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Ace Your Brandeis University Supplemental Essays for 2024

As you prepare your application for Brandeis University, one essential component to focus on is the supplemental essays. This year, Brandeis University has introduced two compelling prompts designed to gain deeper insight into your values and vision for the future. Each essay has a word limit of 250 words. Let's dive into the specifics of these prompts and how you can effectively approach them:

Brandeis University Supplemental Essay Prompts

Essay Prompt 1: "Brandeis was established 75 years ago to address antisemitism, racism, and gender discrimination in higher education, and today, the university remains dedicated to its founding values of inclusivity and justice. How has your educational experience shaped your perspective on these values?"

Essay Prompt 2 (For International Students Only): "What excites you the most about being an international student at Brandeis University?"

How to Approach the Brandeis University Supplemental Essays

To tackle the first prompt, reflect on specific situations and experiences during your educational journey that influenced your views on inclusivity and justice. Were there particular events, teachers, or academic subjects that shaped your perspective? An authentic and personal narrative will resonate well with the admissions committee. Emphasize how these experiences align with Brandeis’s mission and how you plan to contribute to the inclusive culture at the university.

For the second prompt aimed at international students, focus on what excites you about Brandeis's diverse and inclusive environment. Discuss your enthusiasm for immersing yourself in a multicultural community and how you envision engaging with peers from different backgrounds. Highlight specific aspects of Brandeis that cater to international students, such as support services, cultural clubs, or academic programs that pique your interest.

Crafting these essays can be challenging, but utilizing resources like Sups AI can make the process smoother. Sups AI offers AI-driven brainstorming tools and personalized feedback, helping you refine your essays. Additionally, you can chat one-on-one with current Brandeis students through Sups, gaining valuable insights into campus life and the application process.

Remember, the key to a compelling supplemental essay is to be authentic, reflective, and clear about your goals and values. By aligning your narrative with Brandeis’s mission of inclusivity and justice, you will create a compelling application that stands out.

Have more questions or need feedback on your essay drafts? Visit Sups AI today. With over 10,000 students successfully admitted to top schools, Sups can be an invaluable resource on your journey to Brandeis University.

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Brandeis University Supplemental Essays Guide: 2021-2022

Not sure how to write Brandeis supplemental essays? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Brandeis supplement essay will show you exactly how to write engaging Brandeis University supplemental essays and maximize your chances of admission. If you need help crafting your Brandeis University supplemental essays, create your free  account  or  schedule a free advising consultation  by calling (844) 343-6272.

Brandeis  Essay Guide Quick Facts:

• The Brandeis acceptance rate is 34%— U.S. News  considers Brandeis a  competitive  school.
• The Brandeis ranking is #42 in U.S. News’ list of  National Universities .

What is Brandeis ranked?

The Brandeis University ranking is #42 in U.S. News’ list of National Universities. The Brandeis University ranking is currently tied with  Boston University ,  Case Western Reserve University ,  Tulane University , and the  University of Wisconsin-Madison .

Other U.S. News Brandeis University rankings:

• The Brandeis University ranking is #31 in Best Undergraduate Teaching
• The Brandeis University ranking is #40 in Best Value Schools

What does the Brandeis University ranking mean? Well, U.S. News uses approximately 17 categories when ranking schools. These categories include everything from class size to average faculty salaries. To read more about their process, click  here .

Don’t focus too much on the Brandeis University ranking. All of the U.S. News rankings are simply tools to help you learn more about different schools. You should never apply to a school solely based on their ranking or discount a school for that reason. Instead, use the Brandeis University ranking holistically.

For more information on how to use college rankings, check out our  expert’s guide .

What is the acceptance rate at Brandeis?

The Brandeis acceptance rate is 34%. The Brandeis University ranking and Brandeis acceptance rate show that the school’s admissions process is competitive. Last year, over 10,000 students applied to Brandeis with an average GPA of 3.84 and an average SAT of 1350-1470. This means that strong grades and scores alone won’t necessarily earn you a Brandeis acceptance.

To present the strongest application possible, spend time refining your Brandeis essay. You’ll also want to keep in mind that the Brandeis University ranking is higher for some majors than others. This might influence how the Brandeis acceptance rate impacts your admissions odds.

However, you shouldn’t let the Brandeis acceptance rate discourage you. Many factors influence the Brandeis acceptance rate. Moreover, the Brandeis acceptance rate is out of your control. Rather than worrying about it, focus on the elements of your application that you can control, like your Brandeis supplement essay.

Want more information on how to use the Brandeis acceptance rate (and any other school’s acceptance rate) to build your school list? Check out our expert’s guide on  acceptance rates .

Does Brandeis require essays?

Yes. In addition to the main essay prompt that you’ll encounter in the  Common App  or  Coalition App , you’ll also complete one Brandeis supplement essay. Given the relatively high Brandeis University ranking and lower-than-average Brandeis acceptance rate, you should do all you can to make your essay stand out.

Need some help writing your Common App essay? Get great tips from our Common App essay  guide .

How many essays does Brandeis require?

You must write  one  school-specific Brandeis supplement essay when you complete your application. There are no optional Brandeis supplemental essays. Your Brandeis essay should be 250 words maximum. While this isn’t long—it’s less than half the length of the Common App personal statement—you shouldn’t rush the drafting and editing process. Brandeis supplemental essays can cover a wide variety of topics; take advantage of this freedom. Successful Brandeis supplemental essays will combine the key elements of a “why major?” essay with those of a community-oriented essay.

However, there are some special circumstances for Brandeis supplemental essays. International students, students applying to the  BA/MA Program in International Economics and Finance , and students applying to the  Brandeis Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program  will have to complete additional Brandeis supplemental essays. This guide will not address these additional Brandeis supplemental essays and will instead focus solely on the Brandeis supplement essay required for all applicants. However, many of the tips for completing the single Brandeis essay may be useful when completing the additional Brandeis supplemental essays.

How to write Brandeis Supplemental Essays

So, how should you approach the Brandeis essay?

The Brandeis admissions team will evaluate Brandeis supplemental essays for content as well as writing skill. This means it’s not just about what you say, but how you say it. Strong Brandeis supplemental essays will use evocative, concise, and specific language to give the Brandeis admissions team insight into an applicant’s identity.

Even though your Brandeis supplement essay can only be 250 words, you may feel pressured to address many topics, experiences, or character traits. Don’t fall into this trap! You don’t need to describe your whole identity in your Brandeis essay. Instead, stay focused on one core topic. We’ll discuss how to approach the Brandeis essay prompt in more detail in the next section.

The most successful Brandeis University supplemental essays read like the applicant is telling a story in an interview—just in written format. This doesn’t mean that Brandeis University supplemental essays should use informal language. It just means your essay should tell a complete story. The ultimate goal for the Brandeis supplemental essays is to help Brandeis admissions get to know you.

How to Write Brandeis Supplemental Essays — Question 1

The Brandeis community is a diverse group of critical thinkers defined by their ability to dive deeper into their learning by questioning, analyzing, evaluating, creating, critiquing and seeking other perspectives. Share an example of how you have used your own critical thinking skills on a specific subject, project, idea or interest. (250 words max).

The Brandeis supplement essay prompt uses Brandeis’ key values to ask applicants to describe their own experiences. This prompt shows that the Brandeis admissions office wants to admit students with a demonstrated track record of questioning the status quo. Successful Brandeis supplemental essays will delve into a topic that questions established ideas or presents an alternative perspective.

Remember, the Brandeis University ranking is #42, and the Brandeis acceptance rate is just 34%. These statistics show that Brandeis is a competitive school—so don’t underestimate the importance of Brandeis University supplemental essays. A strong Brandeis essay can make a major difference in admissions!

Choosing a topic

With only 250 words, it’s important to choose a strong topic for your Brandeis supplement essay. To start, think about your application as a whole, including your Common App essay. What aspect of your identity could you highlight in your Brandeis essay that isn’t already clear from your application?

The most effective Brandeis supplemental essays will elaborate on a piece of your profile that you’ve only briefly mentioned or address a new part of your background. How can you represent your critical thinking skills in a way that contributes to the rest of your application? Who are you as a person and a student, and how can you highlight that in your Brandeis essay? Effective Brandeis University supplemental essays will show how you will contribute to the rich diversity of thought at Brandeis.

