<p>Refer to title =D. Any information would be great!</p>
<p>Hmm... Brandeis has Jewish roots, while BC has Jesuit roots.</p>
<p>I'm looking at both of them too =)</p>
<p>Brandeis is more progressive, BC is more jock-ish. Both good schools though.</p>
<p>I'm applying to Brandeis. Unfortunately, the school is in financial trouble, as evidenced by the recent decision to sell every item in the Rose Art Museum. Brandeis was known in the past to give generous merit aid, but I don't know whether this will continue. Its students and faculty continue to be excellent, however.</p>
<p>Both good schools.</p>
<p>Brandeis is in Waltham, which has a hip small-town feel, with a nice, eclectic little downtown. Boston College is in Chestnut Hill/Newton, which feels somewhat more suburban to me.</p>
<p>Both are convenient to the public transportation system, but not to very convenient <em>parts</em> of the public transportation system. BC is at the terminus of the Green Line's B branch, which is relatively cheap (since it's the subway and not the commuter rail), but the B branch is possibly the most annoying line of the whole subway system (it has so many stops that it takes forever to get anywhere). However, it will take you into downtown Boston. Brandeis is along one of the commuter rail lines, which are more expensive, but I find the commuter rail (or at least that line) less irritating to ride than the B branch. However, that rail line ends in Porter Square in Cambridge (from which you have access to the convenient Red Line) rather than downtown Boston.</p>
<p>BC has a more high-profile athletic program.</p>
<p>If you're interested in neuro, go for Brandeis. :)</p>
<p>Here's reviews of both colleges from The Princeton Review</p>
<p>Boston College</p>
<p>"Students praise the strong academics, the competitive athletic teams, the lively social scene, and the premium location that all combine to create a remarkable all-around college experience at Boston College. For many, though, BC’s greatest asset is the “strong spiritual presence [that] shows how positive an influence religion can have on one’s life.” Don’t worry; “They don’t try to make anybody be Catholic” here. Rather, the school “simply reflects the Jesuit ideals of community, spirituality, and social justice,” and these ideals pervade both the curriculum and the academic community. True to the Jesuit ideal of “educating the entire person,” BC requires a thorough core curriculum “including philosophy, theology, and language requirements,” rounded out by “strong [but optional] programs, such as internships and studying abroad.” Beyond the core curriculum, “BC offers something for everyone. If you go here, you are with business students, nursing students, education majors, and arts and science majors.” Even though this is a fairly large school, students insist that “you never feel like a number here. Yes, you have to be independent and seek out your professors. But when you do seek them out, you get incredible individualized attention.” One undergrad sums it up like this: “BC’s strength is a mix of everything. It may not be an Ivy League school in academics or win national championships everywhere in NCAA athletics, but it is a ‘jack of all trades’ when it comes to academics, athletics, art, and social activity.”"
"Boston magazine once described the BC student body as “a J. Crew catalogue with a slight hangover,” and while students protest that “there are a number of students who do not conform to such a vision of the student body,” they also admit that “there are a lot of preppy people at our school. Girls usually wear skirts and Uggs (unless it’s freezing out, but it has to be very, very cold), and boys usually wear jeans and t-shirts or collared cotton shirts.” And yes, “the typical BC student is White, Catholic, usually from the Northeast, who probably had family who went to BC,” but with 9,000 undergrads, “We have students from all sorts of backgrounds, religions, sexual orientations.” BC students tend to be extremely ambitious; they are “those super-involved people in high school who were three-season team captains, class president, and straight-A students. [They] have carried over that focus and determination into college.”"
