<p>Brandeis is a great school, fullhouse, and D was planning to apply there for theater, so went for an interview and a great conversation with the head of the Fine Arts dept. She thought he was absolutely wonderful…but left feeling it wasn’t the right place for her. They encourage double-majoring, and their focus on social justice is so strong that it seemed someone who wanted to immerse herself in art was going to be looked on as frivolous. D had the impression that they were phasing out the MFA, which might be a good thing for BA students, but she wasn’t sure it wouldn’t mean they would lose some of the faculty there. STILL-- there is a ton of theater there, often student produced, and even more music. There is a wonderful vibe on campus, just lots of bright, thoughtful, energetic kids doing really interesting work of all kinds, teachers who care, a lovely campus just outside Boston and walking distance to the cool variety of restaurants and shops in Waltham… D was right that it wasn’t her thing, but I really had to swallow hard when she decided against.</p>
<p>I mean, double-majoring in Theater and Economics, etc. not Theater and Music, which would have been her interest.</p>