Princeton University Top Questions

Generally, I love Princeton. It's been the ideal size for me - small enough to always see a friendly face, but large enough to retain some privacy and anonymity - and the campus is absolutely breathtaking. Being in such a picturesque area has its price, however. The town of Princeton isn't the most college-friendly; all of the shops and restaurants are fairly pricey and shut down early, and off-campus housing is impossibly expensive for undergrads. That said, there are still gems waiting to be discovered off-campus, like at the Princeton Record Exchange (an awesome music/video store) or the fried-food-Mecca that is Hoagie Haven. Understanding life on campus is a little tricky, in large part due to the "eating clubs" that kind of dominate the campus social scene. Upperclassmen have the opportunity to join these co-ed social/dining clubs, headquartered in mansions on "The Street" (aka Prospect Ave). While only upperclassmen actually eat in the eating clubs, they throw parties every weekend, so sometimes people compare them to frats...except they really aren't frats (frats and sororities ARE on campus, in fact, and just had the ability to hold freshman rush taken away - big controversy), so most Princetonians give up explaining them to their non-Princeton friends. Of course, they'd only try to explain the clubs if they've copped to attending Princeton. Most Tigers will try and dodge the "college question" by saying they "go to school in New Jersey". It's not a shame thing (there's an absurd amount of school pride - Reunions is a complete spectacle every year); rather, it's just a kind of modesty, deserved or not. Students also love to gripe about grade deflation (the school has a policy that suggests restricting grades to a curve in each department), but in the end we all bond over it. All considered, I wouldn't trade Princeton for anywhere else. Every moment, good and not-so-good, has been totally life-changing. I'll never forget finishing my first English essay after a frantic all-nighter in Campus Club, nor the first time I stepped on stage with the talk show I founded (named "All-Nighter"). I've had the opportunity to both tour the backstage of Saturday Night Live and give a presentation to the United Nations Disarmament Committee, all thanks to classes I've taken. I've made some awesome memories, and really awesome friends.

I really do love Princeton. The community is difficult to describe, but it's so exciting and supportive and challenging all at the same time. Campus is a great size where you always see people you know without ever feeling like you know everyone. One thing I never considered before coming here that I've really come to appreciate is the alumni support, traditions, and overall school spirit. There definitely is a sense of being part of something bigger than yourself (as a student, Reunions is just about the coolest thing ever). Most people love it here and continue to love it for the rest of their lives. On the less positive side, the social constructs that define campus can be a bit limiting. Eating clubs divide up the classes between upperclassmen and underclassmen, and freshman are generally their own sort of subgroup. That being said, no one is antagonistic to people just because of their year. It's just harder to make older friends as a younger student, and you usually meet them through extracurricular activities (Of course that's probably true at any school).

This school is a huge game board. You can make it into a fun experience or into a competition. You might win but you might also fail... though in the end you'll leave having learned something. Princeton provides you with everything a college could possibly offer. It's really what you do with those game pieces.

There are a million things to say about how amazing Princeton is: the picture perfect campus, the top-notch teachers, the wonderful friends I've made, but I think the most impressive part of Princeton is the sense we get that the faculty and administration really are trying their hardest to make everything at Princeton the best it can be for us undergraduates. Of course, Princeton already has a reputation as the best in many areas, but even the small things have been perfected: the printing is free, the laundry is free, I have more advisers than I can shake a stick at. If there is any problem, no matter how small, I firmly believe that Princeton will help me fix it.

Like any other school, Princeton has its pros and cons. Personally, I find that the pros greatly outweigh the cons. Sometimes it can be a struggle to balance academics and extracurriculars, but the tough times are also the most rewarding. Coming from a public school in Texas, I've experienced tremendous academic and cultural growth during my time here. The people I've met inspire me in so many ways, and the best part is that after graduation, Reunions gives us an excuse to come back often and keep in touch.

