Brandeis University

Date: Oct 07 2003
Major: Economics (This Major's Salary over time)
The story of the Tower of Babel might help us in this account: The descendants of Noe had migrated from the "east" (Armenia) first southward, along the course of the Tigris, then westward across the Tigris into "a plain in the land of Sennar". As their growing number forced them to live in localities more and more distant from their patriarchal homes, "they said: Come, let us make a city and a tower, the top whereof may reach to heaven; and let us make our name famous before we be scattered abroad into all lands." The work was soon fairly under way; "and they had brick instead of stones, and slime (asphalt) instead of mortar." But God confounded their tongue, so that they did not understand one another's speech, and thus scattered them from that place into all lands, and they ceased to build the city.

Brandeis University can be seen as the rebuilding of the Tower of Babel. Here you will find a myriad of cultures interacting with one another. You will, very quickly, get to know all the different important holidays in the three main religions; you will learn more than hello in at least 4 languages; and you will start to see the world larger and yet more closer to you. You will inquire into other's beliefs as you better understand your own. Brandeis will give you the opportunity of a small school with a great legacy. (Guess what, Einstein was one of our founders ;)

As for, how do you get what I've just described, tolerance is the keyword around. I warn you that here you will find very highly opinioned people. Many of whom you will probably agree with, identify with, and perhaps be inspired by; nonetheless, you will also find people whom you don't even understand how their thinking works! And that's Ok, moreover, that's good; Brandeis is not an university brought out of a manual, Brandeis will not tell you what you should think, it will not tell you what your major should be, and it will, most definitively, not choose your courses for you. Brandeis is a liberal arts university, freedom of inquiry is expected not even asked. Fundamental questions that wander in your mind, unexpected connections between disciplines, personally modeled majors are not seen as astray behavior, they are, rather, what the university wishes you to do - to explore yourself and in the process to grow in knowledge. I also want to make clear that Brandeis is not a party school. I might have mislead you in my excitement when I expressed things like “personal majors” and “freedom of inquiry,” if I did so, please forgive me (I was also a prospective student). The classes here are challenging in whatever discipline you go to. The professors expect your interest and your attendance - I’m telling they will probably realize when you miss class. The tests will ask you to think not to spell out facts. And you will get to know the library pretty well.

In regard to extracurricular and social events, I cannot thank more to be 10 miles from Boston. Just two weeks ago I saw the Dalai Lama in a talk in the Fleet Center. Events of all kinds occur in the Boston area more regularly than movie premiers occur. And transportation from Waltham to Boston is included in your tuition, so you just gotta take the bus! Chances are that you will also be able to socialize with people from other colleges, which is a very nice thing as you grow in college.

To wrap it up, Brandeis University will offer you cultural interaction, if not integration, liberal free-thinkers education, scholastic excellence, and an atmosphere of learning and youth that only the Boston area can have; our very own Babel tower.