For those who went to open campus

<p>what did you think?</p>

<p>My S liked it a lot, but hasn't gotten back, so don't know full story.</p>

<p>I felt bad for the people visiting campus today! The weather was awful.</p>

<p>oh man... loved it. im still loving it actually cause im overnighting and im here in the shapiro center messaging you all. YAY! YAY FOR BRANDEIS!</p>

<p>Linnea, hope you will share with us all WHAT you loved about it. That would be motivating to those like my D who could not attend.</p>

<p>I wish i could have gone but since it was in the middle of the week and im going no matter what i thought of the open house(im ED) i couldnt make it...cant miss school
SO let me know how it was!</p>

<p>I think my S just really liked the two classes he went to in government or political science. Discussion of Rousseau (mostly lecture) in one, another a seminar on notions of justice (if I remember) with discussion of reading Melville's Billy Budd and presentations by class members on topics covered earlier in the semester. There was also a question-answer session with an administrator and students (no parents allowed). He liked it generally but wants to visit his other options too.</p>

<p>haha HI LINNEA :x</p>

<p>I'm still in Boston, visited some other schools today. But I loved Brandeis. Everyone I met seriously tops my list of "nicest people lollerskates has met, ever". I'm really attracted to the personalites on campus, as well as what the Jewish community offers (Jewish boy to bring home to mama awwww). </p>

<p>However, I heard a lot more than ever about how many people try to transfer freshman year, and that's a concern now. The people I met who tried transferring but ended up staying at Deis instead are glad they stuck it through. but I'm still worried because I don't understand why they tried to transfer (I mean if I can't figure out a reason, that must be a good sign. But I'm still wondering...). It was a blech day so I didn't take a tour of campus, so I'm visiting again tomorrow and just walking around with my mom. It seems more isolated than the other schools I visited in Boston, but there's definitely access to Boston, which I really like.
Overall, great impression. Mostly because of all the prospective freshman I met. :)</p>

<ol>
<li><p>students are EXTREMELY friendly and helpful.</p></li>
<li><p>students are smart, studious</p></li>
<li><p>Campus nice, town looks like it might grow on you</p></li>
<li><p>Campus accessible to Boston</p></li>
<li><p>Newton looks amazing</p></li>
<li><p>Bought shoes at the "Barn"; looks like an amazing store</p></li>
<li><p>Faculty welcoming and approachable</p></li>
</ol>

<p>
[quote]
However, I heard a lot more than ever about how many people try to transfer freshman year, and that's a concern now. The people I met who tried transferring but ended up staying at Deis instead are glad they stuck it through. but I'm still worried because I don't understand why they tried to transfer (I mean if I can't figure out a reason, that must be a good sign. But I'm still wondering...).

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I would think the reason is that many of them think they have a chance at an Ivy League college or a really prestigious college, and probably lots of Brandeis students applied to top 10 colleges in the nations and got rejected or waitlisted. That's the problem with a school that is just below the creme de la creme. And I totally understand why the Admission people would favor students who have slightly lesser stats over those with extremely high stats, as the latter tend to think of Brandeis as a safety option, and are not enthusiastic about it, which would definitely affect the overall atmosphere in the university.</p>

<p>open house was a blast! (Although it was a little uneccessary for me since i was planning on attending brandeis anyway i still found it really helpful).
The open house began with about two hours of lectures from the director of admissions and arts and sciences, which was a little tedious because it didn't allow the prefrosh to wonder around and spend their day like a real 'deis student. However, at around ten am, they set us free to do as we please.
I then attended two classes with a close friend of mine; Bioligical bases of Motivation and American Literature. Neither of the classes interested me much in general, but thats just because, as a theatre major, I'm not a huge fan of science or the Great Gatsby. I was very impressed with the professors interest in the students, though. They both seemed to know all of the students names and were making jokes with them, which the students seemed to enjoy. The classroom setup was also great. There were about seven students in each class and they were all sitting around a large rectangular table facing eachother and making good eye contact and conversation. That was probably my favorite part of the classroom experience.
After the two classes my friend and I went back to the Gosman Center for lunch and met up with 10 of the other people who got into Brandeis from my highschool - living ten mintues away can have its pros and cons. After lunch was the "meet the faculty" part of the day. This part was GREAT because I got to talk to one of the Theatre heads for about 45 mintues and she really reinforced my confidence in the theatre program at Brandeis.
After that was a meeting for accepted Midyear Students (which is me). That was a great meeting because I heard about all the possibilities for travel and education in between now and january. I also became more confident in my ablity to graduate in May of 2010 as opposed to the following semester.
At 4 oclock I met my host for the night (because I stayed overnight). She was incredible and so were her roomates. She was actually hosting me as a favor to a friend who got really sick (which says something about the bonds students make at brandeis.) My host told me that she had a few club meetings from 7-11 and that I could either join her or do my own thing. I chose to experience bBrandeis as my own entity for those 4 hours and see how I fended on my own. This was by far the best part of the open house.
At 6:30 my host and I met up with her friend Josh for dinner in the Usden. At 7 my host had to leave so Josh and I continued to talk (mainly about theatre) and then he introduced me to a few of his friends from a Sketch Comedy club. Josh left me with them and I went to watch their FABULOUS rehearsal.
At around 8:30 I left to meet up in the Shapiro center with a friend of mine from school and we hung out, drank coffee, and watched a small concert. We then met up with a few postgrads from my high school and talked with them for a bit until my host came to pick me up.
At around 11 my host and I found ourselves back at her dorm talking with her suitemates and drinking tea. At around 9am I left Brandeis, very tired and happy, to go back to school!
Well I hope that answers your question Pyewacket! And iI hope ur D gets a chance to experience brandeis the way i did.</p>

<p>Thanks, Linnea, enjoyed reading your account and will pass it on to my D. I'm so glad you're happy about Brandeis and that it has so far lived up to your dreams and expectations. I know D will be pleased to read about the Sketch Comedy club . She is looing forward to discovering her own Brandeis soon. Every account of the school mentions the friendliness of the students-- a very important asset in a college and reassuring to parents of students who will be far from home and the only ones from their school or possibly even from their country!</p>