If you feel strongly about your major or intended career, you could discuss your career plans in your Brandeis supplemental essay. Your Brandeis supplemental essay can also show that you’ve done your research on Brandeis. Brandeis undergraduate students can choose from a selection of  44 majors and 51 minors . Brandeis also offers a multitude of  research opportunities  and  study abroad options  that you might mention in your Brandeis supplemental essay. However, don’t feel like you need to address “why Brandeis” in this essay. If it makes sense to include specific details about Brandeis, that’s great, but don’t feel pressured to do so. After all, you only have 250 words.

Think about how critical thinking informs your worldview. What topic really stretches your brain? What problems have you worked toward solving? Successful Brandeis supplemental essays will not solve the big questions in life. Rather, you should focus your Brandeis essay on relatively small-scale interactions, projects, and topics.

Drafting your essay

When writing the Brandeis University supplemental essays, aim for depth instead of breadth. Pick an impactful story—a one-on-one interaction, important moment, or even just a day in your life, and dig deep. The Brandeis admissions committee asks specifically for “an example” of when you used critical thinking, so be sure to answer this part of the prompt. The best Brandeis University supplemental essays will use one specific interaction to illustrate a key part of an applicant’s character.

Keep in mind that this Brandeis supplement essay prompt should address what you’ve done as well as what you’ve thought about. In your Brandeis supplement essay, highlight more than just the thinking part of critical thinking; also discuss the actions you have taken. Brandeis admissions wants to know how you have used your critical thinking skills to drive change.

One of the most important things to remember when writing the Brandeis supplement essay is to be personal. Though it might sound difficult, try to write an essay that no other applicant could write. After all, the best Brandeis University supplemental essays will be the most unique. Brandeis supplemental essays that include an authentic combination of your passions, background, and aptitude for your intended major will be most likely to stand out to the Brandeis admissions team.

Showcasing your personality

This Brandeis essay prompt is a bit quirky, but so is Brandeis. If it’s your style, use humor in your Brandeis supplement essay. However, don’t try to force being quirky, funny, or anything else. The best Brandeis supplemental essays will reveal your authentic personality and skills through your choice of topic and its execution. No matter what, don’t forget that your essay should show the Brandeis admissions committee who you are.

In addition to being specific and personal, strong Brandeis University supplemental essays will make it clear how your critical thinking skills made an impact. Your Brandeis essay should have clear stakes—this can often be viewed as the “so what?” of the essay. Why does the story you have told in your Brandeis essay ultimately matter? What does the reader learn about you? Use your essay to show the Brandeis admissions team that you belong at their school.

Brandeis does not expect you to continue with your activities, interests, or hobbies from high school. However, compelling Brandeis supplemental essays will feature the transferable skills that you have developed through your experiences. So, in your Brandeis essay, make sure you articulate the impact you made on your community.

Making your essay count

Part of Brandeis’ core mission is to change the world by empowering students to do great things. Brandeis University supplemental essays should incorporate this message. Use your Brandeis essay to show how you will be a valuable member of the community. Another place to look for inspiration for Brandeis supplemental essays is the University’s value propositions and  framework for the future . This page can also help you learn more about the school before starting your Brandeis essay.

In this Brandeis supplement essay, it is important to use vivid language. From the opening sentence, hook the reader through an intriguing story or a descriptive anecdote. Then, dig into the details of your story; with only 250 words, it’s important to make every sentence count. The Brandeis admissions committee will read thousands of essays. You want your Brandeis essay to stand out.

In your Brandeis supplement essay, one of the most powerful and practical ways to keep your reader engaged is to “show” instead of “tell.” Let’s break down what this means: telling occurs when the writer states what happened or immediately jumps to the point. Showing occurs when the writer “paints a picture” for the reader by writing expressively, including examples and evocative details. Showing—rather than telling—will help make your Brandeis supplement essay engaging to read!

Brandeis Essay Draft Key Questions:

• Does your Brandeis University supplemental essay topic fit the prompt?
• Do you focus on one example instead of many?
• Is your Brandeis essay both personal and specific?
• Does your response to the Brandeis essay prompt reveal the “so what?” of your topic?
• In your Brandeis supplement essay, do you show more than you tell?

How important are the Brandeis essays?

Since there is only one Brandeis supplemental essay, you may wonder how important Brandeis supplemental essays are to the Brandeis admissions team.

Brandeis admissions have changed their essay prompts from last year’s cycle. This year’s Brandeis supplemental essays have shifted away from the more traditional “why school?” essays. With this year’s Brandeis supplemental essays, the Brandeis admissions team has shifted towards a more open-ended and experience-based prompt.

Brandeis admissions puts intention behind the Brandeis supplement essay prompt. Though it may seem like one more box to check on the list of application requirements, make it your priority to polish your Brandeis essay. Ensure that your Brandeis essay is specific, personal, and actually answers the prompt.

In general, schools like Brandeis use demonstrated interest (DI) as a gauge to determine how interested a student is in attending their school. The top 50 U.S. News Brandeis University ranking and Brandeis acceptance rate create an aura of prestige around the school. Consequently, Brandeis admissions officers will weed out students who don’t demonstrate a strong “why” for attending Brandeis. This is especially true when looking at two or more students with similar test scores and GPAs. To learn more about DI and Brandeis admission officers may use it, check out this article in  Forbes .

Additional Tips for Writing Your Brandeis Supplemental Essays

Be sure to leave yourself time to edit and revise your Brandeis supplemental essays! Brandeis admissions has two deadlines: Early Decision I on November 1, 2021, and Early Decision II and Regular Decision on January 1, 2022.

Before submitting, re-read your application and think about how every aspect of it will be perceived by the Brandeis admissions team. Make sure that your Brandeis supplement essay says something about you that the reader doesn’t learn in other parts of your application.

Want a behind-the-scenes look at how the Brandeis admissions team will review your Brandeis supplemental essays and application materials? Check out the video below to meet some of the people involved.

Brandeis Supplemental Essays — Final Thoughts

In your Brandeis supplement essay, show the Brandeis admissions department another side of who you are. Be unique and original, but also be genuine and honest. Research Brandeis to learn more about the University’s  mission  and culture before writing your Brandeis essay. There is no cookie-cutter Brandeis student, so highlight what makes you special. Good luck!

This 2021-2022 essay guide on Brandeis was written by  Caroline Marapese , Notre Dame ‘20. For more CollegeAdvisor.com resources, click  here . Want help crafting your Brandeis University supplemental essays? Create your free  account  or  schedule a free advising consultation  by calling (844) 343-6272.

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How to Respond to the 2023/2024 Brandeis University Supplemental Essay Prompt

Cait Williams is a Content Writer at Scholarships360. Cait recently graduated from Ohio University with a degree in Journalism and Strategic Communications. During her time at OU, was active in the outdoor recreation community.

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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Brandeis Universit y is a private research university located in Waltham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1948 with a mission to provide education to everyone, Brandeis has become a prominent liberal arts college. If this university is at the top of your list, keep reading to learn how you can best respond to the Brandeis supplemental essays!

A little history before we start…

Before you start on your Brandeis supplemental essays, it’s a good idea to get some background on how the school started. This way, you can make connections in your essays that connect you and Brandeis on a deeper level. 

Founded by Louis Dembitz Brandeis, the first Jewish justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Brandeis University is steeped in history . Since opening their doors in 1948, Brandeis has accomplished a lot. In 1961, Brandeis achieved Phi Beta Kappa accreditation, a prestigious honors society that began in 1776. Only 10 percent of colleges or universities ever receive this accreditation. In addition, Brandeis is home to the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. The Heller School was one of the first educational institutions to make a connection between social policy and social welfare.  

The Brandeis prompts

Brandeis was established 75 years ago to address antisemitism, racism, and gender discrimination in higher education, and today, the university remains dedicated to its founding values of inclusivity and justice. How has your educational experience shaped your perspective on these values? (250 words max.)

This prompt is simple and straightforward, but it does ask you to think back through a lot of material. Your educational experience has been over a decade long by the time you graduate high school. So, let’s start simple with a quick inventory of your educational experience. Think about what schools you’ve attended, what years of school stick out the most to you, or about specific subjects or teachers you had that really shaped you. 

Now, let’s take a closer look at which of those experiences may relate to the subject matter that Brandeis asks about in the prompt. Keep in mind that they’re asking to hear about an educational experience, which means that you can talk about something that happened inside the classroom, outside of it on a field trip, or through any other avenues that you have learned through. 

The most important element to this prompt is that you take time to think about your answer. It’s easy to talk about how you studied slavery in history class and it was of course horrific to learn about, but that won’t tell the admissions committee much about you. Try to get personal and really dig in!

International students only prompt

What excites you the most about being an international student at Brandeis University? (250 words max.)

