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The fall 2020 acceptance rate for Princeton University is 6%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020 , _____ students were offered admission. The number of males who applied was _____ vs the number of females which was _____.
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Describe the students at your school.
My classmates are inspirational and motivating for me--they make me push myself to be the best I can be.
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What is the stereotype of students at your school?
That they're preppy, rich, conservative, private school-educated, trust-fund kids, that only major in things like history, economics or politics in preparation for i-banking careers.
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What is your overall opinion of this school?
The "big picture" at Princeton inevitably includes the Princeton name. This isn't meant in a snobby way at all because I truly believe that the vast majority of people apply to Princeton for reasons other than simply being able to say they went to Princeton, but there's a certain connotation when the name rolls off your tongue. It can be good in the way that the university has fostered academic excellence for years and continually ranks among the top research universities in the world, or it might not be so great when people think of the typical stereotypes about Princeton. Yet, the Princeton name is something you begin to take ownership of once you arrive on campus. All of a sudden, you're part of over 200 years of tradition and you begin to understand a subtle language of "precepts," "the Street," and "zee groups," among other things. You feel and are an integral part of a community and so you become part of that name, which carries so much weight. And I think you have a little more pride when you say the name, the more you feel like you own part of it.
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Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?
Like most stereotypes, these ones are based in history. Yes, Princeton very much used to be an old boys' club that favored the rich, white, and male, but then again, so did most of the other top universities in the country. Today, Princeton is much more diverse and offers incredible academic opportunities to a much wider segment of the population.
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What should every freshman at your school know before they start?
The college process is a very personal one; I would therefore encourage parents and students alike to branch out from pre-conceptions of one college versus another and visit as many schools as possible in order to make their own decisions about what FEELS right to them. I would likewise encourage students to apply to all of the schools that they really love (REGARDLESS of the "reach"), while all the while keeping an open mind to options that they may not have thuroughly explored. In my opinion, the best way to go about doing this is to look at the list of schools to which you will apply as a WHOLE as opposed to focusing on a single school; make sure there's some variation of your own percieved culture and feel as well as level of selectivity among the schools on your list, and be sure to inlude some schools that might somewhat extend outside your general "comfort zone." Once a list like this is constructed, you can sit back, relax, and leave it up to the admissions process to highlight only those schools where you will truly thrive!
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What are the most popular student activities/groups?
No discussion of Princeton social life is complete without touching on the eating clubs. Brief overview: the eating clubs are based out of 10 mansions on Prospect Avenue and Washington Road, directly adjacent to campus. Not technically part of the University, they maintain close ties and work to promote a sense of community and responsibility. Juniors and seniors that are members take their meals at the clubs and at night, they're often open to members and other Princeton students when they're "on tap" (ie, serving beer). There are a lot of myths about the clubs and the traditions that surround them. Suffice it to say that most of the social events on campus are connected to the clubs with theme nights, bands, non-alcoholic events, and annual festivities all taking place at them on a regular basis.
While a typical Princeton student will spend most weekends at "the Street" (as the eating clubs are collectively known), there are almost always other events happening on campus: a cappella concerts under Gothic arches, dance performances, groups of friends heading to dinner on Nassau Street, trips to New York and Philadelphia (both short train rides away, easily accessible from campus), and lecture series and symposia. There's never a shortage of things to do.
Princeton students drink anywhere from 0 to 7 nights a week. Some students who don't drink still come out to the Street but most of the people that are out are drinking. Thursday and Saturday nights are the main nights when most students go out. Wednesday and Friday nights have a strong following depending on which clubs you like to frequent. Sunday nights are usually the only day that it might be trickier to find a place to get a drink, but it certainly isn't impossible. In the end, it's about finding a balance between having fun and meeting your obligations. Very few people are capable of going out 6 nights a week and still doing well in their classes -- I know a few people can do it but they're the rare exceptions. Most people are content to go out 1 to 3 nights per week, and at that, most students prefer moderation to blacking out.
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What are the academics like at your school?
If you're considering coming to Princeton, you have to face a couple facts: (1) the admissions committee has the incredibly difficult task of creating a freshman class from an enormous pool of some of the most academically-gifted and otherwise-talented students in the world (caveat: you can't get in if you don't apply!); and (2) the university doesn't maintain its prestigious academic reputation by allowing its students to hang out in the Woody Woo fountain or on Alexander Beach all day (both excellent ways to de-stress though).
