Brandeis University

Brandeis is selective but not in the single-digit range: it admitted about 45.4% of applicants in the most recent cycle, offering admission to roughly 4,430 of about 9,800 applicants and enrolling around 744 first-years. The rigor of your high school record, class rank, and academic GPA are all weighed as very important factors, so a strong, challenging transcript matters more than any single number.

Enrolled first-year students at Brandeis report an average high school GPA of about 3.84. There is no published cutoff, but among the 19% of first-years who reported a class rank, about 39% were in the top tenth and 76.5% in the top quarter of their class — so competitive applicants are typically near the top of a rigorous course load.

Yes, Brandeis is test-optional, so you can apply without submitting scores. If your scores are strong, they can help: among enrolled first-years who submitted, the middle 50% scored 1370–1470 on the SAT and 31–34 on the ACT, with about 67% of SAT submitters scoring 1400 or above. Standardized test scores are only 'considered' in Brandeis's review, below academics and essays, so a score below that range is generally better left off.

Brandeis offers two binding Early Decision rounds (ED I and ED II) plus a non-binding Early Action plan. In the most recent reported cycle its ED rounds received 680 applications and admitted 242 — an early admit rate of roughly 36%. ED is binding, so apply early only if Brandeis is clearly your first choice; treat it as a way to signal commitment rather than a shortcut to easier odds.

Tuition and required fees run about $74,128 per year, with housing and food (about $20,260 on campus) and other expenses on top. About 52% of first-years receive need-based scholarship or grant aid, Brandeis meets roughly 97% of demonstrated need on average, and the typical need-based package for first-years is around $65,635.

Brandeis's two largest fields are the social sciences and the biological and life sciences, each accounting for roughly 18% of bachelor's degrees and together making up more than a third of all degrees conferred — a draw for pre-med and research-minded students. Business, psychology, and computer science round out the most-conferred majors, and the close 8-to-1 student-faculty ratio supports small classes.

Yes. Brandeis rates the application essay as an important factor in admissions — above standardized test scores, which are only 'considered,' and on par with recommendations and extracurriculars. Because academics carry the most weight, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the clearest ways a strong applicant can stand out from a similar academic profile.

Esslo gives free line-by-line feedback on your draft. Try it now