<p>My D has been accepted to Tufts and Brandeis (and Fordham). Money is same for all 3 except Brandeis is a scholarship and Tufts is a grant. Her interest is Biology, but I'm unsure of her final career path (MD, Psyc, research, bio business, etc). She is very social and very creative (dancing since 3). Any thoughts on pro/con of Tufts vs Brandeis for Bio major? We are on West Coast and D has visited Tufts but not Brandeis. Appears they are similar from what I've read (quirky, LAC feel but with research).</p>
<p>Is there a minimum GPA requirement to keep the scholarship? That might affect the money side of things. </p>
<p>I’ve known many happy students at Brandeis. Will your D be able to tour? I thought it’d be a great fit for D1 (Tufts sophomore), but for whatever reason it rubbed her the wrong way (and I’m sure there are some Brandeis students who feel the same way about Tufts ;)).</p>
<p>It would be good to visit. My son is a freshman at Tufts. The summer we did our college tour Brandeis was one of the school we visited. As soon as we got to the parking lot, he said I’m not going to this school, I hate it. We made him get out of the car and do the tour but his opinion didn’t change. Academically the schools are very similar so you really need to go by the feel. He loved Tufts as soon as we got there. When we visited for students acceptance day last year, it was snowing/raining and miserable in April. And he still loved it. That’s when we knew that it was a perfect fit for him. He got acceptance in all the schools but when it came time to decide he only wanted to go to Tufts acceptance day.
Brandeis is very Jewish. We’re Jewish so totally not prejudiced. But when the tour guide told us that the best thing to do on a Friday night is to go to Shabbat dinner that turned off my son even more. And she was Asian which I though was kind of funny.
Another thing to consider is Tufts is an easy walk to T at Davis square. Brandeis is in the middle of nowhere.</p>
<p>Tufts…no contest.</p>
<p>They are both very fine schools.
Tufts is generally regarded as harder to get into, and as far as I can tell, it has more cachet on a resume than Brandeis. (Although honestly, if you’re going to grad school, it’s where the graduate degree is from that matters far more.)
For me personally (and for my son), it’s an easy call - Tufts. But that is admittedly very subjective. I just think that the Tufts campus has a much nicer feel to it; a rather typical New England LAC atmosphere, while Brandeis is quite different. And i certainly like Tufts’ location better. You can walk to Davis Square in a few minutes, and you can either do things there or take the T into Cambridge or Boston.</p>
<p>I’ve lived in Massachusetts for a lot of my life, and when I was in high school, my parents put Brandeis - certainly a very fine school - on my “don’t even bother, you can get in somewhere much better” list. Again, it’s a great school, but it’s not (IMHO) in quite the same league.</p>
<p>The campuses are very different and the atmosphere is different. The only thing I would say is that bio at Tufts is rather hard, and someone who is strongly considering grad school may be better off as the star at Brandeis than just one of the many at Tufts.</p>
<p>I don’t think people have been too fair to Brandeis. I visited Brandeis during my college search (would have considered applying there if they had engineering) and have had many friends go there, as well as my brother who just graduated last spring.</p>
<p>In a lot of ways the two are very similar schools. I think the Tufts campus is more distinctive and has a nicer feel, but Brandeis is nice, too, and has some nice buildings and plenty of green, open space. </p>
<p>As far as location, Tufts wins easily, being a short walk to Davis which is right on the red line. Brandeis is right on the commuter rail though, and I was able to take the T to the commuter rail several times to get to Brandeis from Tufts fairly easily. There’s talk of the MBTA shutting off weekend service on Brandeis’s line (they may have already), which is definitely unfortunate. I believe the school does offer a bus service to Harvard Square, though.</p>
<p>For the person who said “Brandeis is very Jewish” - so is Tufts! Tufts is around 1/3rd Jewish with very active communities at Chabad and Hillel, while Brandeis is just under 50%. I would guess that the greater availability of kosher food means there are a higher proportion of more observant Jews at Brandeis, but there are plenty of Jews at Tufts, too. I’m somewhat surprised that the tour guide said that, as I doubt my brother ever went to a Shabbat dinner and I think he had a pretty good time.</p>
