Brandeis vs. Trinity (CT) vs. Connecticut College??

Parents Forum
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<p>Out of these three schools I am having a very hard time making my decision. Which would you choose and for what reason? I am really split between Connecticut College and Brandeis, but is there a reason I should take another look at Trinity? I was invited to the Cities program and Guided studies program, which actually look pretty interesting to me. </p>

<p>I am undecided, but definitely hold some interest in behavioral and cultural studies. From what I have read Trinity has the most partying going on (Out of the three, it is the only one with Frats), which is not too important, but does Brandeis and Conn Colellege really lack that much of a nightlife? </p>

<p>If anybody has experience with any of the schools, it would be great to see what you believe the pros and cons about the school are. Thanks!</p>

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<p>All three are good choices so you can’t really make a serious mistake. </p>

<p>Both Trinity and Conn are good LACs in not so great cities. Both have traditional, beautiful campuses. Certainly, Hartford is a better city than New London but Trinity is adjacent to a particularly bad part of Hartford so your social life is going to be on campus or you have to drive somewhere. Conn is in a relatively nice part of New London but I stress the word relatively because New London is very small and, frankly, pretty much of a dump. So, again, your social life is going to be pretty much on campus.</p>

<p>Brandeis, while not a whole lot bigger than those LACs, is nonetheless a R1 University and a pretty good one at that. As a result, its faculty is relatively more distinguished and there are more opportunities for research than you will find at any LAC. While Waltham is not Cambridge, it has improved greatly in recent years and you are only 9 miles from downtown Boston, arguably the best college city around. Brandeis is not on a subway (“T”) line so it is not as convenient to get into the city as it is from Harvard, Tufts, MIT, BU, Northeastern or BC, but it does have a commuter rail stop on campus and Brandeis runs a shuttle into the city on weekends. Despite being a little inconvenient, the proximity to Boston will clearly open up social opportunities simply not available in New London or Hartford.</p>

<p>The choice is subjective and personal, but I would choose Brandeis over the other two. In a heartbeat.</p>

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<p>Thanks, that was very helpful. Its really down to Conn and Brandeis now. I had a great time at Conn, but Brandeis seemed to have many more opportunities and areas to explore. How would one compare the two academically? It seemed that the Brandeis student body had more depth to it, the diverse array of cultures was extremely integrated in comparison to what I experienced at Conn.</p>

<p>If anybody has any kind of opinion, please post each and every one of your thoughts </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>Another vote for Brandeis. (Unless your specific major is more available at one of the other schoold.) There’s a more intellectual vibe at Brandeis, Boston and environs are much better in every way than the other cities. Trinity’s small beautiful campus is surrounded by such a rough area that you’d really be stuck at the school. It’s more conservative, more conventional than Brandeis. I have less experience with Conn but it seems very plain vanilla, social/party…whereas Brandeis …GO TO BRANDEIS. There, that’s what I meant to say.</p>

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<p>What is the rep of Connecticut College? I have no impressions of it one way or the other. Other than, I suppose, it’s in Connecticut. What’s it comparable to?</p>

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<p>I know nothing about Conn College, but one of the things that impressed me at Brandeis - which we didn’t see at any other college we visited was that the admissions office had a flyer about every major with a list of some typical courses they offered. I felt like they took their academics a little more seriously than other colleges. They were also quite candid at the info session about how the Madoff scandal and the economic downturn had effected their endowment. </p>

<p>Our tour guide at Brandeis was a low-income African-American student from NYC. We really liked him.</p>

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<p>Pizzagirl – to answer your question about Conn Clg, D had an overnight there, and she told me it seems very homogeneous. Lovely campus, but isolated. But a very good school.</p>

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<p>In terms of Facilities, Choices, and Intimacy of the Classroom, can anyone compare Conn College and Brandeis?</p>

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<p>An added question about Brandeis, I believe it was founded as a Jewish school. Would an agnostic, non-Jewish kid fit in there? Is there any emphasis on religion, or is it a non-issue?</p>

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<p>Brandeis was founded by the Jewish community, but it has always been a secular school. The school is about 45% Jewish, and that includes Jews who are not practicing (and who may even be agnostic like yourself). So, no, you would not have a problem fitting in there as long as you keep an open mind.</p>

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<p>That’s good to know, shulie. Of course, I would have a problem fitting in because I’m pretty old and my brain cells aren’t as active as today’s college kid. But my son is open minded, non-judgemental and agnostic. I just want to make sure it wasn’t highly religious, as then he might feel excluded. A secular school is definitely a positive for him.</p>

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<p>Also, in terms of Facilities, Choices, and Intimacy of the Classroom, can anyone compare Conn College and Brandeis?</p>

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<p>I wouldn’t see a non-Jewish kid having a problem at Brandeis at all. Any place that has that many Jewish kids is going to be quite secular in nature :-)</p>

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<p>@busdriver, You ask a question often asked about Brandeis! The school was founded by Jewish community leaders to create a quality secular private university with no quotas against Jews, at a time pre-WWII when the Ivy League schools capped Jewish enrolment. It remains a secular school, long after the Ivies have changed that discriminatory policy against Jews. Brandeis takes Jewish and nonJewish students, providing all a secular university education. There are strong offerings in Jewish studies and languages, as well as comparative religions, but nothing required of ANY student re: worship attendance, coursework with Judaic content, and so forth. </p>

<p>Jewish people, which make up around 2 % of the American population, are heartily represented at Brandeis, to the tune of around 45-50%. So perhaps what’s surprising, when nonJews visit or attend Brandeis, is experiencing Jews as a near-majority, rather than a teeny-tiny minority. </p>

