According to Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy, both the graduation and retention rate, calculating the number of students who transfer to other institutions, at Brandeis are above average, but below those of many first-tier institutions. According to U.S. News and World Report, Brandeis has a retention rate of 85 percent. While this is comparatively high - the national average is 60 percent - she said it is disappointing when compared to the 90 to 92 percent rates of institutions such as Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell and Brown. "We would like to see (the retention rates) be higher," Eddy said.

In addressing specific forms of retention rates, "the most significant rate is the freshmen to sophomore rate, or how many freshmen return for their sophomore year," Eddy said. As with the graduation rate, Brandeis' 94 percent retention rate is "quite good" compared to the national average, but "compared to (most Ivy League institutions), we are a little behind," Eddy said. These other institutions all have freshman retention rates of 95 to 97 percent, she said.

While Eddy said she would like to "post the statistics that other schools of our caliber are able to post," she said she isn't worried that "our retention rate is too low."

Class of '06 Dean Michele Rosenthal said she shares her opinion.
Most college transfer applications require a dean's authorization, for which Rosenthal is responsible. But, despite her necessary participation in the process, she said she "doesn't feel overwhelmed by students wanting to transfer." This fact, along with a general interaction with the student body lends to her overall conclusion that "students are happy here."

Paul Kandel '06 confirmed Rosenthal's impression. "I'm happy at Brandeis. Academically it's great, and all my professors are really helpful."

However, Nektaria Karaolis '06 said she agrees that Brandeis provides a good education, she says she feels the social life and atmosphere is "a bit boring."

According to Rosenthal, dissatisfaction with Brandeis' social atmosphere is not a common reason for transferring. Rather, she says it is more a matter of academic compatibility. "Some students have shifted their academic focus and feel that institution x or y will fit them better," Rosenthal said. Rosenthal said that often the desire to transfer is not a result of personal change, but of initial expectations. "Many students that I talk to applied to other institutions, didn't get accepted and want to give it another try."

Kandel has made similar observations. "Some people get their hearts set on Ivy Leagues before they get here and consequently can't appreciate all that Brandeis has to offer."

While transferring after one's first year is very common, Eddy pointed out that "our retention rate between sophomore and junior year is my biggest concern." Eddy said she worries that "too many students are leaving at that point." and speculates that the reason is a shortage of housing. "(Students not being) guaranteed housing and close proximity to campus once they achieve junior status could be playing a role in why students transfer."

For both first years and sophomores, Rosenthal said she feels the most dominant reason for interest in transferring is desire or curiosity to "see what else is out
there," particularly in terms of environment. "By and large, students that I meet with think maybe its nice to be in a large city or closer to home," Rosenthal said.
For Valerie Scott '05, the desire to transfer was a factor of the University's atmoshphere. "(During my freshman year) I wasn't finding people to be welcoming," Scott said. As with many who wanted to transfer, Scott also changed her mind, because she found "people to be more friendly."

According to Rosenthal, when students desiring to transfer are either not accepted to the university of their choice or are dissatisfied with their new circumstances, "they are happy to come back to Brandeis."

Eddy said she is also "aware of students transferring back to Brandeis or taking a 'time out' and then transferring back in." Rosenthal said she understand that students are eager to find the perfect fit for a university and reminds them that they "can always be readmitted."

According to Eddy, the flexibility of student readmission is also mirrored in the admission of new transfer students. Eddy pointed out that the number of transfer students each year is about 40, but "for many years has been significantly lower than that." While Brandeis "welcomes applications from students who meet our profile," Eddy said, "for private elite colleges recruitment is usually not a focus." As a result, she said the number of students transferring out of Brandeis is
unrelated to the number transferring in.

Rosenthal said she understands the need for flexible transfer and readmission policies given that students are eager to find a university that offers the perfect fit. For those Brandeis students who once again try their luck with higher education, she points out that they "can always be readmitted.