If you’re not an international student, then you don’t need to worry about answering this prompt. However, if you are an international student, this question is an important part of your application. You may want to roll your eyes about answering another prompt, but this can be a really great opportunity. You have not one, but two places where you can let the admissions department get to know you!

And because this prompt is there for them to get to know you, you don’t have to worry about answering this prompt wrong, because there is no right or wrong answer! So, certainly take your time thinking about this question, but don’t let it stress you out! Answer honestly and with a lot of excitement, as those things should certainly come through!

Key Takeaways

• No matter what the prompt is that you are responding to, give yourself plenty of time to write your essay and make edits
• Whether a prompt gives you 250 words or 500 words , make sure you understand what the prompt is asking before you begin writing
• Make sure that your answer is engaging, as admissions officers have to read a lot of essays, try to make yours stand out by pulling them in
• Once you’re done with your application for Vassar, don’t forget about completing applications for all the other schools you’re applying to

Frequently asked questions about Brandeis supplemental essays

Do colleges care about supplemental essays, what is the most common college supplemental essay, what should you not say in a supplemental essay, start your scholarship search.

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Mastering Brandeis University Supplemental Essays: The 2023-2024 Cycle

The college admissions process is like a puzzle. Each piece - from your GPA to your extracurriculars, to the final piece, your essays - forms a complete picture of you as a prospective student. For Brandeis University, a globally respected institution known for its commitment to social justice and critical thinking, your supplemental essays are a critical opportunity to stand out from the crowd. Here, we'll delve into the best strategies to ace the Brandeis University supplemental essays for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle.

Prompt 1: "Why Brandeis?" (250 words)

The "Why us" essay is a staple of college applications. Brandeis wants to understand your specific interest in their institution. Rather than generic comments on the school's reputation or location, focus on particular academic programs, faculty members, research opportunities, or community initiatives that draw you to Brandeis. Have you been inspired by a specific professor’s research? Does a particular course or program align with your career aspirations? Do Brandeis' social justice values resonate with you? Be as specific as possible and show them how you plan to contribute to the Brandeis community.

I still remember the feeling of profound understanding that hit me while watching Professor Joyce Antler’s lecture on "The Women's Liberation Movement and the New Left" on YouTube. As someone deeply interested in social justice, I found her perspectives illuminating and aligned with my own aspirations to explore how historical contexts shape our current society.

What draws me to Brandeis is not only the quality of its academic instruction but also its commitment to addressing societal issues. The Social Justice and Social Policy (SJSP) Program, with its interdisciplinary approach, would provide me with the tools to analyze and address the roots of social inequality, a crucial step towards advocating for policy change.

Outside the classroom, I aim to join the Brandeis Democrats and the Students for Environmental Action to contribute to their advocacy efforts, furthering my understanding of grassroots movements and policy development. It's the combination of a rigorous academic environment and an active student body dedicated to making a difference that makes Brandeis the perfect place for me to grow both intellectually and personally.

Prompt 2: Community Essay (250 words)

Brandeis University is a close-knit community, and this question seeks to understand how you fit into it. Reflect on your experiences within your community - this could be your school, town, family, cultural group, a club, or even an online community. What role do you play? How have you made a positive impact? Use this opportunity to highlight your values, empathy, leadership, and commitment to social justice – all qualities Brandeis values.

In my high school, I am known as the “Book Fairy.” I started a book club in my sophomore year, which became a sanctuary for bibliophiles like me. Every month, we share insights on everything from classic literature to contemporary dystopian novels.

However, I noticed some students hesitated to join due to the cost of buying new books. To address this, I initiated a book donation drive and created a library corner in our club room. This little nook of books opened a door for more students to engage in our intellectual dialogues, regardless of their financial backgrounds.

As a part of Brandeis' close-knit community, I plan to bring the same spirit of inclusivity. Perhaps I could launch a similar initiative, promoting both reading culture and accessibility to resources.

Optional Prompt: Diversity Statement (250 words)

Diversity comes in many forms – it could be your cultural background, personal experiences, worldview, or the unique skills and traits you bring. Consider moments in your life where your perspective or experiences have been different from those around you. How did that shape your identity? How will that contribute to the diversity at Brandeis?

My diverse cultural background defines my unique worldview. As a child of Turkish immigrants in the US, I learned to navigate two very different cultures. I celebrated Thanksgiving with pumpkin pie and Baklava, my New Year's resolutions were a blend of American dreams and Turkish traditions.

Growing up in these dual spheres taught me to be adaptable and fostered my ability to understand and appreciate different perspectives. I became a bridge between my American friends and Turkish relatives, explaining cultural norms and traditions, thereby developing my skills in cross-cultural communication.

At Brandeis, I aim to use this ability to foster understanding and respect between individuals from diverse backgrounds, contributing to the rich tapestry of cultures that defines the Brandeis community.

Remember, each essay is a chance to present a new side of you. Avoid repeating information and aim for well-rounded representation of your interests, experiences, and aspirations. Good luck, and happy writing!

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A Brilliant Brandeis Essay Example

What’s covered:, brandeis essay example – critical thinking.

• Where to Get Feedback on Your Essay  

Brandeis University is a close-knit, medium-sized private research university that has a nonsectarian affiliation with the Jewish community. Brandeis is a selective school, so writing strong essays is essential for gaining admission.

In this post, we’ll take a look at a supplemental essay that an accepted student submitted to Brandeis University. We’ll analyze its strengths, ways it could be improved, and how you can use this example to make your own essay stand out. (Note: the names and identifying information of the accepted student have been changed, but all other details are preserved). 

Read our Brandeis essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

Alexander Oddo , an expert advisor on CollegeVine, provided commentary on this post. Advisors offer one-on-one guidance on everything from essays to test prep to financial aid. If you want help writing your essays or feedback on drafts,  book a consultation with Alexander Oddo or another skilled advisor.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized.

Prompt: The Brandeis community is a diverse group of critical thinkers defined by their ability to dive deeper into their learning by questioning, analyzing, evaluating, creating, critiquing and seeking other perspectives. Share an example of how you have used your own critical thinking skills on a specific subject, project, idea or interest. (250 words)

A requirement for graduation at my school is to complete an extensive senior project that includes an in-depth paper, an artistic component, and a presentation at the end of the process. I knew right away that I wanted to write about women’s rights, given my strong passion and advocacy, and I eventually condensed my interest into a project about abortion rights.

Soon after I started researching, I began to feel insecure about picking such a polarized topic. Throughout my process, I have had to learn to navigate being objective regarding a topic that is mainly guided by opinion. Putting my own opinions aside, I embarked on gathering my own data through self-made surveys and interviews. I listened to the voices of people of all ages and identities in order to gain a well-rounded sense of my topic. I now understand that it goes much deeper than just a “red” or “blue” opinion. As a result of my research, I feel comfortable handling such a nuanced and sensitive topic. 

My senior project research has truly challenged me academically and personally, and has taught me some of the essential skills a person interested in politics needs in order to succeed. By seeking other perspectives, I have learned to engage with others’ opinions in an objective way, and feel I now have the tools to educate people on this important topic.

What the Essay Did Well

This essay does a good job of highlighting the writer’s critical thinking skills by showing rather than telling. Instead of restating the prompt and answering it directly, they use narrative to paint a picture of the writer’s thinking with words.

The narrative begins with a hook — that is, an opening that catches the reader off guard. The first sentence of the essay is about the writer’s senior project, which is not the topic you would typically expect a personal essay to start with. Once it captures the reader’s attention, it quickly connects the senior project to the author and sets the stage for the whole essay. This is a great model for how to write an effective, yet succinct introduction.

The next paragraph contains the action of the essay. It lists a series of steps the writer took to dive deep into their learning. Rather than formally restating the prompt with phrases such as, “I questioned what certain age groups thought and then analyzed the data,” the writer uses specific examples to show how they sought other perspectives. Creative language, such as the metaphor of “red” and “blue” opinions, makes these examples come alive. 

Your conclusion should tie back to the introduction, and this essay shows an example of that. The conclusion begins by mentioning the senior project, and then it ends by neatly summarizing the project’s impact on the writer . This is key, since many applicants spend too much time discussing an activity they participated in without relating it back to themselves. This essay, however, is focused on the writer’s thinking skills from beginning to end.

What Could Be Improved

The main issue with this essay is that it does not go into enough detail about what the writer wants to do with their thinking skills in the future. The last sentence of the second paragraph would be more effective if it broached into this. For example, it could be changed to the following: “As a result of my research, I feel more prepared to handle nuanced and sensitive topics as I continue my women’s advocacy work.”

