Critics, including some former NBI students and Branden himself, later described the culture of the NBI as one of intellectual conformity and excessive reverence for Rand.
kɹˈɪɾɪks, ɪŋklˈuːdɪŋ sˌʌm fˈɔːɹmɚɹ ˌɛnbˌiːˈaɪ stˈuːdənts ænd bɹˈændən hɪmsˈɛlf, lˈeɪɾɚ dᵻskɹˈaɪbd ðə kˈʌltʃɚɹ ʌvðɪ ˌɛnbˌiːˈaɪ æz wˈʌn ʌv ˌɪntəlˈɛktʃuːəl kənfˈoːɹmᵻɾi ænd ɛksˈɛsɪv ɹˈɛvɚɹəns fɔːɹ ɹˈænd.