Brandeis University Top Questions

Everyone's pretty casual, there are lots of types of people and I think anyone can find a place. Mostly liberals. Students don't talk much about money.

Most people do not wear pajamas to class. Jeans/t-shirts, sometimes sweatpants, and dressier clothes. Different types of students do interact. Everyone is very friendly. The tables at the dining hall consist of the frat boys/sorority girls, the athletic teams (all only with their own team), and then small groups of friends. Most Brandeis students are from New York/New Jersey/ Massachusetts. I feel as though an upper-middle class financial background is prevalent. Students are very politically active, and are liberal and predominantly democrats.

1) They are extremely present -- even if there aren't a lot of people of a certain named group, those who are in said division are very cohesive-yet-inclusive. I once saw this guy with a rainbow yamaca (the Jewish man-hat that all middle eastern men secretly wear not for religious reasons but to cover up their bald spots). That was awesome. 2)That said, EVERYONE can feel awkward at Brandeis. At least we're all out of place together. Funnily enough, though, it's awkward if you're half-Jewish-by-ethnicity-but-don't-believe-in-the-religion. Is it an ethnicity? Is it a religion? "Are you Jewish?" is a hard question to answer. "Yeah, I had a bat mitzvah, but I don't believe in the religion; my dad's Jewish for the food, my mom is a self-proclaimed fallen Catholic and I celebrate both Chanukah and Christmas." 3)It depends. What I notice most is the "I'm from Newton, a wealthy suburb of Boston" fashion, which is J-Crew. Oh god, the J-Crew. It's brutal! 4)Yep. 5) One: Random people sitting together who don't know each other. Two: The crew team. Three: Activists for some cause either promoting awareness or selling stuff. Four: Someone sitting alone. 6) They're either from five minutes away from campus or from somewhere like Palestine or Ethiopia. 7) I'd say the most PREVALENT is upper-middle-class(whatever that means), but this doesn't mean that those from other financial classes who got scholarships don't brag about it. 8)Students are very politically aware. Brandeis is predominantly left; this causes the effect of the left-oriented students being more politically active, and the more conservative students staying quiet. I have conservative friends who are afraid to say that they're conservative. Such intolerance goes against real liberal views. 9) Some do, some don't. You'd think that people in the business school or with an economics major would talk more about it, and they do, but I have some friends who are in the economics major because they find it fascinating and exciting.

Nobody should be surprised to learn that over half of the student body is Jewish. Among the Jewish community is tremendous diversity in terms of Jewish observance. (Some are rigidly Orthodox, some go to services every Friday night and keep Kosher, some go to services once in a while, some go just on High Holydays, some never go...) If you like being apart of a strong Jewish community, as I do, you'll love Brandeis and find Shabbat here to be a very rewarding experience. (Non-Jews also come out to Friday night dinner for the experience.) Students dress pretty casually to class. It is not considered a faux pas by any means to wear a sweatshirt and sweatpants (especially during finals.)