<p>As far as academics, Tufts is generally more highly regarded but, in rankings at least, Brandeis isn’t very far behind. I’m not sure about the respective biology departments but I understand that they’re both very good. Depending on what you’re interested in, being able to collaborate with the Med/Vet schools at Tufts could be a plus.</p>
<p>Tufts is very diverse and has a higher reputation. But, it comes down to feel Visit and make the choice. Brandeis is a fine school.</p>
<p>One recent Brandeis grad that I know was going into Boston on a regular basis 1-2x a week during her senior year, knocking things off her bucket list. So if someone is interested in getting into the city, it’s certainly do-able.</p>
<p>Can I offer a thought: throw out “reputation” as a consideration. If your child visits both (or do a lot of research) and get a strong sense that Brandeis will offer you better opportunities for growth than Tufts, then go there. </p>
<p>I personally believe that for most people, we’re the better choice as far as that goes, but I’m also paid to believe that, FWIW. But, I also know that the recipe for educational success is a <em>highly</em> individualized mix, and your child is now in this enviable position of being able to make a choice about what cocktail is best for you. </p>
<p>I do feel, though, that there are important pieces that distinguish each schools campus culture. I’ve visited there, have family who went there, and my own impressions (theirs, too) is that the two schools don’t feel very nearly as much alike as a comparison on paper might make you suspect.</p>
<p>I liked both, my son did not like the office park architecture of Brandeis and the fact that it’s not as convenient to transportation into Boston - but it is doable - and my son’s experience is that he doesn’t actually go to Boston that often except to a Krav Maga class which after a move is not easy to get to even from Tufts. If kosher dining is important to you Brandeis has it more integrated into the regular dining hall.</p>
<p>Hi Dan. My daughter remembers you (and all the admissions staff)! She is actually 99.99% already committed to attending Tufts, and was from the day the decisions came out. The 0.01% uncertainty is out of respect for her overly analytical dad who wants her to fully review all offers before committing. I’m 99% sure it’s the right school:-).</p>
<p>We are from Ca so not quite as familiar with E Coast schools as those on E Coast are. My Daughter stayed overnight at Tufts so has first hand experience to use for her decision. She did not however visit other schools like Brandeis where she has been accepted. In the right circles here Tufts is well known and respected, but the majority of Californians recall having heard of the school but don’t know where it is or much about it. For those that do know a little, the comment is usually like oh, your daughter wants to be a dentist or a vet… That’s OK though, as the quality of the education and fit is what matters. My wife and I did our homework and knew that on paper and from other sources (Princeton Best Colleges, USNWR online, College Confidential, etc) Tufts was a very good fit for her. She is smart, creative, quirky, non-judgemental, caring and with a bent toward science. My understanding is that describes the typical Tufts student.</p>
<p>We are headed this evening to an admitted students meet and greet in La Jolla this eve and are really looking forward to it! In addition, we will attend Jumbo Days (as well as admitted student days at a few other schools on E Coast while there). I suspect there will be an elephant mug on my desk in the near future, but just double checking first!!</p>
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The people I know who went to Brandeis all got an outstanding education and worked hard. I just think that it’s a notch below Tufts, sort of like how a minor league pitcher is a notch below the guy who gets pulled up to the majors to be a closer. If you’re even good enough to be in the minor leagues, you’re still playing pro baseball at a level most people will never attain.</p>
<p>Okay, maybe that’s a bad analogy, but it’s Opening Day at Fenway. :D</p>
<p>@Sandad - I’m so glad to hear that! Sounds like your D is keeping an open mind about both places, which is the right way to go about it. Fingers crossed she chooses Tufts, and I’m so glad to hear you have such a strong understanding of us.</p>