<p>My son (currently in American Embassy School -Delhi) has been offered mid-year admission into Brandeis. We are obviously confused on what this means and whether the programs overseas are good. His other option is Skidmore. He us interested in a liberal arts - business education. </p>
<p>I’m curious to hear from others thinking about this as well. My son is trying to decide between Brandeis midyear and the University of Rochester. From what I understand the midyear program has been in place since 2007. I think the most recent midyear group was around 140 students, and I also believe they are housed in the Village dorms (which are supposed to be nice). We are visiting again on 4/25 and will try and get any of our questions answered…if anyone has any specific questions for them let me know and I’ll try and find answers while we are there.</p>
<p>Thank you very much ! It would be great if you could provide some more insights following your visit. Guess whast is important to figure out is whether the mid-year batch also completes at the same time as the batch that joins in the fall. And whether one can opt for other programs besides those indicated on the Brandeis website eg. Washington Mentoring Program, CET Florence, Aradia London …</p>
<p>Here’s a link to a student-authored article on the Brandeis mid year experience:</p>
<p><a href=“http://thebrandeishoot.com/articles/9376”>http://thebrandeishoot.com/articles/9376</a></p>
<p>I just happened to ask a similar question in an email to Brandeis and their response is shown below (it also sounds like they’re pretty flexible with the transfer of credits from other programs taken during the gap semester).</p>
<p>Most midyears graduate with the rest of their class. Brandeis requires a minimum of 128 credits (4 full-credit courses for 8 semesters). Students can take up to 5.5 courses per semester (labs and PE courses are half-credit). In fact, if a student were to take 9 courses every year (four in one semester, 5 in another) they would finish in 3.5 years. Additionally, there are also AP credits and summer courses or for-credit internships. For more about all the possible ways to graduate early/on-time I’d suggest visiting the registrar or academic advising websites.</p>
<p>For a perspective on midyear admissions, which are offered by numbers of colleges, take a look at this article: <a href=“More College Applicants Don’t Get In Until Winter - The New York Times”>http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/education/more-college-applicants-dont-get-in-until-winter.html</a></p>
<p>As @Chinook146 has pointed out the freshmen admitted at Brandeis through this program get to live in dorms that are nicer than the ones that the fall freshmen inhabit. They also get the benefit of living with a mixture of classes rather than all freshmen.</p>
<p>Even the most unabashedly enthusiastic midyear students confess to initial dismay at not starting in the fall. But it’s the school itself rather than when you start that should be the basis for the decision. In a Brandeis-Skidmore match-up, I see at least two significant factors in favor of Brandeis, both of which are described by @b77 in <a href=“Brandeis vs. Colgate vs. College of William & Mary - Brandeis University - College Confidential Forums”>Brandeis vs. Colgate vs. College of William & Mary - Brandeis University - College Confidential Forums;
<p>First, Brandeis combines the intimacy of a liberal arts college (small classes and personal attention from faculty) with the resources of a university, including research opportunities and the potential for taking graduate classes. For someone interested in business, the presence of a graduate business program probably means richer course offerings, as well as the opportunity to attend talks and other events at the Brandeis International School of Business. Many employers and MBA programs consider a non-business degree to be preferable, and Brandeis students with multiple interests are able to do double and even triple majors. (For examples, see the profiles of current senior student interviewers <a href=“Interviews | Visit | Undergraduate Admissions | Brandeis University”>Interviews | Visit | Undergraduate Admissions | Brandeis University)</p>
<p>Second, the location near Boston is a huge plus. (I agree with @b77 that Boston is “the world’s greatest college town”.) Interuniversity social events and other functions offer opportunities to interact with the other great schools in the area (Harvard, MIT, BU, BC, Tufts etc). And of course the city has its own cultural attractions. School-operated shuttles to Boston and Cambridge make it convenient to take advantage of these opportunities, and there are also public transportation options.</p>
<p>In contrast, while Skidmore is in a beautiful location, Saratoga Springs is a town of <30,000, known for horse racing and as a summer resort. Getting to New York City takes about 4 hours (i.e. it’s not a day trip – indeed it’s actually easier to get to NYC from Boston). And on the campus itself, the Brandeis student body is more diverse than Skidmore’s, with a higher percentage of internationals. </p>
<p>Thank you IRIS for a great overview ! Certainly helps clear some of the cobwebs </p>