You might want to think twice about coming here

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brandeis University
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<p>I’m a current student and I thought it might help if people could hear about some of the problems facing Brandeis, particularly during the recession.</p>

<p>1) The university is facing a huge budget shortfall for next year. A lot of language classes and other classes are getting cut, there’s a freeze on new hires for both student and non-student employees, some professors are in danger of losing their jobs, and plans for new construction are being put on hold. It doesn’t help that our biggest donor, Carl Shapiro, just lost $145 million to Madoff.</p>

<p>2) This all means that tuition is going to rise AGAIN. If you don’t qualify for much need-based aid, you might want to rethink coming here. You can’t get hired on campus anymore and you’ll be stuck with massive loans. Fortunately, I was the very last student hired for a library job before the freeze went into effect.</p>

<p>3) The course offerings are EXTREMELY limited in the spring. Many of my friends and I have had to settle for courses we didn’t even want because we just couldn’t find anything else. Unless you’re a NEJS major, be prepared to either take courses you don’t like or courses you need that are at horrible times of the day. The offerings tend to be better in the fall, but some departments are extremely weak year-round.</p>

<p>4) While the town of Waltham has really good food, everything is at least a half hour walk from campus. You can take the BranVan in the evenings, but that’s not always reliable. If you ever need to go to the pharmacy in the middle of the day during winter, just forget it. It’s just too far to walk in Boston’s bad weather.</p>

<p>5) The food here is horrendous. I figured that the food is bad at many universities, but here, it’s downright awful and the mandatory meal plans are rip-offs. Aramark made some positive changes at the beginning of the year and we have a good new convenience store, but it’s slowly making cutbacks to deal with the budget crisis and it really shows. The smoothie station in the main dining hall is shutting down (despite it being extremely popular), and there are rumors going around that the on-campus pub (which isn’t any good anyway) is shutting down as well. All the dining places on campus keep odd hours and are way overpriced.</p>

<p>6) The campus is unattractive. Since construction and maintenance are also facing budget cuts, it likely won’t get much better. The biggest sophomore dorm, which I live in, is disgusting, as is the biggest freshman dorm.</p>

<p>7) Living off-campus is an option for some, but if you don’t have a car, be prepared for long walks. The cost of living is also really high in the Boston area, so be prepared to fork over a lot of cash for a one-bedroom basement apartment.</p>

<p>8) The pool recently broke down and will stay that way “indefinitely”. If you’re a swimmer or diver, don’t bother coming here. The swim team has to get bussed over to Bentley or Wellesley for practice now.</p>

<p>This isn’t to say that there aren’t good things about this school, but in the light of the current financial crisis, there are a lot of bad things. Brandeis is a young school with a relatively small endowment and it shows. Please be aware of this before committing to such an expensive school (where tuition will only continue to rise).</p>

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<p>thanks.....its good to be updated on brandeis from an insider</p>

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<p>Most of the things you mention are recurring complaints about Brandeis that have come up before independently of the financial crisis.
1) Most language classes are not being cut, the caps are being increased from 18 to 25. What is being cut sort of are first year seminars, so that professors can teach other classes that most students I believe find more valuable. Other classes may have raised caps and the univ is discouraging profs from taking other kinds of absences to ensure that they can teach as many classes as possible.
Language</a> classes to increase - News</p>

<p>3) In my experience the course selection is not limited, there are in fact a number of classes I want to take next semester, but in my case they are slightly inflexibly scheduled so that I mostly feel like I could use a time turner ;-) I have not heard any abnormal complaints about course selection from any other student. Check it out yourself:
Spring</a> 2009 Enrollment Statistics :: Course Schedules
4) Yes, the Branvan can be a bit iffy sometimes, but usually it's ok. In nice weather it can be a nice walk There's also an ok diner halfway between campus and Waltham, and close to the first-year dorm Massell a grocery store/deli and a pretty popular Pizza place. You are also only 5 to 7 minutes from the commuter rail which is about 10 - 15 minutes to Boston and also pretty convenient to get to the airport. There are also free shuttles to Cambridge and Boston on weekends. Next semester there are plans for a bicycle rental service.
6). Next semester a new dorm for juniors and seniors is scheduled to open, that at least from the outside looks pretty attractive (and is said to be highly environmentally friendly). A new science center is scheduled to open next year as well and a grant has also been given for a humanities center that is scheduled to open in about 2 years. I also personally like the Shapiro Campus student center, even though some deride as that "big green building". By january 3 first year buildings in Massell Quad and I believe 2 in North Quad have been relatively recently renovated. I lived in the biggest sophomore dorm last year, it may not be the greatest place, but mostly it's perfectly fine. The career center has also recently been retooled.
8) Students are trying to respond resourcefully to the budget crisis, the swimming club is trying to get chartered so it can request funds to help provide transportation to other pools.
Brandeis has other things going for it as well. It recently implemented a film major and a new program south asian studies. As part of the film program, there has recently been a film screening program with visits from actors, most recently from Kate Beckinsale and Alan Alda. Representative Barney Frank D-Mass and Ted Sorenson, former JFK speechwriter, are scheduled to visit in January. Mass Governor Deval Patrick visited once this past semester and has been invited to come again for MLK Day. (not to mention we had 2 former U.S. presidents come last year). Also, the Student Events group brought Nas and Girl Talk to campus this past semester, if that's your cup of tea - Girl Talk was so popular there were reports of forged tickets.
The classes that are offered are of great quality generally and/or offer interesting opportunities, such as for a journalism class visiting the Boston Globe and last semester a visit to a professor's house to watch a presidential debate. The Econ 2a professor is really popular and very effective so that we can hope he is imparting knowledge for the next generation to avoid such messes in the future ;-)
Brandeis has a large number of highly active clubs, a-cappella, theater, political, environmental, religious, campus media,, student union, Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps and even the juggling club.
I also encourage you to read campus media coverage of these issues to get another perspective:
The</a> Justice
And now back to studying for finals that the financial crisis has (regrettably ?) not done away with ;-)</p>

