Brandeis University Reviews

The freshman dorms at Brandeis...

The freshman dorms at Brandeis aren't the best. One dorm is usually renovated every year, but with the current financial/economic crisis, that may not continue at the same rate. The freshman dorms wouldn't be so bad if people just respected everything in the dorms, but unfortunately that's not the case. People in my dorm would vomit on the floor, make a mess in the lounges, and tear down posters and leave them on the floor when they are drunk. East apparently has bugs (the so-called "East bugs"), but it is a nice place to live. As for the Castle, it would be a nice place to call home, but it's not too nice on the inside, and it's notorious for being quiet and unsocial. Ridgewood is amazing because it is brand new!

I'm a freshman, so who knows how...

I'm a freshman, so who knows how I'll feel in a few years, but I absolutely adore Brandeis. Most of the time the classes are wonderful, and every now and then the professors are truly inspiring human beings. Really, it's the student body that makes this place great. Brandeis students have the intelligence and accomplishments of an Ivy-league student body but are also remarkably down to earth. I have had the experience of knowing a friend here for months before suddenly finding out that he is a United States fencing champion or she is a violinist who has played Carnegie Hall. In my first week here, I learned more about the state of society in Africa from my South African hallmate than I ever have from any form of institutionalized education. You will make friends with truly astonishing human beings, and I love Brandeis for making that happen.

I get the sense that everyone...

I get the sense that everyone feels quite safe here. For whatever reason, the BranPo, or Brandeis Police, are the butt of a lot of jokes, but they must do their job well because nothing ever gets stolen here. Lock your doors and keep track of your stuff—be sensible—but you can feel quite safe here. There's also a blue-light system, but I've never heard of anyone using it, so I don't know how effective it would actually be.

I had a hard time fitting in a...

I had a hard time fitting in a Brandeis at first. I am a Christian from a small town in Maine. I got called shiksa several times during my first semester and had to ask my friends what it meant. The campus basically shuts down on Friday nights for Shabbat. Brandeis also has a particular kind of awkward where most of the students won't make eye-contact when walking, and signs of affection such as hugs or even shaking hands doesn't seem to exist. I love the challenging classes and the awesome professors, and while I have begun to adjust to life at Brandeis, if I could do it all over again, I would not choose Brandeis.

Waltham is a great place to go out...

Waltham is a great place to go out to eat. There are every kind of restaurant all up and down Moody and Main streets. Other than that, Waltham is a fairly blue-collar town with many industrial sites. Since Waltham is right outside Boston, there is a ton of other universities and colleges around to socialize with. But, the average Brandies student won't often venture to other campuses unless they are visiting friends there.

Parking on campus is pretty...

Parking on campus is pretty scarce. You can't bring a car as a freshman, and even as a sophomore you have to park your car across the street in a lot the campus owns, which is a good 20- to 25-minute walk from your dorm.

There are a ton of good...

There are a ton of good restaurants on Moody Street. You could walk there in less than 30 minutes if you know the roads, but the Waltham shuttle goes there on every run, so that's your best bet. There are a few restaurants within a five-minute walk of Brandeis, but they're all delis or pizza.

You can always find an open...

You can always find an open computer on campus, but the WiFi's good enough that you can just bring your own computer with you anywhere. I'd recommend having your own computer because Brandeis communicates often with its student body through e-mail. Also, as far as Mac vs PC goes, it's pretty much a split 50/50 campus.

The guys don't present the best...

The guys don't present the best picks. You've got to be really into the Jewish look, and even then, the good ones are usually already taken. The rest are either the ones who lack social skills or are too busy partying and getting drunk to want relationships.

It's cold and cloudy sometimes,...

It's cold and cloudy sometimes, but, then again, it is also sunny and beautiful, too.

The campus has always been very...

The campus has always been very safe. Campus police are more of an annoyance than a peace-keeping force-perhaps because they have no real business to occupy their time.

Off campus housing can be as...