<p>In fact, Jewish people have a wide amount of diversity - political, religous, economic – from right to left, rich to poor, observant to agnostic/atheistic.</p>

<p>A student coming to Brandeis will discover there are SOME Jews who stay on campus to walk, pray and study every Saturday. Others, equally passionate and proud to be Jewish, will practice in more modern forms. They’ll bus into Boston to explore museums, concerts, clubs, parties and plays. They might choose from 4 or 5 different Sabbath services that provide different ways to worship. Some stay away from worship, completely. It’s everyone’s favorite flavor. </p>

<p>Aside from that, c’mon, let’s think about this math. If 45-50% of the students are Jewish, then 50-55% are…something else! The University has long been committed to racial and cultural diversity, bringing in national and international students from many backgrounds. </p>

<p>From my nephew, I’ve heard it can sometimes be intense intellectually, or competitive/heady…but not exclusionary socially. Students are serious about their coursework in every major. They might talk politics, history or medical ethics over dinner, debate intensely, and laugh a lot. It’s vibrant. </p>

<p>I understand Brandeis is noted for a high degree of “student satisfaction,” has faculty with distinguished publications who also find time for students. The medium-sized university has not an overwhelming number of graduate students to corral the attention of professors. I’m not up on my list of current EC’s at Brandeis, but I recall some unusual theater options, one including for students who don’t want to rehearse or perform on the Jewish Sabbath (Fridaynight - early Sat night) along with around a half-dozen other theater groups with the more typical weekend schedule. I get the impression everyone, Jews and nonJews, pick their right setting socially and culturally. Nobody’s pressed into just one format. Options are abundant. </p>

<p>I hope and trust that nonJews feel very welcome there! Of the Jewish students I know there (past and present) they like being so strongly represented, statistically, for 4 years of their lives. The academic calendar agrees with their family/home holiday schedule; they don’t feel a minority; they can experiment with other ways of practicing their faith than what they learned as children. </p>

<p>Short of studying in Israel or moving there, I can’t think of another way Jewish college students can find this experience to quite the level as at Brandeis. So that’s exciting to them. Many LAC’s and unis across the nation are in the “25-30% Jewish population” category. Brandeis is certainly not the only place Jewish kids go to find lots of others of similar backgrounds. In fact, some Jewish kids specifically don’t want Brandeis because of the same statistics.</p>

<p>The idea that Jewish kids can make many choices means the entire campus is infused with that ethic. I think that’s a reason why it could feel welcoming to people from many faith and national backgrounds. Everyone is trying new things out, “shopping” as it were, embracing cultural diversity.</p>

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<p>Have also heard great things about Brandeis. One thing that does get mentioned regarding the fact that the population is around 50% Jewish is that dating scene can be challenging for non-Jews. Perhaps “dating” isn’t the accurate term, but some students were saying that even non-observant Jews are looking for fellow Jews when it comes to serious relationships, so that they are making that selection early on. Don’t know if this is really an issue or not.</p>

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<p>CJAneRead, I don’t know why that would be different than any other college with a significant Jewish population, of which there are several among the top universities in the country. Among any cultura/religious group–Christian, Jew, Muslim etc–there will be some who date inside their group, others who do not and still others who may do both. Actually, given the high level of diversity at Brandeis–116 countries and 17 different religions represented–there may be a greater liklihood to accept individuals as people rather than identifying them by group–whether in a dating or friendship context.</p>

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<p>My D gave careful consideration to those three schools, among a few others. She decided Trinity was too preppy/party/Greek. Brandeis was very impressive academically, and it had a really interesting and relatively diverse (for NE private colleges) student body, but she just couldn’t get past the 1950s campus. </p>

<p>Conn is white and preppy, like Trinity, but it doesn’t have a Greek scene and seems to value the arts a bit more. We were quite impressed with the academics and facilities at Conn. It’s a great school. Unfortunately, it costs a fortune and does not give merit aid, so my D ultimately turned down their offer of admission.</p>

<p>If I were going, I would pick Brandeis. It seemed clear that you’d get a superb education there, and the atmosphere was intellectual but not boring. But Conn is no slouch, either.</p>

<p>You have very fine choices.</p>

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<p>From our visit, I felt there was a very high degree of enthusiasm around Brandeis. A real get-up-and-go spirit that was very appealing.</p>

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<p>Brandeis is a great school, with a really smart and committed faculty. When I was there years ago doing postdoctoral research, we had several undergraduate students working in the lab- none of whom were Jewish. The liberal thinking and intellectual focus that may be hallmarks of Jewish culture probably contribute much more to the environment than religious background. It’s funny. Jews represent roughly 25-30% of students at Yale, Penn and Harvard, and few people seem to worry about that! Yes, Brandeis has a higher percentage, but the students are a very open and welcoming group. My 24 yo DD, who has never been interested in her Jewish heritage (and never dated a Jew, btw), went on an overnight to Brandeis years ago when she was looking at colleges. She really only went as an excuse to visit a friend in Boston. She came back ecstatic about the place and applied ED, but was not accepted. The op is lucky to have Brandeis as a choice!</p>

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<p>paying3tuitions, what a great description of Brandeis. D1 is a very happy sophomore there, but I couldn’t have written such a thoughtful description. at least not yet - maybe in 2 years after she graduates!

exactly true. having grown up in one of only a handful of Jewish families in our small midwestern town, D1 loves being among so many Jews, but she also has friends of other faiths and many nationalities. D2, on the other hand, is a rising HS senior and has no interest in Brandeis. (but that might be a sister thing :smiley: or a cold weather thing ;))</p>