"There is a “real spirit of volunteerism and giving back to the community [that] is one of BC’s greatest strengths,” many students here tell us, reporting that “there are about a million volunteer groups on campus, as well as a bunch of immersion trips to different places, the most renowned of which is the Appalachia group trip.” Students here “really care about the world outside of Chestnut Hill. In a way, even the notion of studying abroad has turned into a question of ‘How can I help people while there?’ BC’s Jesuit mission is contagious.” Not all extracurricular life at BC is so altruistic, however; students here love to have fun in “the greatest location of any college ever! We are on the T [train], so we can get into the city of Boston whenever we like, but we are in suburbia so we can relax without all of the gimmicks of city life.” Undergrads love to explore Boston, a city with “tons of great museums, historical sights, restaurants, and a lot of great concerts,” that also happens to be “such a big college town. It’s easy to meet kids that go to BU, Harvard, Emerson, Northeastern, or any of the other universities in the area.” Closer to campus, BC has “great sports. Our football team has won six bowl games in a row and basketball is, at this writing, playing Georgetown in the men’s NCAA Tournament. The ice hockey team is consistently ranked high nationally,” and students turn out to support their Eagles in both men’s and women’s athletics."</p>
<p>Brandeis University</p>
<p>"Home to “lots of ‘pre-somethings’ trying to figure out if that ‘something’ is right for them,” Brandeis University is “a good jumping-off point for those looking to go into medicine or law.” Boasting “a very good liberal arts education,” Brandeis also provides plenty of alternatives to those who start down the “pre-something” path only to find that it’s not for them. Even those who stay the course appreciate the “large variety of options”; as one student explains, “Brandeis is very academically stimulating and has many interesting courses, professors who make themselves available outside of class, and teaching assistants who are very helpful.” Aspiring doctors are drawn here by a “stellar” neuroscience department that gives undergraduates “the experience of graduate students as far as research is concerned,” in addition to “a very high acceptance rate at medical schools.” Other strong programs include psychology, music, economics, political science, and history. Students agree that most professors are “passionate about what they teach.” Classes “are generally small, which puts pressure on you to come prepared,” and there is “a fair amount of class discussion, which can be great or awful.” Students are ready to be engaged in class, as they are typically “friendly and talkative. An intense philosophical discussion is more common at Brandeis than drunken boorishness.”
"Brandeis has long been a popular destination for Jewish students. About 40 percent of the student population (undergrad and grad) is Jewish, and undergrads tell us that “there are a lot of orthodox Jews here, more than at your average college. Yet, there are also a lot of non-religious students, observant Muslims, and Christians. So the school just teaches us to recognize each others’ religions,” and “You never feel like your fellow students are judging you.” A “nice-sized international community” also “helps diversify the school.” Many here tend to be “pretty socially awkward, and kind of an overachiever, but generally well-intentioned and sweet.” One student told us that students tend to be “quirky, prone to traditionally nerdy pursuits, and very friendly. At Brandeis, weird is normal.” Everyone works hard here “because they want to do well,” and students “spend most of their time studying.”
"Brandeis boasts “plenty of performance-based clubs (theater, musical, improv comedy, sketch comedy, dance), community-service organizations, activist clubs, ethnic clubs, religious clubs, political clubs, independent sports clubs, and also clubs just for fun, like the hookah club. There are so many opportunities to be involved here,” and students “take [their] extracurriculars just as seriously as [their] studies, and tend to excel in both.” Students also love their access to Boston, noting that “a free shuttle runs us to and from the city Thursdays through Sundays, and the commuter rail stop on campus.” The proximity of Boston helps offset the fact that “there is really nothing to do in Waltham. There is a movie theater, and some restaurants, and bars, but that is about it. Proximity to [Boston College] and Bentley is nice, however.” Students say the social scene at Brandeis “is somewhat lacking. If you are looking for big sporting events with lots of spirit or parties with lots of people, you won’t like Brandeis.” Parties “don’t ever fall into your lap at Brandeis; you have to look for them.” For some, this is a plus; as one student writes, “I like the school because if you want a quiet Friday night with board games and old movies, it’s very easy to do. People won’t judge you or pressure you into drinking. But on Saturday when you’re ready for some fun, you have to do a little digging.”"</p>
<p>i think it's important to point out BC requires you to take a theology course and Brandeis has absolutely no such requirement as one of its pillars is non-sectarianism</p>