Similarly, the conclusion could be more specific about the writer’s future aspirations. Colleges are not looking for you to know your exact career plan in high school and stick to it, but they do want you to pitch them a rough idea. This essay would benefit from a conclusion that went along the lines of: “My senior project research…has taught me some of the essential skills a person interested in [working for grassroots women’s rights advocacy organizations] needs in order to succeed.”

Where to Get Feedback on Your Essay 

Do you want feedback on your Brandeis essay? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools.  Find the right advisor for you  to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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Hi, I'm thinking about applying to Brandeis University and was wondering if any of you have tips for their supplemental essay. What should I focus on to make my application stand out? Any advice is appreciated!

Hey! Excited to hear you're considering Brandeis University. For the supplemental essay, it's essential to focus on aspects that connect your interests, values, and experiences to what Brandeis has to offer. Start by researching the university's programs and opportunities that genuinely interest you - this could be academic programs, extracurriculars, research opportunities, or campus organizations.

Once you've identified what sparks your enthusiasm, showcase how you'll contribute to the Brandeis community in your essay by drawing connections between your past experiences and future aspirations. Demonstrating a deep understanding of the university and its values will help make your application stand out.

Lastly, strive to make your essay genuine and personal by sharing anecdotes or stories that highlight who you are. This is your chance to let the admissions committee know more about you beyond your test scores or GPA. For more information check here: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-brandeis-university-essays. Best of luck with your application and feel free to ask any more questions if you need help!

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How Do I Write Brandeis’ (Optional) Supplemental Essay?

Written by Elizabeth Heaton on November 21st, 2017

• essay prompts ,
• writing college essays ,
• Is Brandeis a reach school for you? If so, seize this opportunity to share more about yourself with the admissions office. For you, this essay is not optional.
• Is Brandeis a match school for you, one where you look a lot like the average accepted applicant? With an acceptance rate of 33 percent, Brandeis is still turning away far more students than they are admitting. Making a case for the fit between you and the college can be a major factor in whether or not you make the cut. For you, this essay is not optional.
• Is Brandeis a safety school for you? Brandeis is eager to admit students who they believe will attend. Let them know you are truly interested by doing the additional writing. For you, this essay is not optional.

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University Bulletin (2024-2025)

An interdepartmental program in american studies.

Last updated: August 15, 2024 at 11:12 AM

Programs of Study

The American Studies major takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of American identity and identities – the beliefs, values, ideas, and traditions that have animated American culture and been manifest in the country’s institutions, laws, and art (broadly defined).

The major seeks to provide students with an informed awareness of the ways in which American culture has shaped and been shaped by the lives, aspirations, thinking, and action of its own citizens and the citizens of other nations.

Particular disciplines and areas of focus within the major include History, Literature, Film, Religion, Politics, Journalism, Music, Women’s and Gender Studies, Legal Studies, and Environmental Studies.

Typically, students who major in American Studies anticipate careers in fields such as law, business, public service, education, journalism, and the entertainment industry.

Learning Goals

The goal of the American Studies major is to encourage students to view America as a distinct culture – one that has been constructed over time by a series of deliberate actions and unplanned developments, and is composed of a diverse selection of peoples, experiences, traditions, and values.

Ideally, students will come to see American identity as something that must be actively assumed. They will see American culture as something worthy of deep interrogation. And they will be able to situate American culture within a global context, recognizing its indebtedness to and influence on some of the political, legal, artistic, and religious cultures found in other parts of the world.

The major consists of a two-semester sequence of courses that examine the history of American culture from the seventeenth century to the present. Students also take at least one offering from a selection of courses designated as “Main Currents” courses. These courses are organized along broad themes (e.g.: “Hollywood and American Culture”; “Religion and American Life”; “American Environmental History”) and give students the opportunity to explore the construction and evolution of particular American ideas and identities across an extended period of time and within a variety of disciplines and genres.

In addition to the two foundational courses and the one “Main Currents” course, students take six elective courses from a list of approved classes that are either housed in the American Studies program or cross-listed with it.

Students completing the major in American Studies will be able to:

• Identify and understand many of the most influential, widely regarded, ground-breaking, and pivotal texts in American cultural history.
• Understand the historical roots of many of the contemporary issues, institutions, movements, and policies affecting life in the United States.
• Situate American culture within a global context, recognizing its indebtedness to and influence on some of the political, legal, artistic, religious, and environmental cultures found in other parts of the world.
• View America as a distinct culture – one that has been constructed over time by a series of deliberate actions and unplanned developments, and is composed of a diverse selection of peoples, experiences, traditions, and values.

Core Skills

The American Studies major emphasizes core skills in analysis, critical thinking, research, and communication. Within the major, students are challenged to:

• Perform "close readings" of a variety of texts – identifying core ideas or arguments within the texts and recognizing the details, evidence, patterns, and forms that reflect or advance the ideas or arguments.
• Develop clear, logical, substantiated, and convincing arguments and articulate those arguments in writing and in speech.
• Recognize the difference between a primary and secondary source – and use each kind of source effectively and appropriately.
• Conduct research utilizing both digital and analog resources.

Social Justice

The American Studies curriculum prepares students for lives of civic engagement, providing the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to public debate, scholarship, and policy initiatives related to social justice in the modern world. The curriculum fosters an open climate for consideration of a full range of ideological, political, social, cultural, and religious perspectives about the United States in the world.

We take pride in our long tradition of faculty involvement in social and political life, refining ways in which scholarship and activism can be combined to improve the common good. American Studies faculty developed the idea for Brandeis’ Transitional Year Program, which served as a template for many other college programs. Our faculty have also been involved in many public service enterprises at the local, national, and global levels. Numerous American Studies courses, particularly those taught by the directors of the Environmental Studies Program, the Legal Studies Program, and the Journalism Program, incorporate experiential learning components, which directly connect learning to issues of social justice.

Upon Graduation

American Studies graduates go on to careers in a variety of fields, including journalism and communication; law and politics; government and public policy; film, television and the entertainment industry; advertising, public relations, business, and marketing. Majors often enter academic scholarship in a variety of fields, including but not limited to American Studies.

How to Become a Major

Normally, students declare their major in their sophomore year and complete the three required courses by the end of their junior year. Working with an American Studies adviser, students are urged to develop a coherent selection of electives tailored to their particular interests and gifts. American Studies majors often take several departmental courses that also satisfy the requirements of their program. Courses in other departments that satisfy American Studies elective requirements are listed below and are also listed on the American Studies website. Students who wish to be considered for honors in American Studies must write a senior thesis in a full-year course (AMST 99d). Special opportunities are available for supervised internships (AMST 92a), one-on-one readings courses (AMST 97a,b), and individually directed research courses (AMST 98a,b). Majors are encouraged to gain a valuable cross-cultural perspective on America by studying abroad in their junior year.

Maura Farrelly, Chair Journalism, religion.

Thomas Doherty Media and culture.

Requirements for the Major

• At least one course from the Main Currents in American Studies cluster: AMST 30b, AMST 35a, AMST 36b, AMST 46b, AMST 50b, AMST 60a, AMST 66b, AMST 103b, AMST 106b, AMST 131b, AMST 136a, AMST 150a, AMST 177b, AMST 180b, AMST 188b, AMST/ED 120a, AMST/ED 121a, AMST/ENG 47a, AMST/ENG 138a, AMST/ENG 167b, AMST/JOUR 109b, AMST/JOUR 113a, AMST/JOUR 137b, AMST/LGLS 140b, AMST/LGLS 141b, AMST/MUS 35a, AMST/MUS 38a, AMST/MUS 39b, AMST/MUS 41a, and AMST/MUS 55a.
• Two core courses in American culture, taken sequentially: AMST 100a and 100b.
• Six additional courses from American Studies or from the cross-listed section below. A substitution for the required Main Currents course may be made only with advance permission of the department. Main Currents courses may also be counted as electives.
• Fulfill the writing intensive requirement by successfully completing: AMST 100a.
• Fulfill the oral communication requirement by successfully completing: Any OC-designated course approved for the major.
• Fulfill the digital literacy requirement by successfully completing: AMST 100b.
• No course, whether required or elective, for which a student receives a grade below a C-minus or any course taken pass/fail may be counted toward the major.
• To be eligible for honors, seniors must successfully complete AMST 99d (Senior Research) and participate in a year-long honors colloquium. AMST 99d does not satisfy other major requirements.
• No more than two courses satisfying a second major or minor may be used   to complete the American Studies major. Courses taught by American Studies faculty in Journalism, Legal Studies, Education, or Environmental Studies are exempted from this limit. Students should ask the American Studies Chair for a list of such faculty.

