<p>I’m having a hard time deciding which to choose.</p>
<p>I want to study Astronomy and Physics, BU offers both but Brandeis offers only physics. Is it worth it to go to brandeis and skip out on astronomy? Or will it not really matter since I plan to go to grad school anyway? </p>
<p>I’m leaning toward BU, but I know Brandeis is better know and is a better school academically.
What I like about BU is that it has a BU has a five-year MA in astronomy and physics and also has a study abroad program in geneva with CERN. Brandeis offers an interesting five year physics/engineering major which includes 3 years of physics study at brandeis and 2 years of engineering at columbia (which I got rejected from). Brandeis also has a biophysics major which I think is pretty cool</p>
<p>Both schools offered me good aid packages, it will cost about the same to go to either of them. However, BU gave me renewable merit aid while for brandeis I only know what i will get for the first year.</p>
<p>Which sounds like a better choice? I think I prefer BU but I don’t really know much about brandeis so any advice you have is appreciated</p>
<p>Ive also posted this in the BU thread and the general college thread</p>
<p>Even putting prestige aside (where Brandeis far exceeds BU), the two schools are extremely different from one another. To begin with BU is a large and impersonal urban school with no distinct campus of its own. In contrast, Brandeis combines a nurturing, small liberal arts college and world-class research university-with the smallest student body I believe (about 800 in a class) of any top tier national research university. And that small student body is matched with high-powered professors who actually teach in small classes . As you can imagine, the research opportunities are tremendous. Plus by being very close to Boston but on its own suburban campus, its full of campus activities and gives you easy access to the city–the best of both worlds.</p>
<p>BU is a good university, but, as I’ve mentioned to others on CC, for undergraduate students, Brandeis is truly amazing. Its intellectual environment is comparable in many ways to its University Athletic Association sister school, U Chicago (perhaps no coincidence that the President of U Chicago is a Brandeis alum). Yet its students are down-to-earth, friendly and non-competitive with one another. </p>
<p>With respect to the sciences, Brandeis is first rate with a spectacular new science center housing professors, doctoral candidates and undergrads in many cases engaged in ground-breaking research side-by-side. BTW, in addition to the new science center, and the recent and fabulous student center and admissions building, there is a brand new humanities center. </p>
<p>Despite Brandeis’ medium/small size and relative youth, Brandeis’ alumni are very distinguished–to name just a few: Nobel Prize winner for chemistry Rod Mackinnon, Fields Medal winning physicist Edward Witten (often called “Einstein’s successor”), 3-time Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Friedman of the NY Times, The Earth is Flat etc; Mitch Albom of Tuesday’s with Morrie (about his Brandeis professor), the Creators/Producers of Friends; actress Debra Messing; Robert FX Sillerman (billionaire businessman–currently owner of American Idol and Graceland), Jeff Lurie, billionaire owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and Christy Hefner, former CEO of Playboy). Also, if you’re into social justice (Angela Davis and Abbie Hoffman are alums as well, I could go on) or theater/music/art, it’s a very exciting place to be.</p>
<p>If you talk to professors at top Astronomy/Astrophysics graduate programs (I have and you should), I think you will discover that they prefer to admit graduate students who had a strong, broad background in physics as opposed to those who majored in astronomy.</p>
<p>I don’t know a lot about physics at Brandeis but I do have a friend who primarily is a physics professor at Brown but also teaches at Brandeis. He tells me that the physics department at Brandeis is good and is comparable to Brown’s.</p>
<p>BU is also a fine school and I understand the attraction–Kenmore Sq is a lot more fun than South St. in Waltham. But BU’s campus, being squeezed between Commonwealth Ave and Storrow Dr and severely lacking in green space and trees would drive me crazy after a while. Brandeis’ campus is much more serene and pleasant–and Boston is only 9 miles away. Also, as you note, Brandeis’ academic reputation is significantly higher. I think that people put too much stock into USNWR ratings but, in this case, the difference is notable.</p>
<p>To me the choice would be easy—but that’s why there are so many flavors of ice cream :)</p>
<p>I couldn’t agree more with B77. I don’t know if you’ve made your decision yet, but if you can afford both schools, Brandeis is your best bet. I recently chose Brandeis over BU, NYU, Fordham, and many other top institutions. </p>