Brandeis is a university with really strong academics, especially in STEM and business/econ. The classes are challenging and require a lot of work but you learn a lot and most professors I have encountered are very good at their subject. I find it a bit hard to get involved in labs or research of professors as they are very selective, so if that is something you really want to do, you need to start working on it early in your studies. Waltham has fairly good restaurants but there is not much of a social scene at Brandeis. Boston is indeed close, and there is a free shuttle, however, due to the time it takes for you to commute to Boston, it is not possible to visit very often if you have a lot of work. In general, the students are somewhat friendly and there is a sense of community, but at the same time, it is often pretentious. I would not call Brandeis a very international school.