First-Year Applicants

Student smiling facing another student with a computer

Your roadmap to a complete application.

Applying to Brandeis as a first-year student? Below, you'll find everything you need to include in your application.

In addition to the core first-year applicant materials list, be sure to check out the additional guides below for more info, advice and supplementary information! And remember, we're always here to help.

The Brandeis Commitment: free or half tuition for families earning up to $200,000. Learn more about how we're making a Brandeis education accessible and affordable. 

All First-Year Applicants

  • A completed Common Application or Coalition Application. 
  • $80 application fee (or fee waiver).
  • Official copies of all high school transcripts and/or GED certificate and/or marks from any externally graded national exams. (If the original documents are not in English, please submit both original documents and English translations.) This should include transcripts for courses taken for credit outside your high school. Transcripts must include official grades from all years of secondary school.
  • A school report and a letter of recommendation from a secondary school official.
  • High School Senior Grades: Send your senior midyear grades as soon as they become available. We understand this may not be until late January or early February for some students, though we encourage you to send them as soon as possible. For Early Decision applicants, submit first marking period grades, which may be first quarter or first trimester grades.
  • A letter of recommendation from a teacher who has instructed you in a core academic course (math, science, history, foreign language or English). (Homeschooled students and those applying for the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program, see the tabs below for more details.)
  • Optional standardized test scores: Learn more about our test-optional policy.
  • A completed Early Decision Agreement Form (pdf). If you're applying for Early Decision I or Early Decision II.

Additional Materials and Information

  • English Proficiency: If you're an international student for whom English is not your native language, you should submit results of an English proficiency exam. You have the choice of submitting scores from one of the following exams. Scanned copies of the TOEFL, IELTS, or Cambridge Assessment exams are accepted; Duolingo (DET) scores must be submitted directly from the testing agency.
    • TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language) TOEFL iBT is the world’s most trusted and accepted English proficiency test to demonstrate your academic readiness. Take it at home or in a test center in less than 2 hours. Register now to begin your path.
    • IELTS (International English Language Testing System) 
    • Duolingo English Test (DET) 
    • Cambridge Assessment English Qualifications (C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency)
    • If you have spent four or more years attending a high school where the full academic curriculum is in English, you are exempt from this requirement, and may submit a request for a waiver in your DEISconnect portal after applying.
    • If you're applying directly from a United World College (UWC) campus, you are also exempt from this requirement.
  • Financial documentation: 
    • If you are not applying for financial aid, you must submit:
      • The Certification of Finances for International Students through your DEISconnect portal.
      • Supporting financial documentation demonstrating the funds that the family will contribute to your education for the first year of study. Examples are statements of earnings from employers, certification of finances from banks or other financial institutions, or tax returns if available.
    • If you are applying for financial aid, you must submit:
      • A completed CSS Profile.
      • Supporting financial documentation demonstrating the funds that the family can contribute to your education for the first year of study. Examples are statements of earnings from employers, certification of finances from banks or other financial institutions, or tax returns if available.
  • Additional recommendations:
    • Visits: We encourage you to participate in a virtual visit.
    • Interviews: We strongly encourage international applicants to interview with Brandeis or through third-party services like InitialView or Vericant, which conduct interviews in person and through online video platforms around the world. Students using these services should note the following deadlines:
      • Early Decision I : Record and submit by November 15.
      • Early Decision II / Regular Decision: Record and submit by January 15.

Track Your Application

Once your application has been processed, you'll receive an email with a username, password and link to your DEISconnect account. This is where you can check the status of your application, and see your admissions decision when it becomes available.

We work to handle the documents we receive as quickly and accurately as possible, but it can take up to three business days to process credentials once they are delivered to the admissions office. Before contacting us about missing items, please make sure they have been sent to Brandeis.

Brandeis accepts self-reported exam scores for admissions review. Applicants who self-report scores, earn admission, and choose to attend Brandeis will have to send their official scores via the testing agency or on an official school document before they can matriculate. For missing recommendations or transcripts, please contact your college counselor or teachers to confirm if and when the documents were sent to us.

Still have questions? We're here to help. Email us at admissions@brandeis.edu.