I literally could not be happier with time here at Princeton. Aside from the fact that the classes and professors are all top of the line, the people I have been exposed to here has been the real treasure. Princeton attracts such an interesting group of students that I have learned just as much from my peers as from the professors. The school is a very personal experience on one of the most beautiful campuses.

could describe how highly i think of this school. There is literally nothing I would change. The rather small size of Princeton, though not ideal for everybody, is perfect if you want the opportunity to meet almost all the people in your class, yet you will never have the feeling that you are limited to spending your time with 10 people... whether you like them or not. School pride here is incredible. People here love the school, and it generally seems that the school loves the people back too. Classes are tough, yes, but will be well worth the effort. Overall, if I could have restarted and picked any school in the world, it would have been Princeton.

No doubt why Princeton consistently ranks as the best undergraduate school in the nation. The quality of classes is great, and the faith put in student's academic potential allows students to find their niche. The attention given to undergraduates is uncommon at universities of this calibre.

Love it here. Love the people. Love the resources. Love the support from the school - opportunities, financial aid, etc. Love the campus.

Princeton's location is a double-edged sword. Objectively I can say it is probably the most beautiful college campus I have ever seen and is extremely safe and peaceful. However, over the four years you spend there as a student you gradually become more and more disconnected from the real word and realize you've become accustomed to living in la-la land. If you're looking for somewhere to pursue your studies in peace or be able to pass out on a bench and wake up the next morning without something terrible having happened to you, then Princeton is the place.

I had a lot of trepidation about going to Princeton, mostly because I was worried about the negative stereotypes about the social scene, and because (I confess it) I'm a legacy--my mom went here for both undergrad and grad school, and I was (and still am) ashamed that my mom's status probably tipped the balance in my favor. That said, though, I really changed my mind after a few weeks' adjustment period. I believe I go to the best school in the country--it's probably because we do have the highest per-student endowment in the country, but believe me, that shows. You wouldn't believe the opportunities that get thrown at all of us, because we have resources to rival Harvard's or Yale's but not nearly the huge student body. I think it's the perfect size: we have 5,000 undergrads (though it's going up in the next few years), which is enough that there's a social group for everyone, but not so many that you get lost in the cracks. You definitely get individual attention, which for me is really important. There are also 2,000 grad students, which means they don't get any more attention than or overshadow the undergrads, but that they're they're to enrich the university community. Basically, if I can say anything to debunk your Princeton stereotypes, I will. My class, the Class of 2012, is the first in Princeton's history to be equally male-female, and that spirit of modernity shows in study abroad opportunities, the LGBT Center, and the wide range of campus publications, to name just a few aspects of student life. Yeah, there are a lot of problems with conservatism and entitlement--take the recent grade deflation initiative, for example, which I am behind but which received a lot of flak from students and alumni. By and large, though, the current university president, Shirley Tilghman, has done worlds of good to make Princeton a place where someone like me can without question belong--that definitely wouldn't have been the case when my mom was a student. Today, I feel like a definite part of the social fabric, whether it's in the eating clubs or at my college master's house.

When I tell people I go to Princeton, sometimes they give me a funny look. It's not your typical college. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. The best thing about Princeton is the people - a lot of incredibly quick/bright/witty people. There's not much I would want to change either. The size of the campus ~5000 undergrads is just right, the classes have been great, etc.

