlinbraids) on Saturday, July 05, 2003 - 11:35 pm: Edit

I've also been looking into U Mass, so if anyone wants to say something about it, (as well as Brandeis, Bowdoin, and Colby) feel free to do so. =)

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Sunday, July 06, 2003 - 11:28 am: Edit

Girlinbraids:
I know a little about Brandeis (there is a woman named Robin on these boards who might be able to help you more). It is most renowned for its pre-med curriculum, but it is a good school; all courses will probably be good. You should look on their website and see which courses are offered. If they don't have much in the line of higher-level Romance languages courses, it might not be the place for you.

I'm not sure about diversity; about 67% of the campus is Jewish (it was founded in 1948 as a Jewish college). There is a kosher dining hall - even the silverware is segregated for meat and milk.

The website might have information on it about percentages of students from public schools, but I believe that most students did not go to private high schools.

As Brandeis is fairly suburban, most students live on campus (you need a car to get to apartments off campus). Brandeis is about a half hour drive from Boston, and a shuttle brings students back and forth.

Bentley is also in Waltham (business school), and Wellesley is one town over (women's school).

I have a few friends who went to UMass Amherst, Lowell, and Framingham State. You are probably looking at UMass Amherst, which is in the western part of the state. Smith, Amherst, and a few other schools are nearby. One caveat: it's huge. My friends were in classes with several hundred students; homework isn't always graded by hand but rather submitted online. You need a shuttle to get around campus. Bostonians have nicknamed it "Zoo Mass" because of its size and reputation. However, it is a good school, as are all the New England state schools. The Massachusetts state schools have some specialities: U Lowell is great for engineering and sciences, UMass Boston is good for nursing, Framingham State is the first teaching college in the country. UMass Amherst does have an honours programme, which you should look into - sometimes you live with students in the same programme, you all take classes together, and it allows you to get some personal attention.

Good luck!
~Bridget