<p>Brandeis is a very well ranked school. Its academics are some of the best in the nation. But is it a school just for studying? Does it have a Duke like feel of Work Hard Party Harder?</p>
<p>SoCalBum</p>
<p>Trust me--we have fun. On any given weekend, I go out to dinner in town with friends, go into Cambridge/Boston for a concert or shopping etc. There are a million very active clubs--including ones that are activity, sports, or social action oriented. My biggest problem is finding enough hours to do everything I want to do.</p>
<p>What about parties?</p>
<p>SoCalBum</p>
<p>So here's the deal with Brandeis social life. People complain about it. HOWEVER, the parties are there if you want them. It's NOT LIKE DUKE. We have no where near the same drinking/Greek culture. There is no official Greek system at Brandeis. That said, people throw parties all the time. They may not be massive parties where the entire school shows up, but they exist. The social atmosphere is a lot more relaxed. Most drinking I've done has just been in a dorm room with a few friends, though, admittedly, that's more my pace. There are people who enjoy big parties. However, there aren't as many of them as there are at a school like BU or Duke. If you'll only be happy going to two huge parties a weekend, don't come here. If you enjoy small shindigs and are willing to make your own fun once in a while (by which I mean going into Boston or throwing your own party or whatever) Brandeis is probably a good choice.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply. You confirmed previous information I have recieved. It would be rediculous to pick a school just for its parties and greek life, and even tho I will miss those crazy parties and possibly the greek life, I feel that Brandeis is a good match for me. I dont think you can really compare Duke to Brandeis in the first place anyways.</p>
<p>SoCalBum</p>
<p>We've got our share of "crazy parties". They're just not as often or as big as at the big state unis and big greek schools. If you like to party, you'll find people to hang with. We've even got a couple of off campus frats where you can find the more stereotypical beer partying. What's best, is that there's a very accepting atmosphere and people can go to different kinds of parties with different subsets of their friends. Thus, lots of opportunity with very little pressure.</p>
<p>That actually sounds pretty awesome.</p>
<p>SoCalBum</p>
<p>If you can't party here, there's still MIT, BU, Bentley, etc all a moment's notice away.</p>
<p>Get real, people. The party scene is terrible at Brandeis. Most people aren't into partying to begin with, but over the last couple years the cops have been breaking up every party they find. You can "register" a party, which is meant to inform the police so they can watch out and make sure everybody stays safe. In reality, however, they just use the "registration" as an easy way of finding the party and breaking it up. Because of the stupid quiet hours rule, nothing is allowed to go past 1, and I've frequently been to parties that didn't even make it to that time. Altogether, over my four years here I found the social scene incredibly stifling. Including dating--everybody here has either been in a relationship for years or won't even let you take them to dinner. Even if you offer to pay!</p>
<p>Well, thats what I was hearing at first, then some people told me otherwise, but its all hersay in the end.</p>
<p>DeisPreMed, I would like to talk to you more about your opinions and experiences. </p>
<p>SoCalBum</p>
<p>Deispremed-
I have friends who have registered two parties in Rosenthal and neither have been broken up. I have been to multiple parties this year that haven't been broken up. Dating-wise, I know many people who go in and out of relationships. And I know plenty of people who are receptive to being asked out to dinner. Maybe you're going to the wrong parties or asking the wrong people.</p>
<p>Shoshie, you've obviously been more fortunate here than I have. I don't begrudge that. To all of you out there, I guess the lesson is that different schools are right for different people. I came to Brandeis because I got merit money, and my parents forced me. In doing so I had to turn down my first-choice school, where I was accepted and would have attended otherwise. I know merit scholarships are not the topic of this thread, but maybe the way the school awards them isn't the right way. Most other top schools don't give merit awards--students enroll because they really want to be there, not because they or their families are bribed. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Brandeis can be and is a wonderful place for most of its students; however the truth is there are also a lot of people here who aren't happy here. That's why in a recent Princeton Review book we supposedly ended up on the list of "unhappiest students."*** (Or we just love to complain)</p>
<p>***This is only what I heard from other people around. I myself am not sure this is true.</p>
<p>I also got a merit scholarship and turned down my #1 school to go to 'Deis...but then I applied only to schools at which I would be happy. I chose, to go to the school that cost less because it meant better opportunities for me (the ability to study abroad, to travel over the summers, to worry less about post-college). Brandeis sucks for those who don't belong there...but then, so do party schools.</p>
<p>"Brandeis sucks for those who don't belong there...but then, so do party schools."</p>
<p>Wow, shoshie, I could not have said it better myself. The bottom line is that
Brandeis is not for everyone. Just as most schools are not for everyone. I, and most of my classmates here at 'Deis, would be miserable at schools like Indiana or UF or Binghamton. </p>
<p>With that said, there are parties here. People do drink and do drugs and whatnot. It does happen at Brandeis. I've seen it. Lots of it. I swear. But, it is not forced on you.</p>
<p>Brandeis is not like Duke in terms of work hard, party harder. That doesn't mean that there's no partying. It's usually more understated and informal and fits the style of the kids attracted to this kind of school. We're a lot like Tufts and Brown in that students tend to be active in a wide range of activities in addition to classes and parties. I see it as being well rounded--but that's probably because it's what I was looking for. There's no one right way and that's why it makes sense to check things out that its a good fit.</p>
<p>"Brandeis sucks for those who don't belong there"</p>
<p>What type of people do not belong at Deis?</p>
<p>SoCalBum</p>
<p>Check out old posts. Several of the posts seemed to describe the general overall attributes of the social atmosphere for students.</p>
<p>Academics is rarely debated since it is regarded as top notch.</p>
<p>For me, Brandeis is an ideal school as far as academics, size and location.
