<p>If you talk to professors at top Astronomy/Astrophysics graduate programs (I have and you should), I think you will discover that they prefer to admit graduate students who had a strong, broad background in physics as opposed to those who majored in astronomy.</p>
<p>I don’t know a lot about physics at Brandeis but I do have a friend who primarily is a physics professor at Brown but also teaches at Brandeis. He tells me that the physics department at Brandeis is good and is comparable to Brown’s.</p>
<p>BU is also a fine school and I understand the attraction–Kenmore Sq is a lot more fun than South St. in Waltham. But BU’s campus, being squeezed between Commonwealth Ave and Storrow Dr and severely lacking in green space and trees would drive me crazy after a while. Brandeis’ campus is much more serene and pleasant–and Boston is only 9 miles away. Also, as you note, Brandeis’ academic reputation is significantly higher. I think that people put too much stock into USNWR ratings but, in this case, the difference is notable.</p>
<p>To me the choice would be easy—but that’s why there are so many flavors of ice cream :)</p>