Brandeis University, founded in the year 1948, is a private research university with its foundation laid by the Jewish community. Brandeis, located in the suburbs of Boston, is a global hub for higher education and innovation. With more than 43 majors and 46 minors, and two-thirds of undergraduate classes having 20 students or fewer, the 235-acre campus homes about six thousand students every year. This leading place of learning also has many sports clubs and societies to nurture students in different fields and overall personality development. The university has an acceptance rate of 34% and is entitled to the “Most Selective” university by the US News & World Report. Along with this, Brandeis is ranked under 100 in Forbes 2019 rankings. 

English Proficiency Test Requirements

For international applicants or the applicants who don’t belong to a country where English is the native language, Brandeis recommends providing standardized test scores of language proficiency tests. Brandeis University accepts the following language proficiency tests:

• TOEFL iBT
• IELTS
• Duolingo English Test (DET)

However, the candidates who have attended a high school where the full academic curriculum is in English are exempt from this requirement. At Brandeis, unlike other universities and colleges, there are no explicit requirements for TOEFL and IELTS. And, there are no published average scores for TOEFL and IELTS.

ACT/SAT Requirements

Admission to Brandeis involves a lot of procedures and formalities to be completed. Some of the primary application requirements and SAT/ACT requirements are below. 

SAT and ACT are the recognized standardized tests used for entrance in US schools and colleges. It measures a student’s proficiency in various skills like problem-solving, reading comprehension, and more which are essential for a student’s growth in college. The average SAT and ACT score ranges required to get admitted to the Brandeis University are below:

The SAT Subject Test isn’t required. Besides, if any candidate is unwilling to submit the SAT/ACT scores, the university has provided other options as well. The list of tests whose scorecard the candidate has to produce at the time of admissions is accessible under Test-Optional Policy.

Tuition Fees and Cost of Living

When you talk about studying abroad, the expenses can become a reason to worry. However, at Brandeis, an average of $ 43,475 aid is given to 11.1% international students per year, enabling students to study without additional stress. 

The estimated annual cost at Brandeis is given below, both in US Dollars and Indian rupees.

The conversion from USD to INR is $1 = ₹70; the cost may vary with the varying exchange rate.

Application Portal

Candidates aspiring to be a part of Brandeis University can apply only through the Common Application portal by paying a non-refundable application fee of $80. After submission of the application, the applicant receives an email from the university and has to submit the additional application supplements before deadlines. 

Essay Prompts

For admission to Brandeis University, you need to write essays in response to the prompts given by Brandeis University in addition to the ones which are required by the Common App. Here are the essay prompts:

For all applicants:

Respond to only one of the following three prompts:

Essay Prompt:

Word Limit: 250 words

“Why would you like to attend Brandeis?”

Or

“Justice Brandeis said, “Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done.” Tell us how you would implement change in society that others might think impossible.”

Or

“There are approximately 171,476 words in the English dictionary. Pick your favorite word and tell us why you picked it.”

For international applicants (Required):

Essay Prompt:

Word Limit: 250 words

“Brandeis attracts students from many corners of the world. As an international student at Brandeis, how would you enrich the campus community?”

For Applicants to the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program Only (Required):

Essay Prompt:

Word Limit: 400 words

“Please write a 400-word essay about what makes you a good candidate for the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program.”

For Applicants to BA/MA Program in International Economics and Finance Only (Required):

Essay Prompt:

Word Limit: 250 words

“Brandeis International Business School offers a unique Scholars program for Brandeis undergraduates. Upon admission to Brandeis University, Scholars are provisionally admitted to select specialized master’s degrees or considered for fast track admissions to the MBA degree. During their junior year, the student then selects their graduate program of interest and receives a guaranteed scholarship for this graduate program. How do you feel this Scholars program would be beneficial to you?”

(Source: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-brandeis-university-essays-2020-2021/)

College Application Deadlines

An applicant can apply to the Brandeis University under many categories like Early Decision I, Early Decision II, The Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program (MKTYP), and Regular Decision.

Deadlines for Spring admission and The Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program (MKTYP) can be found here: https://www.brandeis.edu/admissions/apply/application-process/index.html

Conclusion

Even though getting an admit to Brandeis is quite onerous, the number of applicants for Brandeis inevitably increases every year. There are many reputable institutions in the US, but Brandeis stands among highly notable universities all around the world since its establishment.

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