<p>I know this is an old thread but I am bumping it so students in the next application cycle may see it – Brandeis is NOT a discriminatory institution. I was accepted with lower stats than OP and I wrote my essay about growing up in a Muslim household and I was accepted. Please do not refrain from applying to Brandeis because you fear that Brandeis will discriminate against you - Brandeis is an incredibly open and diverse community, full of all cultures, including Middle Eastern/Arab. </p>