<p>I got into two of the above schools and am anticipating the third one. I was wondering which one is the most prestigious, which one is strongest academically, which has the better campus, and what the student body is like. Which one should I go to and why? Any information would be great.</p>
<p>Didn’t you visit any of these schools?? I’m sorry, but CC would not be the best place for this. Btw, if I was to pick, I would pick Brandeis.</p>
<p>I would visit all three before making decisions, but the stereotypes usually go</p>
<p>Bowdoin - very smart yuppies
Tufts - business types trying to get ahead, cut throat
Brandeis - very Jewish, and a large gay population</p>
<p>These are just stereotypes. I urge to look past them and visit the schools and pick the place that feels right for you. All of these schools are of stellar academic quality.</p>
<p>This can’t be true. How would you know you had gotten into these schools unless you applied early decision? And in that case you should only have applied to one school. </p>
<p>Object to countryday’s characterization of Tufts students. Tufts doesn’t even have a business school and it does not have a cutthroat environment. The poster doesn’t seem to know much about the school.</p>
<p>Bowdoin is VERY strong academically, and you will get a great education there. However, Brandeis has a great business program as well. What is your major?</p>
<p>Early write Bowdoin and invitational acceptance to Brandeis.</p>
<p>Light10491, all three are fine schools, but very different experiences. Bates is a small liberal arts college. Brandeis is a small liberal arts college functioning wihin a world-class research university. It’s a trick to pull that off, but they do and the undergraduates benefit from that special combination.</p>
<p>As an admittedly biased Brandeis alum who chose Brandeis over two other liberal arts experiences, Tufts and Colgate, here’s my take. Brandeis is truly an amazing school. Its small student body- the smallest I believe (less than 800 in a class) of any top tier national research university–is matched with high-powered professors who actually teach in small classes. So, the research opportunities are tremendous. While not huge, I believe Tufts’ undergrad enrollment is at least 50% larger than Brandeis’. </p>
<p>The Brandeis 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. FYI in a recent Forbes national college rankings survey, Brandeis was ranked 15th among research universities and 30th overall among all private univerities and LAC’s–a testament to its focus on undergraduate education. Larger schools, including some Ivies, were ranked much lower. </p>
<p>Despite its small size and relative youth, its 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, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and Christy Hefner, (former CEO of Playboy). Also, if you’re into theater/music/art or social justice it’s a very exciting place to be (Angela Davis, Abbie Hoffman, I could go on, are alums as well).</p>
<p>Finally, the school is very diverse undergraduate and graduate, with a strong international flavor (in fact the majority of its International Business School is international students). With respect to the issue for some of the school’s Jewish population, you should understand that less than 50% of its student body is Jewish. Brandeis is a non-sectarian school that embraces students from all types of backgrounds based on merit. The school has no religious affiliation, although it was founded and is funded signigicantly by the Jewish community. </p>
<p>Forgive my enthusiasm, but I loved it.</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision!.</p>
<p>Correction, I referred to “Bates” in the previous post but intended “Bowdoin.” Thanks.</p>
<p>All three are excellent schools. Here is my subjective take:</p>
<p>–Bowdoin–is an excellent, liberal arts college located in a charming but small Maine town. A bit below Amherst,Williams and Swarthmore in terms of prestige–but comparable to Middlebury and perhaps a tad higher than Bates or Colby. Traditionally, it was quite waspy–this is where the elite from Maine went when they couldn’t get into Harvard. Today, it is much more diverse than years ago but much less diverse than most research universities. It is not, repeat, not a research university and it has no graduate programs to speak of. It will, therefore, be a very different experience than attending either Brandeis or Tufts. Brunswick is very charming—but it is no Boston. </p>
<p>Tufts and Brandeis are much easier to compare. Both are small research universities, each located on hills almost the same distance from the center of Boston. The student demographics are remarkably similar–both have large Jewish populations (there are more Jews at Brandeis, but not by a lot), mostly from the Northeast, with a large pre-professional bent. Tufts and Brandeis each produce a lot of future doctors and lawyers. The faculties and facilities, in terms of quality, are very comparable. It is no coincidence that US News rates Tufts and Brandeis almost equally. </p>
<p>Now for the differences. Physically, the campuses look very different from each other even though the facilities are comparable in quality. Tufts has a much more traditional New England look–lots of red brick buildings although no one architectual style predominates. As campuses go, it is nice, but not spectacular. Its biggest problem is its proximity to Harvard; it is no Harvard. Brandeis, as a much younger school, has mostly modern architecture (except, of course, for the castle). No one would confuse Brandeis with Harvard. This is a mixed blessing. Some people, including many architects, love the Brandeis campus. The buildings are very functional, and some were designed by well-known architects seeking to make a statement. A number of Brandeis buildings have recieved architectual rewards. But many other people think many of the buildings at Brandeis are ugly, and lack the eligance and stature that define most New England college buildings. Some people think Brandeis looks too much like a high-technology park. The hill on which Brandeis is located is also much steeper than the one Tufts is built on, so you will get more exercise at Brandeis (the campus at Brandeis is not as steep as Cal Berkeley–but pretty steep nonetheless). Bottom line–aesthetics are a subjective thing. Campus beauty is nice–but it really doesn’t effect the education you are going to receive. But loving your campus is very important to some people. So are you modern or traditional? </p>
<p>Culturally, the schools are also different. Part of Brandeis’ mission is social justice. It has always been somewhat of a left-learning place. Some people refer to Brandeis as the Berkeley of the East. One of Brandeis’ most famous graduate schools is the Heller School–which focuses on social policy. One of Tufts most famous graduate schools is the Fletcher School–which focuses on diplomacy. These strengths, I think, are reflective of the schools respective cultures. So are you modern or traditional? </p>
<p>Academically, Tufts and Brandeis are equally strong in the sciences–both produce lots of premeds. Tufts has fine professionally schools of medicine and dentistry. Brandeis does not but does have a special program with Tufts Medical School, for which it is a major feeder. Because of the Fletcher School, Tufts attracts a lot of students interested in international affairs. Brandeis does not have a professional school of international affairs, but does have a strong political science department and offers comparable programs in international studies. Brandeis has a business school which emphasizes international business and which has a highly diverse, international study body. Tufts does not. Brandeis is probably stronger in the arts, music and theatre and, in general, is probably stronger in the humanities. </p>
<p>Bottom line–you can’t make a serious mistake, all three are great places to spend 4 years. Bowdoin will be a very different experience from the other two–its a matter of what you want. If you end up choosing between Tufts and Brandeis, try to spend some time a each and see which seems to fit you better. you will know in your gut which is right for you.</p>
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