Brandeis University Top Questions

The campus isn't very diverse, and because of that, the students tend to be a little segregated. Once the campus grows and people don't feel outnumbered, I'm sure that'll disappear, because the students here are very inclusive in general. There are so many students from Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey. It also seems like there are a lot of high income families present, which makes me furious when I see how stingy Brandeis is with financial aid. The students are generally liberal.

Brandeis is less diverse than some colleges, but probably way more diverse than most high schools. It is extremely supportive minorities of any kind, racial, ethnic, religious, or sexual-orientation. Some non-Jewish students feel odd at first since there is such a strong Jewish presence. However, I haven't heard of anyone who truly felt like they were excluded or singled out. Most students wear casual clothes, jeans, T shirt, etc. Most people make some attempt to look presentable for class, but fashion is generally not a focus. All different students interact, there are no boundaries. We're generally not cliquey. Most Brandeis students are from NY or MA, or New England. Many Israeli students. Mostly well-off financially, but probably not loaded with cash. People try to be politically informed, but sometimes you get so busy you don't have time to keep up with the news. Predominantly left, though generally not radical.

Yeah, we're rich white Jews. Gay ones. Okay duh not everyone is gay. It's very accepting of LGBT students- they're the fun clubs! I have heard that it's more difficult for kids who are not in the majority. But you know what... go somewhere else. I'm sorry that you are a minority here, this is the ONLY place we get to be a majority, and I am not sorry for taking advantage of that. And if you don't like it you can go to any of the other 1 bazillion schools in the country where Jews are not the majority. Get bent. Fashion at Brandeis is mostly non-existant. Wear your sweats to class, whatev. Or if you're feelin it today, dress up, no one will glare at you either way. Most Brandeis students are from Mass, New York, New Jersey, and then statistically its California although I think it's way way more southern california (I am form northern, so I can tell :) ) I would say the next biggest demographic is Turkey. jk. Theyre everywhere though. Financial backgrounds: I had never met so many people from private schools before in my life. On the other hand Brandeis notoriously gives out lots and lots of money in scholarships. Predominately very liberal. No, students do not talk about how much they will earn. It's a small demographic that is studying things that will make money- sciences and economics. One of my friends is writing his thesis on Ultimate Frisbee. Don't know where he is going in life. The school is all baout Social Justice, not cash.

1) If you are not Jewish, you will feel out of place at Brandeis. I think that the official statistic is that something like 45{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of Brandeis is Jewish, but I think this is an understatement because it only includes those students who choose to identify themselves as Jewish before arrival. Many other students become much more active once they get here, or at least after they go on Birthright. If you don't know what kippot or mezuzot are and aren't familiar with the words pareve, yeshiva, Beit Midrash, or kashrut, you will be if you go to Brandeis. There is also nowhere to get food after 7:00 on Fridays. 2) Brandeis has a reputation for being a very liberal and socially aware and active school. It's not. Many students take part in lots of clubs, but outside of these activities, they generally have no idea what is going on in the world and don't take much pleasure in intellectual conversation. That being said, students still participate in class, but it's an entirely different persona from their after-class persona.

Brandeis is definitely not as politically active as it used to be, but some groups on campus are trying to bring it back to the way it was in the glory days.

There are a lot of diverse groups on campus but they tend to stick to themselves, whether it is a racial, religious, or other niche. Especially religious. There are a handful of inner-city students who are thrown into a school full of upper class jews from NY and Mass, and that tends to make for a hard adjustment. A lot of students are open minded and 'cross over' but they are far out numbered by those who are too ignorant. Students dress well during the 2 weeks its actually warm, but this is Boston, and its cold and rainy ALL THE TIME so most of the time students are just wearing jeans, uggs, sweatshirts. Most students are from Massachusets, New York, New Jersey, etc. California well represented. There are also a lot of opportunities for international students to attend, and they tend to be from Israel or Turkey I think. Most students come from a wealthy financial background, but there are a lot of scholarships available so wide representation. Targeted prospective students tend to be well-off. Students are very politically aware, or at least want people to think they are. Tons of activism on campus. Very social-justicey. Very predominantly left-winged. Students talk a little bit about future earning, but it's not a huge discussion.

Culturally, Brandeis is actually quite a diverse place. There are many different ethnic groups besides Jews, and the student groups representing them are extremely active in promoting their cultures and providing entertainment as well as good food. Culture clubs represent just about every possible ethnic group and have quite large followings. It would be very hard for students to feel culturally out of place. Religiously, Brandeis is far more homogeneous. While the Brandeis Humanists have a sizable following and the Christian groups also exist, Judaism is no doubt the strongest religion on campus, even if it's believers are only a plurality. The number of kippahs and Stars of David can attest to this fact. However, this does not mean that there isn't absolute freedom of religion here as well. Judaism is strong here, but Gentiles aren't bothered by it at all. Geographically, the majority of students at Brandeis come from the Northeast. Residents of New England, New York, and New Jersey form the majority of people here. Even so, there are many Californians and other Westerners, as well as people from the Southeast. The international presence here is also noticeable, with rather large groups of students coming from France, China, Turkey, Israel, and many other countries around the world. Regardless, students from various places mix very well. Financially, Brandeis has also a diverse mix. While I have friends who already own really nice cars and have no problem paying for school and other expenses, there are just as many who must pay their own way and have little extra spending money. Most students here come from middle class backgrounds, and must pay at least part of their tuition and spending. Politically, Brandeis is quite leftist. The few Republicans here and there tend to have their ideas shunned and ignored by the liberal majority. While radical hippies are also rare, the mainstream opinion makes groups like the Democrats and Democracy For America very strong. Activist groups are always enthusiastic, as almost all students have some sort of political opinions. One will never find the political environment at Brandeis to be lacking.

i hear way more about Judaism then sometimes i would like to. I think a student that is not open-minded would feel out of place. Students are generally pretty casual on what they wear to class, jeans, a t-shirt and some sort of fleece jacket is the average outfit. In the dining hall there are four tables the one closest to the check out has a group of former varsity soccer players and current basketball players the one near the wall has zbt boys and their affiliated girls the one near the entrance has international students the other one has a conglomerate of kids that are generally being pretty goofy

There is no type of student who would feel out of place at Brandeis. People think of Brandeis as being super-Jewish, but it's easy to forget that. There are plenty of students who practice other religions. There are plenty of resources and clubs for people in the LGBT community (such as the QRC, and Triskelion), and different racial and ethnic communities (AHORA, SASA, KSA, BSO, JSA, etc.). Students dress fairly casual for class. Some wear pajamas and sweatpants, others wear heels and mini-skirts. But the average student wears jeans and t-shirts. Students do tend to group off. In the dining hall, there would be a frat table, an international students table, a dorky table, and a table of "average" white, middle class students. There are a lot of people from the Northeast (New England, NJ, and NY). It is very hard to say what financial background people have. It's rarely discussed or flaunted. Students are very politically aware, generally left-wing/liberal democrats. Lots of people are invested in social justice/human rights. But there are also a lot of people who are here just to be doctors or investment bankers.

Please see the accuracy of stereotypes section.....up there ^ Brandeis students are fairly open minded when it comes to religion, sexuality, and socio-economic situations. They might be less open minded if you are republican (though they will actually hear you out because being a Brandeis student you will be smart enough to have good reasons for being a Republican... even if you wear Birkenstocks) or Pro-Palestinian (somewhat less likely to hear you out- they might even send you to MIT like the administration did to an art exhibit on Palestine).