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<p>A well-supported and well thought out response! I was, at first, pretty shocked to read the OP. </p>

<p>My daughter has just completed her first semester at Brandeis and (still) loves it. She had to make hard decisions about her courses for spring semester, because there were so many she wanted to take. While she admits the food isn't much to write home about, she reports that it's edible, and she's celebrating her (deliberate) LOSS of the "Freshman 15" her first semester. That weight loss was aided considerably by the wealth of (free!) fitness classes she had available to her as a Brandeis student, including kick-boxing, cardio, ballroom dance and more. When we saw her at Thanksgiving, we were stunned - she looked FABULOUS (of course, we always thought so anyway). ;-)</p>

<p>She has RAVED about the concerts and special acts appearing on campus - so much so, that for the first time EVER -- I had to caution her about priorities. I'm thrilled that at last, she's found a place she loves.</p>

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<p>catperson and SuperMom - thanks for the positive responses! From my perspective, the OP's comments, however valid, were disconcerting since D was accepted to Brandeis ED yesterday! </p>

<p>I'm sure Brandeis is not alone in making cutbacks due to the economy. Many colleges and universities, no matter how well endowed, are cutting budgets, reducing staff, and raising tuition. </p>

<p>D has friends who are very happy at Brandeis and she loved her visit there. She is ecstatic to be part of the class of 2013 :)</p>

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<p>I did specify in the original post that there are many good things about Brandeis. The main problem is the financial crisis and how it affects campus life as well as the lives of students who are strapped for cash. I am very fortunate to be able to work two jobs, both of which I got before the hiring freeze. Otherwise, I could not afford books or my monthly expenses. For people who plan/need to work during college, Brandeis might not be your best bet (at least not until the budget gets under control in any number of months or years). If you don't need to work, then you're good to go. Just please make sure you're aware of the financial issues before committing so much time and money.</p>

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<p>My S also has been accepted for the class of 2013. He is so excited about given this wonderful opportunity. Before his acceptance, he interviewed with a well endowed prestigious university. One of the questions my S asked is how is the economy affecting the school. The interviewer said he just got an e-mail and just like PRJ stated, there are major cutbacks from a hiring freeze, staff cutbacks and overall tightening their belts. That's just the way it is going to be for everyone including our universities. </p>

<p>We are aware of the financial obligations before he applied. He is going to get the best education he can. I'm sure Brandeis will not disappoint him.</p>

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<p>Jackson17, there is no need to scare off prospective students. Every college has it's challenges and none of them are perfect. The important thing to remember is that Brandeis provides outstanding education and it's still very highly rated. In my town in MA 4 students were accepted through the early decision process this year, which indicates high level of interest.
My daughter just completed her first semester. She is thrilled with everything - classes, professors, student life, friends, activities. Food is not great but it's not the most important thing in the world to some people.</p>

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<p>SuperMom, glad to see you on these pages again. We exchanged emails last spring. It's great that our daughters are doing so well at Brandeis.</p>

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<p>is there racial or religious discrimination at brandeis...being that it is a primarily jewish affliated institution?</p>

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<p>p.s i am muslim</p>

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<p>There are many Muslims at Brandeis--and I think you will find that most feel very comfortable there--more so than at many other Universities. I don't want to speak for them--so I suggest you attempt to contact/speak with/meet with Muslim students and get their impressions firsthand.</p>

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<p>There is not one University or College that I would say is perfect. All schools have their own strengths and weaknesses. My daughter graduated from Brandeis in May 2008. She loved being at the school, made wonderful friends and took advantage of all of the opportunities in and out of the classroom. She is now attending law school (1st choice) and all of her friends who applied to top graduate programs (law and medicine) got in too. Those who majored in econ got fantastic jobs even in this poor market. </p>

<p>If you are unhappy at a particular school, why stay there and be miserable? Jackson I think you should transfer to another school. BTW my other daughter goes to Cornell (the food is great) so if you want to eat, think about transferring there.</p>

