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Does anyone know about this school? I'm interested in information about the location, general atmosphere, life, academics (want to major in bio), diversity (i'm an international student) and financial aid/scholarships.Thanks

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Friday, January 09, 2004 - 05:00 pm: Edit

I know a bit about Brandeis. It is in Waltham, MA - about 20 minutes from Boston by car, though in the suburbs. The area around it is fairly residential - if you want to live in an apartment, you'll need a car.

I visited a friend there a few times - atmosphere seemed nice, though not as social as my alma mater. Entirely subjective opinion, and I would welcome the opinions of the more well-informed!

Academics are strong, especially in pre-med. So, if you want to major in bio, you'll be in good shape there.

I believe the financial aid is good - haven't heard much one way or another. Anyone know if they offer merit aid?

You probably know that Brandeis was originally founded in 1948 as a school for Jewish students. Approximately 2/3 of the student body is Jewish, and there is a kosher cafeteria (Sherman). Sherman has two kitchens, two sets of trays, plates, and utensils, and requires students to keep everything separated.

A woman named Robin has a son who is at Brandeis. I don't know if she is still wandering these boards, but you might want to do a search for her old posts.

By Deeny1414 (Deeny1414) on Friday, January 09, 2004 - 05:52 pm: Edit

They do offer merit aid, and no extra essay is required. I went to high school 5 minutes from Brandeis for a couple years, and I don't recommend visiting downtown Waltham on a regular basis, although the Greek salads and muffins at Victory (the local supermarket) are superb. The T is right next to the campus which makes traveling to Boston very easy. The campus is very pretty and academics are very good. I'm also applying there, although I've had so much exposure to the area, for me, it's just another college to apply to. Hope I helped, and good luck!

By Constellation35 (Constellation35) on Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 02:42 pm: Edit

"Approximately 2/3 of the student body is Jewish"

"Greek salads and muffins at Victory are superb."

AHHHHH you're making it impossible to decide to go or not!!!

(brain explodes)

By Nitebirdmom (Nitebirdmom) on Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 04:53 pm: Edit

My son is a freshman there. It's actually just over half Jewish, and there are a lot of international students. They do give merit aid (depends on where the student stands in the applicant pool). It is very strong in the sciences, as well as in the social sciences. Waltham is a suburb of Boston that is becoming known for having a variety of ethnic restaurants as well as becoming a bit of a high tech center with several tech companies moving into the area within the last few years. Brandeis is not known as a party school, although people there certainly do party. My son is enjoying it immensely - has found it easy to make friends, and enjoyed his classes. The quality of the teaching appears to be quite high - the student union does surveys at the end of every term, and it seems that many profs are rated highly by the students. Feel free to ask any other questions.

By Acennace (Acennace) on Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 08:03 pm: Edit

My sister was accepted in Brandeis and she was offered US$ 20,000 (I think) scholarship (but for a year only). Her stat is 1220 SAT, 283 TOEFL, 95% average, top 1% (Ranking 1/100), lots of EC but no leadership roles. I bet it isn't so hard to get in as an international student.

By Marite (Marite) on Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 09:06 pm: Edit

To attact foreign students, Brandeis offers the Wien International scholarship; it is extremely generous but also super-competitive. There are as well foreign students who are not supported by the Wien Scholarship.

By Nop86 (Nop86) on Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 12:32 am: Edit

I want to use Brandeis as a safety school (I'm applying to Ivy's), particularly because I do need financial aid. Would it be a good choice in that sense?