Transitional Year Program (TYP)

Established in 1968, Brandeis University's Transitional Year Program (TYP) is an integral part of the institution's enduring commitment to social justice. TYP is an empowering educational experience for students who have shown academic promise, tenacity, leadership, and resilience in their life experiences, but have had limitations to their pre-college academic opportunities. In their first year at Brandeis, students in the TYP take a mixture of Brandeis undergraduate courses and TYP-exclusive courses designed at the college level.

Small classes and strong support systems help TYP students apply their focus, energy, perseverance and maturity to rigorous studies at the postsecondary level. The program enables young people, who otherwise may not have had access, the opportunity to explore new possibilities for their lives.

Each year out of 200 applicants, 20 outstanding students who often have not had access to AP courses and honors courses are admitted to Brandeis through the TYP. Students who enter Brandeis through the TYP have a life-changing experience, and have their stories of success added to the university's thousands of living testimonies of true ambition, resilience, courage, and triumph.

Applying to TYP

Each year, Brandeis admits 20 students to the TYP. Each applicant must be projected to complete high school or its equivalent (e.g., earning a GED) prior to the start of the 2013-14 academic year.

Each applicant must submit the following materials by the posted deadline:

1. Completed Common Application including the Brandeis Supplement (be sure to check the TYP box).
2. Official copy of all high school transcripts and/or GED certificate.
3. Official copy of SAT or ACT scores and TOEFL scores, if applicable.
4. Official transcript(s) for any course(s) taken at the post-secondary school level.
5. Three letters of recommendation, preferably from teachers, mentors, employers, etc.
6. A 400-word essay about what makes you a good candidate for the TYP (in place of the personal statement).
7. A copy of your U.S. Permanent Resident Visa (Green Card) if not a U.S. citizen.
8. A complete CSS Profile.

Financial Aid Information

Brandeis University will meet 100 percent of calculated institutional financial need as determined by the CSS Profile and federal income-tax returns for each year of an admitted TYP student's attendance. A typical financial-aid package will consist of a need-based scholarship, loans and a work award.

TYP applicants can contact Cathy Nelson in the Office of Student Financial Services for additional information.

For more information about TYP, please visit the Transitional Year Program Website or email TYP Director Erika Smith.

For questions about the TYP admissions process, please email Jared Rivers, associate director of admissions.