(1-99) Primarily for Undergraduate Students

Provides an overview of the relationship between nature and culture in North America. Covers Native Americans, the European invasion, the development of a market system of resource extraction and consumption, the impact of industrialization, and environmentalist responses. Current environmental issues are placed in historical context. Usually offered every year.

This is an interdisciplinary course in Hollywood cinema and American culture that aims to do justice to both arenas. Students will learn the terms of filmic grammar, the meanings of visual style, and the contexts of Hollywood cinema from The Birth of a Nation (1915) to last weekend's top box office grosser. They will also master the major economic, social, and political realities that make up the American experience of the dominant medium of our time, the moving image, as purveyed by Hollywood. Usually offered every second year.

May not be taken for credit by students who took AMST 167b in prior years. Considers the historical influence of religious belief on various aspects of American political, cultural, legal, and economic life. Topics include the use and effectiveness of religious language in political rhetoric, from the American Revolution to the War in Iraq; the role that religious belief has played in galvanizing and frustrating various reform movements; and the debate over the proper role of religion in the public square. Usually offered every second year.

Provides an introductory overview of the study of race, ethnicity, and culture in the United States. Focuses on the historical, sociological, and political movements that affected the arrival and settlement of African, Asian, European, American Indian, and Latino populations in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Utilizing theoretical and discursive perspectives, compares and explores the experiences of these groups in the United States in relation to issues of immigration, population relocations, government and civil legislation, ethnic identity, gender and family relations, class, and community. Usually offered every year.

May not be taken for credit by students who took AMST 166b in prior years. Examines the role and influence of public intellectuals in American society. Students explore the ideas put forth by some of the most influential public intellectuals in American life, and they are challenged to consider how and why those ideas have been rendered relevant to a mass audience. Students are also challenged to consider the impact the modern university has had on public intellectualism; the role the broadcast and Internet media are playing in the making of public intellectuals; and whether and how pundits are different from public intellectuals. Usually offered every second year.

Off-campus work experience in conjunction with a reading course with a member of the department. Requires reading and writing assignments drawing upon and amplifying the internship experience. Only one internship course may be submitted in satisfaction of the department's elective requirements. Usually offered every year.

Enrollment limited to juniors and seniors. Independent readings, research, and writing on a subject of the student's interest, under the direction of a faculty adviser. Usually offered every year.

Usually offered every year.

Seniors who are candidates for degrees with departmental honors should register for this course and, under the direction of a faculty adviser, prepare a thesis. In addition to regular meetings with a faculty adviser, seniors will participate in an honors colloquium, a seminar group bringing together the honors candidates and members of the American studies faculty. Usually offered every year.

Read major works by Mark Twain alongside several of his contemporaries as a lens through which to view key currents of American and global modernity, including race, colonialism, democracy, and secularization. Topics include the critical debate over the depiction of race and slavery in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and the role of humor in social and political change. Usually offered every third year.

May not be taken for credit by students who took ENG 47a in prior years. Explores more than two centuries of literary and visual culture about the American West, including the frontier myth, Indian captivity narratives, frontier humor, dime novel and Hollywood westerns, the Native American Renaissance, and western regionalism. Authors include Black Hawk, Cather, Doig, Silko, Turner, and Twain. Usually offered every third year.

Formerly offered as MUS 35a.

Examines the historical context, stylistic development, and cultural significance of rock and roll and other closely related genres, spanning the 1950s through the present. Close attention is paid to how political and social changes have interacted with technological innovations through commercial music to challenge, affirm and shape ideas of race, gender, class and sexuality in the United States. Usually offered every third year.

Open to music majors and non-majors. Does not fulfill the Main Currents in American Studies requirement for the major. Examines 20th and 21st century protest music to better understand the complex relationships between music and social movements. Through class discussions, reading, writing, and listening assignments, and a final performance students will discover how social, cultural, and economic protest songs helped shape American culture. Usually offered every second year.

Formerly offered as MUS 55a. Examines the aesthetics and the history of music in film. Through lecture, class discussions, screenings, and readings, the course teaches students how to critically read image, script, and music as an integrated cultural text, ultimately helping one understand and appreciate the progression of film and sound technology from the 1890s to the present. Usually offered every third year.

(100-199) For Both Undergraduate and Graduate Students

This is the core seminar for American studies majors; a text-based course tracing the American experience from the earliest colonizations through the nineteenth century. Usually offered every fall.

Prerequisite: AMST 100a. The democratization of taste and the extension of mass media are among the distinguishing features of American culture in the twentieth century. Through a variety of genres and forms of expression, in high culture and the popular arts, this course traces the historical development of a national style that came to exercise formidable influence abroad as well. Usually offered every spring.

Combines a historical and contemporary analysis of advertising's role in developing and sustaining consumer culture in America with a practical analysis of the relationship between advertising and the news media in the United States. Usually offered every second year.

Yields four semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation. American food is abundant and cheap. Yet many eat poorly, and some argue that our agriculture may be unhealthy and unsustainable. Explores the history of American farming and diet and the prospects for a healthy food system. Includes extensive fieldwork. Usually offered every second year.

Surveys the experiences of American Jewish women in work, politics, religion, family life, the arts, and American culture generally over the last 100 years, examining how the dual heritage of female and Jewish "otherness" shaped often-conflicted identities. Usually offered every second year.

Examines the spectacle of song and dance in movie musicals and music videos, beginning with the earliest talking pictures in the late 1920's and continuing to the present. Particular emphasis will be on technological change, race, gender and the commodification of culture, among other topics. Usually offered every second year.

An interdisciplinary course exploring how journalistic practice is mediated by moving image--cinematic, televisual, and digital. The historical survey will span material from the late-nineteenth-century "actualities" of Thomas Edison and the Lumiere Brothers to the viral environment of the World Wide Web, a rich tradition that includes newsreels, expeditionary films, screen magazines, combat reports, government information films, news broadcasts, live telecasts, television documentaries, amateur video, and the myriad blogs, vlogs, and webcasts of the digital age. Usually offered every second year.

Looks at how photography has (and has not) shaped understanding of certain key themes and issues in American history and culture-and how American history and culture have (and have not) done the same to photography. Usually offered every second year.

Examines the global reach of Hollywood cinema as an art, business, and purveyor of American values, tracking how Hollywood has absorbed foreign influences and how other nations have adapted and resisted the Hollywood juggernaut. Usually offered every second year.

What does art have to say about the future? What new ways of conceiving of, and caring for, the future have literary and visual texts devised over the past two centuries? In exploring the art of the future of the past two centuries, you will read sci-fi & fantasy by authors like Octavia Butler, Samuel Delany, N.K. Jemisin, and Ursula Le Guin, as well as texts like   Invisible Man   and   Velvet Goldmine   that set the future not in worlds to come but in the narrative potential of the present and times gone by. By attending to alternative temporalities and their genres—queer, spectral, cyborg, planetary, and many more—we will engage topics of major importance like reparations, environmental catastrophe, and liberation theology. By the end of the semester, we will develop a new understanding of time and its relation to history. Usually offered every second year.

Examines history, cultural ideas, and policies about childhood and youth, as well as children's literature, television, and other media for children and youth. Includes an archival-based project on the student movement in the 1960s. Usually offered every second year.

Political satire has a rich history as a tool of dissent in America, and has taken many forms, from magazine cartoons to song parodies to television comedy. Today, satirists are part of a national debate over censorship, political correctness, and jokes that 'go too far,' and some critics wonder if satire has been weaponized by the alt-right. In this class, we will explore different types of political satire in the United States, including digital and newspaper cartoons, stand-up comedy, tweets and memes, podcasts, and television shows like Saturday Night Live, from the 19th to the 21st centuries. We will share examples of Presidential satire leading up to the November election. And we will discuss the following questions: Can political satire produce social change? Does it function as entertainment or activism? How has political satire evolved over time? Usually offered every fourth year.

From the Salem witch trials to QAnon, fears of cabals and conspiracies have darkened the American imagination. Course offers a historical overview, along with close attention to novels by Thomas Pynchon, Philip K. Dick and Don DeLillo, and such films as The Manchurian Candidate and Chinatown . Usually offered every second year.