Taking a drive down Nassau Street and past the front gates of Princeton will tell you a lot about what you can expect from your time as a student -- at least in terms of ambience. If you are totally at home in a place where the Mercedes outnumber the Toyotas in the parking lot, and where shopping at the Gap is slumming it, then you will easily find yourself at home on campus. That is not to say that you will necessarily hate Princeton if you prefer thrift shops, used cars and coffee houses, but you may have to search a little harder to find comrades in arms. You will eventually find them, though -- there are people of all types at Princeton. But you should be aware that it is much easier for some people to fit in at Princeton than others. If you are, say, coming from an urban public school where only 15{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students are white, you may find that Princeton's claims of racial and socioeconomic diversity ring false. If you don't like the idea of having to prostrate yourself before your peers in order to prove yourself worthy of socializing with them, you may find the notion of eating clubs distasteful. And if you are on financial aid and don't want to bankrupt your parents, you may be disappointed to find that the (typically quite expensive) eating clubs dominate the upperclass social culture. But even if you felt all these things, you could still find a place. There is a four-year residential college now, and you can find a social niche that suits you if you look for it. But you may have to look for it unless you are coming from a place like Choate (in which case, you will fit right in with very little trouble). In terms of daily life as a student, it depends somewhat on whether you're a science/engineeering student or a liberal arts major. If you aren't taking a science, chances are good that you'll have Fridays off. Seriously -- three-day weekends are the norm for a lot of students, and that's part of the reason that Thursdays are a big party night on campus. If you're a hard science or B.S.E. major, forget about it. It's normal weekends for you. Either way, you'll probably spend more time studying than you do in class. That's not because class time is short, but rather because classes are challenging, and you have to be prepared. Many social gatherings revolve around study groups. But most students at Princeton are used to working hard, so it's generally not too overwhelming. You'll still have time to go out to The Street (if you want to) on weekends, or to take frequent study breaks with friends at Hoagie Haven or the Wa, or just at the Frist center. For all the studying, nearly all the students find time for a social life. To be honest, one of the best advantages to going to a school like Princeton comes after you graduate. The name recognition -- worldwide -- is instant and impressive. The mere fact of having gone to Princeton undeniably opens doors that might otherwise have been closed. (Sometimes you will have to work to convince them that you are not a snob as you put your foot in that open door.) And those are the advantages before you consider the alumni network, which is quite strong. Alumni of Princeton tend to be extremely devoted (and generous) to the school. If you choose to be a part of it, the Princeton experience can continue quite actively for the rest of your life.

It's cold in the winter. I'm from NY, so this may sound silly, but there's a difference between taking a bus or driving to school and walking across campus in the cold and snow. Luckily, the gorgeous Princeton spring completely makes up for it.

The best thing about Princeton is the fact that it is a large, ultra-smart, hugely ambitious community. Every student, from the drunken frat boy to the physics nerd, is interesting and smart. In order to get into Princeton, you need to do something that sets you apart from the rest of the applicants, and for the most part that is clear when you meet the student body. Although someone may seem completely normal and friendly, he is actually a medal winner in the National Spelling Bee or an Olympic fencer. You never know who you will meet or who they will one day become.

Princeton is sweet. The students here are extremely intellectually curious, and yet very normal at the same time. It's easy to think that everyone at Princeton must be a total loser who spends every waking moment buried in a textbook, but everybody's actually real chill. Like any internationally renowned university there are definitely some freakishly smart, socially apocalyptic kids at Princeton, but your average Princetonian is normal. The town is wonderful too and is filled to the brim with quaint mom-and-pop boutiques and preppy shopping. School pride is pretty high: it's hard to believe there's many people that aren't proud to go to Princeton. The basketball and football teams draw a solid crowd if they're playing well but the stands tend to be empty when the teams suck. Lacrosse is big too and their games are pretty sick. Students complain about college administrators regardless of where you are and Princeton is no exception, but they do a good job in general. All in all it's a great school.

Best thing about princeton is the campus. The place is beautiful, and such a joy to live in. The people here are great as well - they know how to work and how to party.

the eating clubs make the school. the casual afternoons on the TI front lawn will remain as some of my favorite times. the night life is also centered around the clubs and generally, I have enjoyed it, although the limits the social options a bit.

Size is great, not too big, not too small. Princeton the town is a little small, but there are 5 malls within a 5 minute drive, so you can't really complain; you don't need a town with a 'nightlife' because the eating clubs provide that, and for free, for everyone with a student ID card. The administration is great and undergrad-focused, with the grad students often having to plead for attention since the faculty, money and resources give first priority to undergrads. Some of the recent controversies have been grade deflation, elimination of early decision, expansion from 2-year to 4-year residential colleges, and changes in the alcohol policy. School pride is probably greater here than at any other school in the nation--almost every alumni gives money back to the university after graduation, and a large majority return EVERY single year for Reunions.

My favorite thing about Princeton is everyone living on campus together and there being a strong sense of community. That being said the smaller size can make for some awkward interactions with people you sort of know or dislike. The town is endearingly small. Going into town definitely does not feel like getting off campus, and having a car and doing things like going lasertagging on Route 1 is refreshing.