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Brandeis University

Brandeis is a mid-sized private research university on a wooded 235-acre campus in Waltham, Massachusetts, just nine miles west of Boston — a young university (founded in 1948) named for Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, sponsored at its founding by the American Jewish community, and known for serious academics across the sciences, social justice, and the humanities. First-years live together in the Massell and North quads in traditional corridor-style halls, moving in during late August. Those first-year quads aren't air-conditioned, New England winters are cold, and the Brandeis/Roberts commuter-rail stop right by campus puts downtown Boston under 30 minutes away.

Move-inLate August

BedsTwin XL

A/CNone — bring a fan

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The one thing generic lists get wrong

What to wear in Waltham, month by month

This region runs from a humid late summer to a hard winter in about ten weeks. The mistake out-of-region families make is packing the whole year in August.

Move-in (late Aug)	60–84°F	Warm, sometimes humid late-summer days. The first-year quads have no A/C, so a fan is the single most useful thing to pack for the first weeks.
Sept–Oct	44–72°F	Crisp air and a classic New England fall around the wooded campus. A light jacket and a few sweaters.
Nov–Dec	30–50°F	Cold and gray toward finals, with the first snow. A warm coat, gloves, and boots before Thanksgiving.
Jan–Feb	20–38°F	A cold Greater Boston winter with regular snow and wind. A heavy parka, waterproof boots, and warm layers.
Mar–May	36–66°F	A slow thaw easing into a green spring — the quads and the Charles come alive. Layers and a rain jacket.

The flip: the first-year quads (Massell and North) have no air conditioning, so a strong fan is the top thing to pack for a warm late-August move-in — many families rent a MicroFridge (fridge-freezer-microwave combo) for these rooms. Bring extra-long twin sheets (standard twins won't fit) and a UL-listed surge protector rather than an extension cord. Then a real New England winter kit — parka and waterproof boots — and know the Brandeis/Roberts commuter-rail stop by campus makes car-free trips into Boston easy.

Straight from the housing office

What Brandeis University lets you bring

✓ Bring it

A good fan — the first-year quads (Massell and North) have no A/C, and late-August move-in and September can get hot
Extra-long twin (Twin XL) sheets — standard twin sheets won't fit the beds
A mini fridge and microwave, or a rented MicroFridge combo (coordinate with your roommate first)
A serious winter coat, waterproof boots, gloves, and a hat — Waltham gets a real New England winter
A UL-listed surge protector — plain extension cords and cheap power strips aren't allowed
Twin XL bedding (confirm your specific hall)
UL/ETL power strip with a built-in circuit breaker — not a bare extension cord
Damage-free wall hangings like Command strips — no nails or screws
Low-draw LED desk and task lamps
A fan, a reusable water bottle, and UL-listed electronics

✕ Leave it home

Open-coil / open-flame cooking: toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, hot plates, electric grills, sandwich makers
Candles, incense, wax warmers, and anything with an open flame
Halogen lamps
Extension cords without a breaker; outlet splitters and multi-plug adapters
Space heaters and personal A/C units (unless your school provides/approves them)
Hoverboards, e-scooters, e-bikes, and other e-mobility devices
Weapons of any kind — including decorative — and fireworks
Portable air conditioners — not permitted in the first-year halls
Space heaters, halogen lamps, candles, and incense
Hot plates, toasters, and any appliance with an open heating coil
Extension cords and non-UL power strips — bring a UL-listed surge protector instead
Personal or air mattresses, and soft furniture like couches and armchairs
Nails and tacks for hanging things on the walls

These come from Brandeis University's official housing pages and cover the essentials plus the genuinely local rules. Double-check the current official guidance before you buy — policies and renovations change every year.

Before you can move in

Getting your room at Brandeis University

01
After you deposit
Complete the housing questionnaire
First-years are guaranteed on-campus housing (Brandeis requires first- and second-years to live on campus). Fill out the summer housing and roommate questionnaire so the Department of Community Living can place you in a first-year quad and match a roommate.
02
Summer
Get your quad, room, and roommate
Your quad (Massell, North, or East), building, room, and roommate are assigned and posted over the summer, along with your Usdan mailbox number.
03
Before arrival
Pack a fan and sort a fridge
Bring a fan (the first-year quads have no A/C), extra-long twin sheets, and either a mini fridge + microwave or a rented MicroFridge — coordinate with your roommate first. Use a UL-listed surge protector, not an extension cord. You can rent a MicroFridge, bed, and linens through the university's rental service.
04
Aug 23
Move in for orientation
New undergraduate move-in is Sunday, August 23, 2026, with Orientation continuing Monday and Tuesday (August 24–25). Students in pre-orientation programs or the Hillel retreat move in earlier, on Friday, August 21.