Explores a series of enduringly fascinating cases from the true crime files of American culture. Our crime scene investigations range from 1692 Salem to 1994 Brentwood; our line-up includes witches, outlaws, kidnappers, gangsters, murderers, and serial killers; and our evidence is drawn from literature, film, and television. Usually offered every second year.

Examines major themes in the history of American education, including the development of schools; changing ideas about education; the quest for equity and inclusion; the place of religion; the role of the media, and efforts at reform, privatization, and corporatization. Usually offered every second year.

Explores the history of higher education in the United States from the nation's formation to the present. Readings outline the competing purposes Americans envisioned for colleges and universities, as well as student life, institutional access, and visions of the relationship between excellence and equity. The course explores patterns of inclusion and exclusion based on race, class, ethnicity, religion, and gender and how universities served as sites where class was produced and contested. Students explore the post-World War II democratization of American higher education, the politics of college admissions, and recent movements to make college more affordable. The course also raises questions about the power universities came to hold as centers of knowledge-making networks and universities as sites of political activism. Usually offered every third year.

Prerequisite: Instructor permission required.

Focusing on educational inequities related to race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status, this course examines twentieth century American efforts to make schools more equal, and in the process to make the social, economic, and racial order more just and fair. The course focuses on the ways Americans have addressed three core questions: What is educational equity? What is the relationship between school desegregation and equalization? Can equal schools create an equal society? By exploring how Americans thought about and sought to institutionalize their answers to these questions, the course investigates the promise and pitfalls of treating schooling as an egalitarian tool. Usually offered every third year.

Explores the latest research on American culture by Brandeis faculty in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Each week a different faculty member will join us to discuss their latest book or article, the questions that animate their research, and the archives, methodologies, and theories they use to answer them. Usually offered every fourth year.

May not be taken for credit by students who took ENG 38b in prior years. Twentieth century fiction of the American South. Racial conflict, regional identity, religion, and modernization in fiction from both sides of the racial divide and from both sides of the gender line. Texts by Chestnutt, Faulkner, Warren, O'Connor, Gaines, McCarthy, and Ellison. Usually offered every third year.

May not be taken for credit by students who took ENG 57b in prior years. An in-depth study of three major American authors of the twentieth century. Highlights the contributions of each author to the American literary canon and to its diversity. Explores how these novelists narrate cross-racial, cross-gendered, cross-regional, and cross-cultural contact and conflict in the United States. Usually offered every third year.

Technology has transformed journalism into a genuinely multimedia enterprise. This fast-paced course examines innovation at work, from digital storytelling to data visualization, at both start-up and legacy media outlets. It also explores the political, sociological, legal and ethical issues raised by these new technologies and the impact of business pressures on journalism's watchdog role in our democracy. Usually offered every year.

What makes for a great story? This course will examine the hallmarks of successful narrative nonfiction, in both written and audio form. Students will analyze award-winning magazine stories as well as reporting-based podcasts that have injected new energy and financial success into the journalism world. They will learn story structure and techniques to capture and hold the audience's attention. And they will learn by doing, producing their own podcasts and written pieces. his course fulfills the Reporting requirement of the Journalism minor. Usually offered every year.

May not be taken for credit by students who took AMST 137b in prior years. Examines what journalists have done, how their enterprise has in fact conformed with their ideals, and what some of the consequences have been for the republic historically. Usually offered every year.

Examines methods used by journalists and other investigators in addressing injustices within criminal and civil legal systems. Problems include wrongful convictions, civil rights, privacy protection, and ethical conflicts. Research methods and reporting techniques enhance skills in interviewing, writing, and oral presentation. Usually offered every second year.

After an overview of the basics of juvenile justice in the United States, this course examines the realities and remedies for the cradle-to-prison pipeline, analyzing this pattern from the perspectives of law, society, and economics, tracing the child's experience along that path, and exploring creative public solutions. Usually offered every second year.

Brandeis's legal career serves as model and guide for exploring the ideals and anxieties of American legal culture throughout the twentieth century. Focuses on how legal values evolve in response to new technologies, corporate capitalism, and threats to personal liberty. Usually offered every second year.

Development of American party politics, the legal system, and government. Special attention paid to the social and cultural determinants of party politics, and economic and social policymaking. Usually offered every second year.

AMST Digital Literacy

Amst oral communication.

Formerly offered as AAAS 136a. Critical examination of the historical, political, economic, and ideological factors that have shaped the lives of African-American women in the United States. Analyzing foundation theoretical texts, fiction, and film over two centuries, this class seeks to understand black women's writing and political activism in the U.S. Usually offered every second year.

Examines both language-in-use and ideas about language varieties in the United States from an anthropological perspective. Explores how language-in-use emerges from and builds relationships, social hierarchies, professional authority, religious experience, dimensions of identity such as gender and race, and more. Usually offered every second year.

Explores the social and political organization of public memory, including museums, cultural villages, and memorial sites. Who has the right to determine the content and form of such institutions? Working with local community members, students will develop a collaborative exhibition project. Usually offered every second year.

Examines the nature of urban schools, their links to the social and political context, and the perspectives of the people who inhabit them. Explores the historical development of urban schools; the social, economic, and personal hardships facing urban students; and challenges of urban school reform. Usually offered every year.

Surveys the nature, process, and institutions of law: the reasoning of lawyers and judges, the interplay of cases and policies, the impact of history and culture, and the ideals of justice and responsibility in a global context. Usually offered every fall.

Provides a basic survey of environmental law. You will learn essential tools of legal reasoning and argument.   Through in-class discussion, cases, and reading on environmental history and ethics, w e will cover a range of environmental issues, including: climate change, water rights, the Keystone XL pipeline, our national parks and monuments, and much more.  You will reflect on the tradeoffs, contradictions, and inequities baked into our core environmental laws, and think about ways to apply those laws in more equitable ways. Usually offered every year.

The structure and behavior of the Congress. Emphasis on the way member incentives for reelection, power on Capitol Hill, and good public policy shape Congress. Usually offered every second year.

Studies the ambivalent and complex relationship between the U.S. and Latin America, focusing on how the exploitative dimension of this relationship has shaped societies across the region, and on how Latin American development can be beneficial for the U.S. Usually offered every year.

Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Presents the history and politics of the foreign economic policy in the United States. Emphasis is on political and economic considerations that influence the domestic actors and institutions involved in the formulation of policy. Usually offered every second year.

Counts toward the completion of the joint MA degree in Sociology & Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Investigates changes in the character of American families over the last two centuries. A central concern will be the dynamic interactions among economic, cultural, political, and social forces, and how they shape and are reshaped by families over time. Particular attention is paid to how experiences of men and women vary by class, race, and ethnicity. Usually offered every year.

AMST Writing Intensive

Amst main currents, amst cross-listed.

An introduction to the essential themes, aesthetic concerns, and textual strategies that characterize African American writing of this century. Examines those influences that have shaped the poetry, fiction, and prose nonfiction of representative writers. Usually offered every second year.

Explores the evolution of the modern African American civil rights movement through historical readings, primary documents, films and social media. Assesses the legacy and consequences of the movement for contemporary struggles for black equality. Usually offered every second year.

With its focus on a major and enduring racial formation in the U.S., this course covers a wide range of literary expressions of Asian American subjectivities forged in various flashpoints of American history, from the early days of Chinese “coolie” labor in the late nineteenth century to the contemporary moment of refugee migration. Along the way, we will learn about structures of violence that have manifested into exclusion laws, internment camps, devastating wars, and refugee displacements. Major authors include Julie Otzuka, Maxine Hong Kingston, Chang-Rae Lee, and Jhumpa Lahiri. Usually offered every fourth year.

The recent flourishing of the memoir genre in Asian American literature coincides with the increased visibility and participation of Asian Americans in U.S. culture and politics. This course examines how the memoir has found primacy as a literary genre for articulating Asian American political subjects over a century. We will query what it means to craft selfhood as a racial minority—complicated by class, gender and sexual identities—while navigating the gaps between private memories and national history. We will learn about flashpoints in the turbulent history of migration and wars between the U.S. and various Asian countries over the twentieth century through intimate accounts of lived experiences. We will study how various authors manage the intractable issue of unreliability in memory work while responding to the pressure of speaking for their communities. Above all, we will appreciate how, by articulating themselves, each author also theorizes America and their fraught relationship to it. Usually offered every third year.

What we have come to call the Vietnam War fundamentally changed the histories of Vietnam and the U.S. through the Cold War to the present day. Taking a transnational approach, this course will examine various understandings of the war through major U.S., Vietnamese, and Vietnamese American literary texts and films from the mid-twentieth century to the present day. All course materials are in English; no Vietnamese language knowledge is required. Usually offered every third year.