I know several students who attend and visited twice. I just couldn't get excited about attending and have decided to not apply. I had that gut feeling at two other schools which are a more comprehensive match for me.</p>
<p>Brandeis is a great school for the right person, just not for me. </p>
<p>Ya gotta visit and do your research. Read reviews, student newspaper editorials and keep an open mind.</p>
<p>This is getting frustrating and I guess I wont know the answers until I visit the school in spring. I like Brandeis for its academic rigor and prestige and how it is a farm school for the top Law Schools in the nation. Even though it is only a Division Three School, its Soccer and Track Athletic Programs are top notch. Also it has a highly ranked Mock Trial Team and Speech and Debate Team that goes up against some of the toughest competition in the nation on the east coast. In high school I was no social outcast, but actually the exact opposite and I enjoyed partying really hard. I am a very well-rounded person. I imagine for what Brandeis cannot offer in a party social scene and hot chicks, the surrounding area of Boston could provide. I am from Southern California and all my friends think I am nuts wanting to go to the east coast. But I want to experience something different and meet new cool people. I want to get a very good education but at the same time I want to have the stereotypical college fun. </p>
<p>SoCalBum</p>
<p>I visited on a Friday last year and returned on a Saturday to check out what was happening. Not much compared to other schools I have visited. The religious issue did not seem to be overbearing and the students seemed to be very tolerant and understanding.</p>
<p>Since it is difficult for you to visit until the spring, why not go to the library and read unbiased reviews by:</p>
<p>Fiske Guide
Princeton Review
Barrons, etc.....
to obtain a better feel for Brandeis. You will then have a better idea of what the Deis is all about. Keep in mind that Brandeis is a relatively young school and seems to have growing pains as it has been quite successful in becoming a fine academic university. They are attempting to become more diverse and they offer merit $$ to a high percentage of top students. </p>
<p>I found Tufts and Rochester a better match for me, however I applied ED to a more social highly ranked academic school because it seemed more alive. To each his own.</p>
<p>SoCalBum,</p>
<p>The following is a quote I found from another site which arguably has some accuracy. It depends on one's frame of reference:</p>
<p>"i really like everything so far. people are cool and laid back, i've made some great freinds so far. </p>
<p>it's not a party school, the campus is quite dead on weekends (dead to the point where people go to MIT for parties). that said i still haven't been board, on the weekends i'll hang out with friends or go into boston. </p>
<p>the dorms are fine. the freshmen will either live in massell or north quad, and are basically typical college dorms, not much to say. </p>
<p>i'm not taking any history of pol sci courses this semester (im taking french, econ, calc, and a seminar) but those are supposed to be good departments. </p>
<p>it's a very science-y school. more than half the people in my hall are all taking chem this semester, and every other person i've met wants to be a doctor. </p>
<p>there's a very strong jewish pressence, which i'm assuming is one of the reasons why you may be interested in the school based on your above comments. there is always a huge crowd of people going to services on fridays, and the campus was dead during rosh hashanna, so if you want a strong jewish community than brandeis is the place to be. i'm not jewish, but really haven't felt out of place. the community is there if you want it but nobody so far tries to force their religion on people or whatever. </p>
<p>write a good essay and get good recs. </p>
<p>also check out studentsreview.com and epinions.com for other views on the school."</p>