<p>kayler, especially with that relatively minor price differential, I would find the choice to be a no brainer. In terms of quality of peers, education , prestige, post-graduate placement and overall experience, I would choose Brandeis over SUNY. Brandeis is a top-tier, exciting intellectual and creative environment inside and outside the classroom. </p>
<p>I would compare brandeis’ intellectual community to its UAA sister school, U of Chicago (FYI its President is a Brandeis alum) only Brandeis’ is more relaxed and more undergraduate-oriented. Despite their intellectual bent, Brandeis students are down-to-earth, friendly and non-competitive with one another. </p>
<p>As you may know, in a recent Forbes national college rankings survey, Brandeis was ranked 15th among research universities and 30th overall among all private univerities and LAC’s–a testament to its focus on undergraduate education. Larger schools, including some Ivies, were ranked much lower. </p>
<p>Despite its small size and relative youth, Brandeis alumni are very distinguished–to name just a few: Nobel Prize winner for chemistry Rod Mackinnon, Fields Medal winning physicist Edward Witten (often called “Einstein’s successor”), 3-time Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Friedman of the NY Times, The Earth is Flat etc; Mitch Albom of Tuesday’s with Morrie (about his Brandeis professor), Martin Peretz, the editor of The New Republic, the Creators/Producers of Friends; actress Debra Messing; Robert FX Sillerman (billionaire businessman–currently owner of American Idol and Graceland) and Christy Hefner, former CEO of Playboy). I understand she may teach at Brandeis in the near future, just as Tom Friedman returned to teach not long ago. i’ve also heard a rumor that Marta Kaufman, one of the creators of Friends, also may soon return to teach.</p>