With its essential role in U.S. society and history, immigration figures prominently in the American literary canon. This course traverses varied immigrant tales of twentieth-century and contemporary United States, set in the frontier of westward expansion, the Golden West, and the Eastern Seaboard. Some classics of this vast cultural corpus will anchor our critical inquiries into subject and nation formation, citizenship, and marginalization under powerful political forces both at home and abroad. By probing the complex aesthetic modes and narrative strategies in these and other texts, we will investigate deeply felt impacts of ever-shifting American cultural politics shaping immigrant experiences. Usually offered every third year.

No principle stands more sacred in American public education than separation of Church and state. Public schools pride themselves as neutral playing fields when it comes to matters of religion. But this position belies a more complicated history. American public schools were initially founded by protestant leaders concerned with an influx of non-protestant immigrants during the middle of the 19th century. Indeed, despite lip service to ideas like separation of Church and state, American educational leaders long saw schools as a vehicle for promoting a Protestant inflected American culture. This course begins from the premise that American education and American religion have always existed in relationship. Religious groups have sometimes tried to use the public schools as vehicles to advance their religion, sometimes, they have created supplemental schools, and sometimes they have created whole parallel school systems. But in all cases, education and religion in American are intertwined. This course asks when education is religious and when religion is educational. It examines a series of case studies drawn from different faith communities including Judaism, Evangelical Christianity, Catholicism, and Islam. Usually offered every second year.

Explores the transformation of U.S. literary culture before the Civil War: transcendentalism, the romance, the slave narrative, domestic fiction, sensationalism, and their relation to the visual art and architecture of the period. Authors will include Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Melville, Stowe, Poe, Ridge, and Crafts. Usually offered every second year.

Explores the exuberant and sometimes strained relationship between black people and joy. In addition to literature, we will encounter various performances and perspectives that approach joy from multitude of perspectives, including minstrelsy, meditation, nature writing, ancestral remembrance, and the erotics of eating well and feeling good. Usually offered every year.

A critical examination of the history of mainstream U.S. cinema from the 1930s to the present. Focuses on major developments in film content and form, the rise and fall of the studio and star system, the changing nature of spectatorship, and the social context of film production and reception. Usually offered every second year.

Explores non-studio filmmaking in the United States. Defines an indie aesthetic and alternative methods of financing, producing, and distributing films. Special attention given to adaptations of major film genres, such as noir thrillers, domestic comedy, and horror. Usually offered every third year.

Examines ghost stories and films from across the African Diasporic. Our discussions will consider a range of phenomena, from ancestral visitations and paranormal ethnography to haunted plantation tours. We will do so in order to highlight a variety of pressing themes within Black film and literatures, including trauma, memory, and xenophobia. Usually offered every third year.

Explores the central role film plays in the construction and policing of racialized identities in the US. We will focus primarily, but not exclusively, on the Black/white binarism. The course is structured as a survey. US cinema originates in the white depiction of Blacks or in the white deployment of blackface, and racialized bodies continue to serve as a ubiquitous (if frequently unacknowledged) source of fascination and anxiety in contemporary cinema. We will begin with early 'whitewashing' films and D.W. Griffith's foundational epic, The Birth of a Nation, and conclude with new queer Black cinema and contemporary Black filmmakers. Usually offered every third year.

Cannot be taken by students who previously took ENG 42a.

Examines the tense and transformative place that blackness has within the horror tradition, beginning with the late nineteenth century and moving into the present. In addition to documentaries and critical texts, we will analyze literature, films, and various aspects of material culture that explore the relationship between blackness and horror. Usually offered every third year.

Explores the role of emerging literary forms and media in catalyzing, shaping, and remembering the American Revolution. Covers revolutionary pamphlets, oratory, the constitutional ratification debates, seduction novels, poetry, and plays. Includes authors Foster, Franklin, Jefferson, Paine, Publius, Tyler, and Wheatley. Usually offered every third year.

A study of classics of the genre (The Killers, The Maltese Falcon, Touch of Evil) as well as more recent variations (Chinatown, Bladerunner). Readings include source fiction (Hemingway, Hammett) and essays in criticism and theory. Usually offered every third year.

Explores how the religious imagination shaped literary expression in colonial America and the early United States, and how early American religion is represented in contemporary culture. Authors may include Ann Bradstreet, Charles Brockden Brown, Emily Dickinson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Arthur Miller, and Nat Turner. Usually offered every third year.

Poetry of Whitman, Dickinson, Emerson, and Melville, with representative poems of Whittier, Bryant, Longfellow, Poe, Sigourney, and Tuckerman. Usually offered every third year.

Examines black queer men’s sexualities in the field of twentieth and twenty-first century American literatures. Our focus on “getting behind” draws together topics that we will explore throughout term. These include varying attitudes that black queer writers have toward cruising and intimacy; falling behind the times; and falling behind at work, or in life, because of certain sexual pursuits. Usually offered every third year.

A study of thirteen films covering the whole trajectory of Hitchcock's career, as well as interviews and critical responses. Usually offered every second year.

Close study of American short-fiction masterworks. Students read as writers write, discussing solutions to narrative obstacles, examining the consequences of alternate points of view. Studies words and syntax to understand and articulate how technical decisions have moral and emotional weight. Usually offered every third year.

A survey of American painting from the colonial period to the early twentieth-century. Usually offered every third year.

Investigates U.S. history in a wider world, from its origins to the present, starting with the premise that American History itself is a construct of modern empire. Only by investigating the roots of power and resistance can we understand the forces that deeply influence our world as we live it today. Usually offered every second year.

A hard look at American slavery from the Middle Passage to Mass Incarceration, plus an investigation into the Civil War through the lens of Black self-emancipation. Uses the tools and insights from #1619 Project. Usually offered every second year.

An examination of the brief life of the southern Confederacy, emphasizing regional, racial, class, and gender conflicts within the would-be new nation. Usually offered every third year.

Surveys American legal development from colonial settlement to the Civil War. Major issues include law as an instrument of revolution, capitalism and contract, invention of the police, family law, slavery law, and the Civil War as a constitutional crisis. Usually offered every third year.

Survey of American legal development from 1865 to the present. Major topics include constitutionalism and racial inequality, the legal response to industrialization, progressivism and the transformation of liberalism, the rise of the administrative state, and rights-based movements for social justice. Usually offered every year.

American politics, economics, and culture underwent profound transformations in the late twentieth century. Examines the period's turmoil, looking especially at origins and legacies. Readings include novels, memoirs, key political and social documents, and film and music excerpts. Usually offered every second year.

Surveys social and political history during the pivotal decades when America became a "modern" society and nation-state. Topics include populism, racial segregation, social science and public policy, the Roosevelt and Wilson administrations, environmental conservation, and the domestic impact of World War I. Usually offered every fourth year.

Covers the New Left of the 1960s, its rejection of the outlook of the 1950s, the efforts of liberals to save the New Left agenda in the New Politics of the 1970s, and the reaction against the New Left in the neoconservative movement. Usually offered every second year.

Examines and critically analyzes the United States healthcare system, emphasizing the major trends and issues that have led to the current sense of "crisis." In addition to providing a historical perspective, this course will establish a context for analyzing the current, varied approaches to health care reform. Usually offered every year.

Examines what economic and social factors drive inequality in terms of conditions at work, from wages to discrimination to worker voice, and how these conditions are connected to business decisions, government policies, union and worker advocacy, and worker norms and beliefs.  Usually offered every year.

Innovative journalists have found new, impactful ways to cover sports. In this course, students will practice the skills needed to craft meaningful stories across platforms, examine the role of the sportswriter in modern culture, and discuss how the sports media industry has evolved to include new niches and business models. Usually offered every second year.

Examines the history of political marketing, image making in presidential campaigns, the relationship between news and ads, and the growth of public-policy advertising by special-interest groups to influence legislation. Usually offered every fourth year.

Examines the intersection of the media and politics, the ways in which each influences the other, and the consequences of that intersection for a democracy. Through analytic texts, handouts, and contemporaneous newspaper and magazine articles, explores the relationship between policy decisions and public discourse. Usually offered every second year.

Should reporters ever misrepresent themselves? Is it ever acceptable to break the law in pursuit of a story? What kind of news footage is too graphic to share? By wrestling with difficult decisions in journalism, this course is designed to strengthen students’ critical thinking and news judgment . Usually offered every year.

