I’m trying to narrow down my college list right now and my decision is coming down to Brandeis vs. Rochester in terms of which school to cut (and yes, I do absolutely want to cut one to make sure my list comes down to a semi-manageable size). I’m looking to study IR with the goal to become a foreign service officer, or otherwise possibly do international law or business. I do plan to go to grad school, and finances are not an issue. I’d love to hear everyone’s insights and opinions about these two schools! I know there are some threads already comparing the two, but so far I haven’t found any for my major in particular so I’m hoping to gain more insight there. Both schools are matches for me.
Brandeis —
I visited the campus and thought that the campus itself was not that nice, pretty run down and not architecturally pleasing. However, I loved that the school was founded with the mission of social justice, and the admissions officer really seemed to emphasize that Brandeis students are extremely kind, open, and collaborative. I’m really into social justice and I want a collaborative and friendly environment, so these things appealed to me. Additionally, most of the students seem to do a double major or a minor and they seem to be interested in a variety of things. Being able to easily study different things and delve into all of my interests is also something that appealed to me. Brandeis doesn’t have an IR major, but I know that it has an International and Global Studies major, and a major in Politics, which both sound interesting to me. I haven’t heard a lot about the strength of those majors in particular, but the little that I have heard seems to be positive. Brandeis is also really close to Boston, which would be great for internships, plus it is nice to be near a city when you’re young! My main concerns with Brandeis would be the campus, the strength of my major, and the large Jewish population (I’m not Jewish so I’m not sure if I would feel left out socially given that half of the school is Jewish? I’m sure it would be perfectly fine but it is a little concern of mine). I know Brandeis has good job/grad school placement.
Rochester —
I have not visited, but I’ve heard that it’s very strong for IR. The campus looks beautiful, and I’ve heard that the environment is very academic, pleasant, and collaborative. Almost every review I’ve read mentions the academic strength of the school, and how they really value their degree from URochester. However, I’m concerned about its location as it’s a little bit remote and I’ve heard that the actual city of Rochester isn’t that pleasant. I can’t say too much more about the school because I haven’t visited (and won’t have the opportunity to do so), but it’s on my list because it seems to be very academically strong in my major and have a good social environment for my preferences.
A little more about me and my preferences -
I’m from CA (prepared to brave the cold weather!). My ideal college campus would be in a city but still have a distinct campus feel to it. Socially, I want a school with an active social life but am not a fan of excessive Greek life or extreme partying. Diversity is important to me, as I come from an international background. Academics are a big priority for me, and I would like the school to be academically strong & rigorous without being overly cutthroat.
I can’t speak to which is better for your program, but will say that U Rochester was one of our favorites. The campus is vibrant and beautiful, the students we engaged with were intelligent, friendly, and seemed academically focused. I had heard similar things about the city of Rochester and was pleasantly surprised. We thought it was a very nice city, at least the parts we traveled through. I would strongly recommend a visit if any way possible. We felt the same way as you about Brandeis. It seemed like a campus with little “life” in it.
I am the proud parent of two daughters, one is a Brandeis alum and the other a Rochester alum. Neither were international relations or politics majors however both schools have well-regarded departments with strong faculty and alumni. They are very similar schools in the students they attract and admit. Why not apply to both or are you trying to select one school for ED?
I personally like the Brandeis campus although admittedly it has grown since I was last there as older d graduated 10 years ago and maybe it is more congested with new buildings and some buildings need to likely be in need of renovation while others are brand-new. She and her five closest friends from freshman year just spent Memorial Day weekend together of the 6 girls, three are Jewish and the other three not. All studied different subject areas although one did go to grad school for international relations and spent time in the Peace Corps. 3 are from NYC and the suburbs, 1 from upstate NY, 1 from Maine and one from MA was high school friends with Patricia Chan, who met and married Mark Zuckerberg. FYI when he developed Facebook prototype, Brandeis was the first non-Ivy league school. Of the six, 4 studied abroad for a semester, 1 was an RA and 1 did a summer program abroad. The location close to Boston was a definite plus… easy access to the city with either the BranVAn to Harvard Square or the commuter train. Lots to do in/around Boston and to take advantage of, not that you did go every weekend as plenty to do on campus and busy with academics, campus jobs, etc. Easy access to transportation options home to NY from Logan Airport, Amtrak, buses or driving. I know my daughter thrived there in a double major within the same department, studio art/art history and in addition to departmental student leadership role, had a campus job that allowed her to development leadership skills that have resonated in her profession today.
Younger d went to Rochester and had a double major in two departments, one was in music and she did well in her ongoing annual juries to continue studying voice at Eastman which added another dimension to her experience. Her friends came from many different geographic areas and many different interests. The campus has also grown since I was last there but it is more of a traditional quad type set-up than Brandeis. It is easy to double major. Rochester touts their Open Curriculum and Brandeis also has an open curriculum. As a parent, older d had an easier experience with the open flexible of Brandeis curriculum but that was related to the difference between double major in the same department as opposed to double major in different departments as well as studying abroad. Her second major was English and she was a theater concentration. Her time was spent primarily in theater department and student theater. All of those experiences including a summer internship really prepared her for her professional role in theater today. The city of Rochester has a lot to offer and trust me I know as I travel there on business professionally prior to her life there as a student and since then however it is not Boston. There are plenty of things to do. Rochester has more of a Greek life than Brandeis but it is not a big dominant campus presence. Neither of my girls had any interest in sororities and had no friends either male or female who were either but that could be self-selection.
Both schools are academically strong in which the individual student can flourish and grow but you do have to work hard to seek out those opportunities to find your niche. I would recommend visiting Rochester if you can. Older d by the way was also accepted to Rochester but for her interests which were originally science/art, she felt Brandeis to be the better fit for her.
URochester offers 1) traditional collegiate architecture 2) solid international diversity (18% of students) and 3) the advantage of being offset from the Eastern megalopolis – so where you would be (mostly) as a college student would be on a college campus.