Brandeis University Top Questions

One of the most furstrating things about my school is the fact that they attract you by promising big scholarships. They do keep their word when they promised these prospective students scholarships, however with each preceding academic year they slowly strip more and more money away. And not just a couple of dollars, but a couple of thousands of dollars per year. The reason why this strategy is so decietful is because by that point in your academic career if you don't catch on fast enough you'll have become too attached to the community to want to leave.

Brandeis is a school where there is not only a large Jewish population, but the school caters to the Jewish students. It is nice that observant Jews can find a strong community where they can attend services, keep Kosher, etc., but sometimes the less observant Jews like me feel overwhelmed by the religious presence. I also see the many non-Jews often struggling to fit in.

The science courses are very intense and require lots of work, also the food options sometimes get boring.

You sometimes feel like everyone is bizarre. You look around and get frustrated with how studious and inaccessible people get around exams or want to kick the weird the kid tap dancing in the convinience store. But there is a definite flavor to the school and you'll never feel uncomfortable expressing yourself, so it evens out. And the work load gets crazy sometimes, but if you got in then you should be able to handle it.

I would have to say the food choices/dining halls at school could be a lot better.

There seem to be a lot of wealthy Jewish students, or International/minority students, so being white and raised Catholic and not wealthy is rare. There also seems to be no social life or school spirit. No one goes to sports, schoolwide parties aren't well attended, and campus life is boring. There aren't enough people to make clubs and events well attended.

Although Brandeis gives financial aid, it is not enough at all! They do not take into consideration that although my family might own a house, it's a small one, in a lower middle class neighborhood. It's funny that my FAFSA results show that my family expectancy is zero, yet I still end up having to take thousands of dollars in loans..Brandeis educatino is about $46,000 a year, and I only got about $15,000 in financial aid!!!!

I guess the most frustrating thing would be the mild closed-mindedness toward Christians.

The msot frustrating thing about my school is the lack of rewards for the sacrifices the university requires. While students pay increasing tuition, the school fails to show results from the money. Endowment is very secretive, spending is atrocious, there is little to no job security since no recruiter wants to employ a Brandeis student, and both genders feel they are cheated in the attractiveness of the opposite gender. The MOST frustrating things for me personally, is being a secular Jew who falls in between acceptance from the overpriviliged New York Jews and the disgruntled gentile populations (both massive).

Too much construction. Over achieving students.

Sometimes difficulty to have leadership positions you want.

The groups of friends here are close knit and sometimes hard to break into.

Brandeis students are reluctant to interact with people beyond their comfort zone, and the social scene is completely lacking. I feel as though once people have made friends they are likely not to try to make other friends, and that the school is extremely clique-oriented.

People assume that you are Jewish when the hear "Brandeis" and think "stereotypical Jew".

I often feel that Brandeis students can be awkward as well as narrow-minded in both social and academic settings. Many people do not interact well with others, and different types of people separate themselves very early on. Most students find others extremely similar ot them and have awkward interactions with other members of the Brandeis student body (of other religions, ethnic groups, sports teams, majors, etc.). It is frustrating that such a socially and environmentally conscious school can be so closed minded from time to time, especially when dealing with fellow students.