How can I show that Brandeis is my first choice if I don't apply ED?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brandeis University
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<p>Brandeis is my top choice. If I don’t get in there, I’m not sure where I’ll want to go. Its also sort of a reach. But my parents want me to go to a whole bunch of cheap/worse/colser to home schools, so they didn’t let me apply early decision. Is there anything I can do though to show I really want to go there? Can/should I write a supplemental essay in the additional info section of the common app supplement? Is there anything else I can do?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

<p>Try to get an interview and stress it there. You could write it in a supplemental essay but I don't know how much it will be looked at. I think stressing it in the interview is your best bet.</p>

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<p>Interviews often ask why do you want to go to this school? Make sure your answers refelct a detailed knowledge of what Brandeis offers that would be less readily available at most other schools</p>

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<p>Is there any way to get in across in the application itself..like without an interview?</p>

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<p>Not having an interview shows that you're not really that interested...</p>

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<p>what if im not good at interviews..like..im shy..
but if i were to gather up some courage, when is the latest i can do an interview? can i still do one after i apply?</p>

<p>and so i shouldnt say anything in the additional info section?</p>

7

<p>You can find the answers to your questions if you just look on the website.</p>

<p>Interviews are not available anymore, or at least the last time I checked. You can, however, send in an extra essay en lieu of the interview. </p>

<p>If Brandeis is your first choice you really need to take the initiative to look these things up.</p>

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<p>To summarize:
- Your "first choice" is a school that your parents don't want you to attend.
(How do you plan on paying for this?)
- You didn't apply ED to your first choice school.
- Your first choice is a reach and you didn't have or request an interview.
- You didn't mention in your application essay that the school was your first choice.</p>

<p>Does your H.S. have guidance counselors? If so, were they involved in this train wreck?</p>

<p>I don't want to be mean, but sure looks like very little thought has gone into this.</p>

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<p>soze - Did you join CC just so you could tell me that?</p>

<p>To resummarize:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Brandeis is my first choice - you don't need to write that in quotes.</p></li>
<li><p>My parents want me to be open-minded, which to them means I can't like any one school. They think there are other, less expensive and better places for me and want to leave "opportunities" open. They didn't want to me "limit myself" with ED (they can pay and I think they would if they had to).</p></li>
<li><p>You can tell me if Brandeis is a reach:
SAT: 610 CR, 710 Math, 720 Writing
SAT II: 650 Math IIC, 630 Hebrew
GPA: 5.1 out of 6, but the highest you can get is only 5.6652
Rank: My school doesn't rank but my GPA puts me in the first "quintile"
APs: English language - 5, Psychology - 5, this year I'm taking US government, English literature, Spanish language
ECs: NHS, Spanish NHS, Spanish Club Treasurer, Worked with an autistic 16 year old, Gave private Hebrew lessons, Helped elderly in retirement community use computers, Worked on a campaign for State Senator, 1st place in Manhattan College robotics competition</p></li>
<li><p>I didn't have an interview because I'm shy and didn't think that would help me</p></li>
<li><p>The point of my original post was to see if I could have included an essay saying Brandeis was my first choice. People said not to.</p></li>
<li><p>My guidance counselor didn't help me much. If you don't want to be mean, help me instead of joining CC to call my situation a train wreck.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>primeminister - I was thinking that an interview was simply wrong for me. I didn't know it was so important. I thought I might get so nervous it would hurt me. I took your advice though and found this -
<a href="http://www.brandeis.edu/admissions/applying/noaluminterview.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.brandeis.edu/admissions/applying/noaluminterview.html&lt;/a>
Do people use it? What do they say? Should I just say why I think Brandeis is right for me?</p>

<p>Any advice (rather than criticism)?</p>

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<p>I used it by including a short essay that presented a different side of me. Yes, this would be a good place to say why Brandeis is right for you.</p>

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<p>I know this is too late, but if you ever have anything that has a non-required interview, generally, that means it's required in order to look good. I had to fight to get an interview as they had no Atlanta alumni to do it for awhile, but finally got one and I think that was a big plus on my application. Everyone is nervous. That's part of life. If you can't deal with an interview, then how are you going to meet all the new people you have to in college?</p>

<p>We're not trying to criticize or be rude, but based on what you've said, your words saying that Brandeis is your first choice do not match up with your actions. I know what it's like to have bad counselors- mine had never heard of Brandeis (or Tufts, William and Mary, or Dartmouth) and kept telling me just to apply to UGA. But I scoured the websites of every school I was interested in to learn what I needed to do. You need to do that about the Brandeis requirements. </p>

<p>Even though it's too late for interviews, you could still try.</p>

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<p>My guess would be a "bit" of a reach, but you never know. ED would probably have helped you. I'm sorry but how can it be 5.1 out of 6.0 but "the highest you can get is only 5.6652"? That does not make any sense to me.</p>

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<p>I don't think that Brandeis will decide that it was not your first choice simply because you didn't apply ED. Many students don't apply ED because they need or want to compare the financial situations before deciding where to attend. And if your parents were not (yet, at least) willing to pay the full cost of a Brandeis education, then you had a valid reason for not applying ED but still considering it "your" first choice.</p>

<p>On the other hand, as you should be aware, the cost of attending Brandeis is around or above $ 45,000 per year. Brandeis awards a fair amount of merit-based aid but it is competitive among many top students and is heavily based on stats. Your 610 on the SAT CR may be sufficient for you to be accepted at Brandeis but it may prevent you from being awarded any merit aid. So it sounds like the financial cost of going to Brandeis will definitely be an issue in your family. You should be thinking about how to work that out with your parents if you are accepted. And since you already know that Brandeis is a reach, you should be thinking about which other schools you would like (or at least be willing) to attend if you are not accepted there. It may even be that your parents are right about other schools being better for you.</p>

<p>But if you still want to push for Brandeis, then yes, you should push yourself to try to get and take part in an interview. Even trying for one will be a positive in your application file.</p>

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<p>My D was accepted ED to Brandeis last year --her test scores were not very different to yours on average--a bit higher here and there. She did have an interview, which did not go as well as at some of her other college choices--just the luck of the draw.</p>

<p>I think you should try to get an interview and tell them that you did so in spite of feeling shy because you are so sure Brandies would be right for you--and tell them why.</p>