Brandeis University Top Questions

- not everyone is Jewish. but LOTS of people are. It's cool though. It has it's pros and cons. Being Christian at Brandeis means that our community is pretty small, but it's also very closely knit. - Brandeis goggles...after you've been here for a couple of months, you don't even notice the ugly. There are a decent portion of attractive people, mostly graduate or foreign students. But yah, we've got more than our fair share of ugly here. - Brandeis is awkward. but in a quirky, hilarious way. You'll quickly grow to love it!

Yes and no. A major part of the dominant culture on campus is Jewish culture, but non-Jewish cultural and religious groups, as well as secular culture, are present as well. I don't find Brandeis students to be any more socially awkward than students at other colleges of Brandeis' caliber. Brandeis students do tend to be smart and overachieving (double majors are quite common), but not in a competitive way. Students push themselves; they don't try to undermine others.

Of course none of these stereotypes are accurate. Like any school, you have your weirdos, misfits, social butterflies and awkward turtles. We party just as hard as we study, and if we don't have as many parties a night as some larger state schools, it's because we 're just not that big. In my opinion, attending a school which is predominantly Jewish has been a great experience. I don't feel like it would have been any different than attending a school which is predominantly Christan - it's just a matter of culture. Anywhere you go in the country is going to have a cultural feel distinct from anywhere else. Brandeis is just a nice little pond of Jews in a sea of Christians. And as for being snobbish, yeah we definitely draw some wealthy folks, especially from overseas, but by-and-large we are down-to-earth people with a single house and financial problems.

It is true that there are a lot of Jews at Brandeis, but there are also a lot of non-Jews and people tend to forget that sometimes. Besides, the Jewish communities are diverse and vibrant and also cannot be stereotyped accurately. And the awkwardness is mostly a big inside joke.

Brandeis is not officially a Jewish University, but about fifty percent of the population is Jewish. The school offers every amenity for the Jews, including Kosher dining and Shabbat services every week. Jewish kids come to Brandeis to be around other Jewish kids or to become more in touch with their faith. That being said, the school tries really hard to compensate by being enthusiastic about other beliefs. Let's be honest here: Jewish people have a look about them. There are students who speak their own language, always keep their yarmulkes on, and cannot touch the opposite sex. The girls shouldn't be let off the hook either. Many of them really don't know what to do with their long curly locks! But some of them do. And I have known many beautiful Jewish girls and boys. The best ones have clear blue eyes and are globally conscious. Brandeis is full of people with different beliefs. Lots of kids are culturally Jewish, but on the fence about religion. Lots of kids are not Jewish at all. I'm an Atheist and two of the first people I became friends with at Brandeis are Catholic. It is definitely a school where you can be what you want to be. The Jewish thing is like a running joke: it's always there, it's funny, and you develop a fondness for it.

there are many Jews but we are certainly not all Jewish and those who are are not all orthodox, but the Jewish community is strong on campus. there are certainly some awkward people at Brandeis, but you can definitely find your niche among normal ones.

some of them. The average student really is Jewish and liberal.

Although Brandeis does have a lot more Jewish students than most other colleges, there are plenty of students of other faiths. And while everyone at Brandeis does not look like Jessica Alba or Brad Pitt, I feel like there are plenty of attractive people, but mostly in the "northeastern dark hair/eyes, jewish" kind of way

For the most part. Personally, I am the opposite of the stereotypical Brandeis student. I am not Jewish, I'm a Christian. I come from an upper-middle class family, a conservative one at that.

Brandeis has an above average number of socially awkward people, but that does not mean that Brandeis is a socially awkward school. Most people are friendly, outgoing, and approachable. In fact, having a couple of awkward types makes the social scene more interesting.