The actual buildings

Where you'll live at Brandeis University

First-year quads — Massell & North

Almost all first-years live in one of two quads: Massell, the traditional first-year quad of four halls around a central lawn, and North, four buildings around a courtyard. Both are corridor-style with singles, doubles, and lofted triples, neither is air-conditioned, and you're placed with a roommate over the summer. A smaller number of first-years live in the mixed-year East Quad.

Massell QuadFirst-year · Shapiro·Usen·Deroy·Renfield

The classic first-year quad — four halls (Shapiro, Usen, Deroy, Renfield) set around a lawn at the bottom of campus. Single-gender rooms in singles, doubles, and lofted triples; no A/C, so bring a fan.

North QuadFirst-year · Scheffres·Gordon·Reitman·Cable

Four buildings (Scheffres, Gordon, Reitman, Cable) around a quiet courtyard, with single-sex and mixed-gender floors — traditional corridor-style first-year living, also without air conditioning.

East QuadSome first-years · mixed year

A smaller, mixed-class quad (Hassenfeld and Pomerantz) where a portion of first-years are placed alongside upper-year students.

How you're placedSummer assignment

First-years complete a housing questionnaire over the summer and are assigned a quad, room, and roommate — you can note preferences, but specific buildings aren't guaranteed.

The stuff nobody puts in one place

Waltham logistics, sorted

How to send a package to a Brandeis student

[Student Full Name]
415 South Street, MB [####]
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA 02453-2728

Every student has a mailbox number (MB#) at the Usdan Mail Center — include it on all mail and packages. Mail and packages are delivered to students' Usdan mailboxes by 5pm on weekdays, and students pick up packages there with their ID.

A young university with a distinct mission

Brandeis was founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian university under the sponsorship of the American Jewish community, named for Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis. Despite its youth it's a member of the Association of American Universities and known for rigorous academics — strong in the sciences, social justice, and the humanities — with a close-knit campus culture and a large share of students who study abroad.

Waltham and an easy line into Boston

Campus sits in Waltham, nine miles west of Boston. Moody Street — a 20-minute walk or short shuttle ride down the hill — is one of Greater Boston's best restaurant rows, with the Charles River just beyond it. The Brandeis/Roberts commuter-rail stop is steps from campus and reaches Boston's North Station in under 30 minutes, so students rarely need a car. The free Rose Art Museum on campus holds one of New England's best modern-art collections.

Beyond the campus gates

Waltham & around

On campus

Rose Art Museum & the campus

One of the country's top university art museums (free admission), plus the wooded hilltop campus and the Usen Castle silhouette — a good walk for visiting families.

~20-min walk / shuttle

Moody Street, Waltham

Downtown Waltham's restaurant row — dozens of international eateries, cafes, the Embassy cinema, and shops, with the Charles River just beyond.

Steps from campus

Brandeis/Roberts commuter rail

The Fitchburg-line stop at the edge of campus reaches Boston's North Station in under 30 minutes — the car-free way into the city.

~25–30 minutes

Boston & Cambridge

Museums, Fenway, the Freedom Trail, and Harvard Square — all an easy train ride or drive away for a weekend.

For move-in, family weekend & graduation

Where to stay near Brandeis University

Closest

Home2 Suites by Hilton Boston/Waltham

~5 min

A newer all-suite hotel a few minutes from campus, with kitchenettes and free parking — an easy, comfortable base for move-in.

~5–10 minutes

Hilton Garden Inn Boston/Waltham

~8 min

A reliable full-service option popular with visiting Brandeis families — breakfast and parking included, convenient for drop-off and pick-up.

~10 minutes

The Westin Waltham-Boston

~10 min

A larger full-service hotel in Waltham's Route 128 business district — a comfortable choice for a family weekend a short drive from campus.

Book early for late-August move-in, Family Weekend, and May commencement. Waltham and the neighboring Route 128 corridor (Newton, Lexington, Burlington) have plenty of chain hotels within ten to fifteen minutes; Boston hotels are often cheaper to reach by commuter rail than to park near. Logan Airport is about 30–40 minutes east, depending on traffic.

Gear up