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<p>I believe the original intent of this thread was misrepresented. If I wanted to list all of the positive attributes of this school (of which there are many), I would have named this topic something else. The purpose of this thread is to show that students with financial hardships will have a hard time here. Food and other issues are obviously secondary. I'm thrilled that so many people on this thread love Brandeis or have kids who do, but I didn't hear any mention of financial troubles in those posts. That's fine, but please be aware that many students, such as myself, need to work to pay for tuition, room and board, books, and other expenses. Students will likely find it very hard to find jobs here. Please feel free to ignore this thread entirely and start a new one about the glories of Brandeis if your kids don't need to work or don't mind going into massive debt. This posting was for kids that do.</p>

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<p>financial concerns are a very legitimate issue for prospective students to consider. most parents would be thrilled if students even if had it on their radar screen :)!</p>

<p>but that is true for just about any college -- there are some elite schools with huge endowments who have been barely hit by the current economic situation, but many private schools are dealing with money issues and many parents are dealing with greater financial concerns than may have been the case just a year or two ago. applications at state schools are way up for this very reason.</p>

<p>brandeis is being very open about what is going on. in today's edition of the justice, the campus newspaper, there are several articles about how the school is dealing with some of those strains -- including one about how faculty members voluntarily took a pay cut to save a couple of positions that would have faced lay offs -- not a full solution to the problem, but evidence of the steps people are willing to take to help.</p>

<p>anyone dependent on financial aid to attend a private college will need to be very careful when the offers come in -- and really question what those offers mean in terms of whether they can afford their dream school. but that is true for many other schools besides brandeis.</p>

<p>as for the cost of living off campus -- don't use the cost of a one-bedroom in boston as your basis -- waltham has some very affordable housing and most students don't rent one bedrooms for the very reason that it is cheaper to share an apartment and its expenses. my own child at brandeis has saved us thousands of dollars a year by living off campus -- in an apartment that is just as close to campus as some of the campus housing.</p>

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<p>article about how students at many colleges are finding it tough to keep paying --
Unpaid</a> College Tuition Bills Rise - Yahoo! News</p>

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<p>Response to Jackson17's post #14:</p>

<p>You wrote:
<<i believe="" the="" original="" intent="" of="" this="" thread="" was="" misrepresented.="" .="" purpose="" is="" to="" show="" that="" students="" with="" financial="" hardships="" will="" have="" a="" hard="" time="" here.="">> </i></p><i believe="" the="" original="" intent="" of="" this="" thread="" was="" misrepresented.="" .="" purpose="" is="" to="" show="" that="" students="" with="" financial="" hardships="" will="" have="" a="" hard="" time="" here.="">

<p>A bit disingenuous, perhaps. The purpose of this thread appears, to a reasonable reader, to be to trash Brandeis and horrify prospective students with unmitigated negative propaganda. Post #14 comes closest to the truth when it states:</p>

<p><<if i="" wanted="" to="" list="" all="" of="" the="" positive="" attributes="" this="" school="" .="" would="" have="" named="" topic="" something="" else.="">></if></p>

<p>Quite so. In fact, the aptly named thread is titled: "You Might Want to Think Twice About Coming Here." Based on the litany of ills that followed, it's difficult to sell the post as simply a warning to the financially strapped.</p>

<p>The righteous indignation and counterpoint of we Brandeis supporters is an obvious reaction to what comes across as a one-sided 'gripefest' by a single dissatisfied customer. Had you titled your post "Those Who Must Pay Their Way May Want to Think Twice . . " and limited your comments in post #1 to paragraphs 1, 2, 3(barely;because of its relationship to avail work hours), and 7. the argument advanced in Post #14 about the thread's true purpose might be an easier sell.</p>

<p>But let's be honest - even if you HAD so limited your post, SOMEone would still have jumped right on it with a differing perspective -- because how can anyone "think twice" if they're only presented with one thought?</p>
</i>

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<p>SuperMom, feel free to ignore the "propaganda" and move to a different thread. You and you kids can keep your head in the sand if you want. So far, that seems to be a privilege limited to those without financial worries.</p>

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<p>Ivayhopeful</p>

<p>I think the answer to this question is that Brandeis while heavily Jewish is very concerned with being welcoming to others. I think that being Jewish is part of that, as Jews are so used to being in the minority that they will often go out of their way to accommodate others.</p>

<p>On other levels, however, Brandeis is not ideal. If the Israel/Palestine conflict is a big issue for you, you will find the campus on the whole rabidly pro-Israel. Judaism is a big force on campus, though not nearly as big as it would be in a school with an official religion. </p>

<p>More positive aspe cts however include the fact thatNon-denominational and non religious prayer services led by the pretty great chaplancy are quite common. The Muslim chaplain is a fantastic person very involved in the peace and activism community on campus. There is a peace room where anyone can go to meditate or worship freely. Also, Boston has a large Muslim community with a lot of opportunity for student involvement.</p>

1 Like
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<p>jackson17 so sorry about how you feel about Brandeis.Are you planning to transfer out?</p>