Off campus housing can be as convenient as some of the Brandeis housing for upperclassmen. I've heard of people renting houses on South Street, the street where Brandeis is located. The people who live further tend to have cars.

I find it's faster to walk into...

I find it's faster to walk into town, which is a 25-minute walk rather than wait for the unreliable public transportation. There are three ways to get into town: Pay for a taxi, wait for the campus van service that is always at least 15 minutes late, or wait for a shuttle that doesn't run very often.

Waltham is not the best-looking...

Waltham is not the best-looking town, but it has some really nice places. The Waltham Library is pretty and a nice place to study if you need a change of scenery. The other university in Waltham is Bentley, but for some reason, Brandeis and Bentley students hardly ever interact. It's kind of sad, really—combining Brandeis' and Bentley's social spheres would be a great way to increase the variety of social opportunities.

Moody Street has so many different...

Moody Street has so many different types of restaurants. From Thai to Indian to Hispanic to Italian, you can definitely find something you'd like to eat. A lot of places are used to delivering to campus, too. Cambridge also has some great Thai food.

People tend to bring their own...

People tend to bring their own computers to Brandeis, but if you need a computer, there are more than enough in the main library. Everywhere has WiFi, so on a nice fall day, you can go sit outside and work if you have your own computer.

Sports? Brandeis has sports?...

Sports? Brandeis has sports? Actually, our basketball teams are pretty good, and a lot of people get excited about them. But, I am not the best person to ask about university sports, as I've never been to a game. I know that a lot of people get involved in ultimate Frisbee, though.

Brandeis is an amazing university...

Brandeis is an amazing university as far as academics. Classes are generally small, and the professors are very accessible and friendly outside of class. I love being near Boston and Cambridge because there's never a lack of things to do there. I didn't expect to end up at Brandeis because I didn't want to go to such a small school, but when I came to visit, I fell in love with the Boston area and couldn't let it go. I do sometimes wish the school were bigger with more opportunities to meet people, but the academics and the environment make up for what Brandeis lacks in the social area.

It's not strict, but the campus...

It's not strict, but the campus police do get bored because there is nothing to do on campus, so they will break up parties for fun.

You can start bringing a car...

You can start bringing a car sophomore year. You don't need one, but it's nice to have. Parking is so-so

The professors are pretty awesome,...

The professors are pretty awesome, for the most part. They're always willing to meet with you and help you out. The workload is pretty ridiculous, though. It seems like every class expects you to be able to get through a hundred pages of reading a week or a class, and inevitably you'll have two or three papers all due around the same time. We're known as being a great school, and you definitely earn your degree here. You can't keep a good GPA and slack off, but a lot of kids put too much emphasis on grades. It isn't rare to see someone trying to argue a B+ up to an A because they don't want their GPA to drop below 4.0.

For the most part, the campus is...

For the most part, the campus is liberal, white, and Jewish. There are a few minorities, but you don't really notice them. The campus is split probably 50/50 in terms of kids coming from wealthy families or poorer families. A ton of people receive financial aid.

The parties are pretty pathetic....

The parties are pretty pathetic. Brandeis is not a party school. There are the frats to party at off campus, but their parties are hit or miss. There really aren't good bars and clubs unless you're willing to go into Boston.

Housing off campus is impossible...

Housing off campus is impossible to find at a reasonable rate unless you're willing to live in a dive. My friends have had a lot of issues finding stuff. Something Brandeis doesn't tell you is if you receive financial aid and move off campus you'll lose some of your money, but they don't guarantee on campus housing after sophomore year. It's a really bad situation to be in.

I eat off campus all the time....

I eat off campus all the time. Almost all the places deliver, so you have choices of Thai, Chinese, Japanese, pizza, Italian—pretty much anything you want. Baan Thai is great, and Lily's Chinese Food is probably the best Chinese restaurant around. If you're willing to drive a bit, you can get great food at Legal Sea Foods and Bertucci's.