Students will learn how to use social media storytelling to develop their own voices, sharpen their reporting skills, and reach new communities and platforms. They will also learn the art of tracking and building audiences through engagement tools and will critique the work of professionals and colleagues. Usually offered every second year.

How do journalists cover the arts in a world of ever-expanding online options, and where artists are increasingly telling their own stories through social media? This course explores the evolution of arts and entertainment coverage, from its earliest days to its current digital incarnation. Students will develop skills using new tools and innovative approaches to deliver meaningful pop culture coverage and cultural criticism. Usually offered every second year.

Examines the social, cultural, political and economic influences on the practice of journalism. In particular, the course will explore the generational debates around identity, advocacy, and digital disruption that newsrooms around the country are grappling with today, providing the background and concepts for a critical analysis of the contemporary American press. Counts toward History/Culture requirement for Journalism minor. Usually offered every second year.

Explores the evolution of reporting on international affairs and other cultures for an American audience, and how the work of overseas correspondents shapes foreign policy and public opinion. It will examine the challenges facing journalists working in foreign countries and the ethical, cultural, technological, and political factors that influence the U.S. media's coverage of global affairs. Usually offered every second year.

Closed to first-year students. Focuses on individual rights, highlights how our laws and policies affect American health care. Traces the evolution of the doctor-patient relationship; explores access issues, including whether health care is or should be a fundamental right; assesses the quality of care and the impact of malpractice; and examines the cost of having (or not having) adequate health insurance. Concludes with options and prospects for meaningful reform. Usually offered every year.

May not be taken for credit by students who successfully completed POL 116b or LGLS/POL 116b previously. The history and politics of civil liberties and civil rights in the United States, with emphasis on the period from World War I to the present. Emphasis on freedom of speech, religion, abortion, privacy, racial discrimination, and affirmative action. Readings from Supreme Court cases and influential works by historians and political philosophers. Usually offered every year.

Provides a look at the intersection of indigenous rights, environmental justice, and federal Indian law. You will learn essential tools of legal reasoning and argument. Through in-class discussion, cases, and reading you will learn about conflicts over land use, climate change, and sovereignty. The course will be organized into weekly case studies where we will study contemporary and historical conflicts including: the Dakota Access pipeline, relocation due to sea level rise, fishing rights and dam removal, water rights in the face of drought, uranium mining, and Native Nation regulation of oil and gas extraction on reservation lands. Usually offered every second year.

Surveys the procedures and analytic methods by which scientific data enter into litigation and regulation/policy making. Introduces basic tools of risk analysis and legal rules of evidence. Case studies of tobacco litigation and regulation; use of DNA and other forensic evidence in the criminal justice system; the Woburn ground-water contamination case; and other topics to be selected, such as genetics in the courtroom, court-ordered Cesarean sections, polygraph testing, alternative medicine, and genetically modified foods. Usually offered every second year.

Open to music majors and non-majors. Examines the development of Jazz styles from the origins of Jazz in the late 1800's through today's Jazz masters. Early Jazz, Swing, Bebop, Cool, the year 1959, and Avant Garde are some of the styles we will be examining through recordings, videos, and in-class performances by local jazz musicians. The emphasis will be on learning how to listen to the various layers of the music and recognize specific stylistic techniques. Usually offered every third year.

American Judaism from the earliest settlement to the present, with particular emphasis on the various streams of American Judaism. Judaism's place in American religion and comparisons to Judaism in other countries. Usually offered every year.

A close examination of three American anti-Semitic episodes: U.S. Grant's expulsion of the Jews during the Civil War, the Leo Frank case, and the publication of Henry Ford's The International Jew. What do these episodes teach us about anti-semitic prejudice, about Jews, and about America as a whole? Usually offered every second year.

Examines, through a close reading of selected primary sources, central issues and tensions in American Jewish life, paying attention to their historical background and to issues of Jewish law. Usually offered every second year.

Empowers students to articulate a reality-based, transformative vision of Jewish education that is grounded in an appreciation for the history and sociology of American Jewish education. It will familiarize students with and contextualize the present Jewish educational landscape, through the use of historical case studies and current research, encouraging students to view the field from an evolutionary perspective. The seminar will address Jewish education in all its forms, including formal and informal settings (e.g., schools, camps, youth groups, educational tourism). Usually offered every third year.

Open to all students. Survey course focusing on moving images of Jews and Jewish life in fiction and factual films. Includes early Russian and American silents, home movies of European Jews, Yiddish feature films, Israeli cinema, independent films, and Hollywood classics. Usually offered every second year.

Open to first-year students. Analysis of American political institutions: Congress, the presidency, Supreme Court, bureaucracy, political parties, pressure groups, and problems of governmental decision making in relation to specific areas of public policy. Usually offered every year.

Role and organization of political parties, interest groups, and public opinion in the American political system. Emphasis on historical development and current political behavior in the United States in relation to American democratic theory. Comparison with other countries to illuminate U.S. practice. Usually offered every second year.

Examines modern campaigns and elections to the United States presidency and Congress. Topics include the influence of partisanship, policy differences, and candidate images on the vote; the impact of money on campaigns; the role of the mass media; and the differences among presidential, Senate, and House elections. Usually offered every third year.

Analyses American mass political movements, their interaction with police, and their influences on American politics. Topics include the relationship between social movements and various political institutions. Explore various theories with case studies of specific political movements. Usually offered every third year.

Philosophical and historical origins of the presidency, examining the constitutional role of the chief executive. Historical development of the presidency, particularly the emergence of the modern presidency during the twentieth century. Contemporary relationships between the presidency and the electorate, as well as the other branches of government. Usually offered every second year.

May not be taken for credit by students who successfully completed LGLS 116b or LGLS/POL 116b previously. The history and politics of civil liberties and civil rights in the United States, with emphasis on the period from World War I to the present. Emphasis on freedom of speech, religion, abortion, privacy, racial discrimination, and affirmative action. Readings from Supreme Court cases and influential works by historians and political philosophers. Usually offered every year.

Examines the connection between politics and policymaking to identify the political determinants of public policy since the 1970's. By paying close attention to what policy makers say about what they are doing, the course connects the world of ideas to the world of actions. The course examines concrete cases from specific time periods across a wide range of policy areas such as health care, tax policy, Social Security, education reform, immigration, tort reform,and deregulation. Usually offered every year.

Overview of America's foreign policy since 1945. Topics include the Cold War era, the economic competitiveness of the United States, the role of the United States in selected world regions, the role of human rights in U.S. foreign policy, the U.S. participation in the United Nations, post-Cold War foreign policy, and the making and implementing of foreign policy. Usually offered every year.

May not be taken for credit by students who took POL 125a in prior years. Addresses three major dimensions of women's political participation: social reform and women-identified issues; women's organizations and institutions; and women politicians, electoral politics, and party identification. Covers historical context and contemporary developments in women's political activity. Usually offered every second year.

Examines the major plays and playwrights representing styles from social realism to avant-garde performance groups and the theater of images. Usually offered every second year.

Analyzes American musicals in their historical contexts: students learn how to analyze the structure and score of musicals, and develop a vocabulary for examining the visual dimensions of productions. Attention will be given to production histories. Usually offered every year.

Using icons from movies, fiction, theater, and television who represent manhood, this course explores how American men have defined and performed their masculinity. Various archetypes, including the cowboy, the gangster, the rogue cop, the athlete, the buddy, the lover, and Woody Allen are examined. Usually offered every second year.

• School of Arts and Sciences

Brandeis University 2017-18 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide 

Regular Decision: 

Brandeis University 2017-18 Application Essay Question Explanations

*for international students only.

If you currently reside in the U.S., move along! Nothing to see or do here, you lucky ducks. If you’re an international student, though, buckle up. Brandeis has some work for you.

The Requirements: 1 essay of 250 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Community / Why

Brandeis attracts students from many corners of the world. As an international student at Brandeis, how would you enrich the campus community? (250 words or fewer)

Dang! Brandeis is really making its international applicants WERK! Well, here’s a quick tip: this question may seem like it’s asking about the difference between you and the domestic applicants, but it’s actually in your best interest to think about what distinguishes you from any other international student! What do you bring to campus that no one else can? What have you learned from your life experience? And there’s one last twist to this application: in order to explain how you would “enrich the campus community” you should probably know a thing or two about that campus community. So spend a little time on the Brandeis website to get a feel for the school, the students, and the surrounding community. How is the culture different from your own? Where might the two intersect? And how might that point of intersection create an opportunity for mutual learning? For more information about acing the international essay, check out this video we made just for you!

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