<p>I basically want to become an actuary. Which school is better for that? I live in NYC, so IF Brandeis is better than Fordham in terms of actuarial science, is it worth it to pay an extra 10000 bucks and dorm in Waltham?</p>
<p>Are you Jewish? If not, I would go to Fordham.</p>
<p>Isnt fordham a catholic dominant school? I also heard that less than half the kids at Bran were Jewish.</p>
<p>I’ve heard Brandeis is VERY Jewish. And at Fordham, don’t worry about the catholic religion. Trust me, it is there, but you do not have to participate at all. I’m VERY familiar with the school. If you go to Fordham you will have to deal with all the pesky HS students at the prep dressed in ties ;).</p>
<p>Brandeis is not a “Jewish” school. Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York. But you probably know that, as well as their relative rankings, for what those are worth, if you are researching them.</p>
<p>Brandeis is an elite liberal arts university. It is completely non-religious. Fordham is not an academic peer of Brandeis. Plus it is a Catholic school. Actuarial Science? Brandeis offers one of the top math departments in the country but no actuarial science major–although math majors can go into that field. There really is no comparison between the two schools. Here’s some useful info on the Brandeis math department:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.brandeis.edu/areas/majors/pdfs/math.pd[/url]”>http://www.brandeis.edu/areas/majors/pdfs/math.pd</a></p>
<p>Here’s a brief article describing the impressive ranking of Brandeis’ doctoral programs (many, including math, among the best in the nation): </p>
<p>fhttp://<a href=“Brandeis doctoral programs rate high in national survey | BrandeisNOW”>www.brandeis.edu/now/2010/november/nationalresearchcouncil.html</a></p>
<p>This is very relevant to undergraduates because, at Brandeis, undergrads and grad students both work side-by-side with the same professors.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>