Typically, students will take four classes per semester with about 11-15 hours of class per week. Engineers take five classes some semesters and may have up to 18 hours of class per week. While it might be easy to sleep through a 9am economics lecture, good luck catching up on the material since most of the time lectures are different and in addition to the readings that are assigned. Moreover, a lot of classes won't be with 200 or 50 or even 20 other students. The vast majority of classes at Princeton are smaller seminars and classes that require engagement with the material and active participation. Even if participation doesn't really affect your grade, you don't want to be the only person in the room who hasn't done the reading... especially when there are only 10 other people in the room. As a result, you'll find that people put a lot of time into their studies outside of class. While very few people make this their only activity, it is priority #1 for most students, which is the only way it can be when you have 200 pages of history reading, an oral presentation in French, a politics paper, and a creative writing assignment all due in one week. The plus side? Classes are hardly ever boring. Professors rarely gloss over broad topics to try and pack everything into one semester. Instead, your transcript is littered with amazing titles of diverse fields of inquiry like a French course in Jewish identities in post-WWII France and an electrical engineering course on the applications of lasers and other high-technology innovations in everyday life.
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Describe how your school looks to someone who's never seen it.
Excellent place to get a science degree.
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Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!
At Princeton University, in addition to lectutes we also had time with 10 or so other students to study with the professor or the graduate student professor's assitant to spend one hour speaking and talking about the subject matter. This is an opportunity many other colleges do not provide! At the University of Phoenix, where I currently attend gard school, the professor is availale 24/7 via email to answer your specific questions and disucss elements of the course with you.
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Why did you decide to go to this school?
A Princeton student tells which other schools Princeton applicants usually apply to and why students choose Pton.
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What's unique about your campus?
The prospects for the future she offers her students. Princeton is powerful, and she makes sure her students are well placed in the world after they graduate.
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What kind of person should attend this school?
If you are academically self-motivated, interested in working hard to learn a lot, and would like to be able to do all of this alongside students with diverse interests but similar levels of passion, then this school is the right place for you. But an important aspect of Princeton's culture, at least for me, is the widespread desire among students not only to work hard, but to play hard, too--and the university provides virtually everything we need to accomplish this two-fold lifestyle!
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What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?
I wish I had known about the grading scale. At Princeton, they set it up so that only 30 percent or so of the students in any given course or major can receive an A. It's pretty stupid to do this, considering that at a school like Princeton, almost all of the students are able to earn an A. It causes grades to be given based on policy rather than on what the individual student deserves.
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What's the most frustrating thing about your school?
There is nothing frustrating about Princeton. I wouldn't change it a single bit. The students are great, the faculty is very generous, and the facilities are perfect.
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What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?
There are a number of cultural clubs/groups on campus which can increase the likelihood that certain cultural groups will hang out mostly with members of their own race/ethnicity (this is not a blanket statement, however--plenty of people from different cultures are great friends and share in new experiences). Also, personally, I like the eating clubs but there are downsides to these party houses. Even though one certainly is not pressured to drink if he or she goes to one, the eating clubs seem to separate friends who drink from those who do not.
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Describe the dorms.
Join Brooks and Mackenzie, juniors at Princeton University, as they scope out different campus dorms in preparation for room draw.
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Describe your favorite campus traditions.
We are best known for being an elite liberal arts research university.
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What do you brag about most when you tell your friends about your school?
I was a math major and Princeton objectively has the greatest mathematics department in the world. This is why I went there. However, growing up in a small rural town I was unprepared for the social life at Princeton, and wished I had considered more schools in making my college decision. If I had to do it again, there is a good chance I would have ended up at Princeton anyway. Reason why Princeton is the best UG education in the world: perfect combo of focus on undergrads and high-powered research university.
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What kind of person should not attend this school?
A person looking for the stereotypical jock-dominated party school should not come here. Most people here are serious about their education.
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What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?
The most common stereotype of a typical Princeton student is the preppy kid who cares more about partying than his grades. The truth is, I see a lot more t-shirts and jeans than popped polo shirt collars. Most people got here the same way everyone got into college: hard work, diligence, and probably a little luck. There is still time for fun at Princeton, but no one breezes through.
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