Princeton University Top Questions

Princeton's a great school with too many opportunities for its students. The school is relatively small, which allows the students to feel like they know many members in their class. I'd say the best thing about Princeton is the opportunity to meet so many different groups and types of people, and the opportunity to partake in activities ranging from special guest speakers to cultural events. Princeton isn't really a "college town", but it's nice to walk off campus into the "town" of Princeton for a change of pace. In my opinion, there is a lot of school pride, both on and off campus.

Princeton is great because it is small, and there is a small grad student population. that means that the great professors (who at princeton often are very well known and well published) pay attention to you, and lead their own precepts, etc. ALso, alumni connections are great, and help out for getting jobs and internships and in general they enable lots of things to be freer than they would be. we have free laundry, good food, beautiful campus, tons of activities. it is a college town, but the town is very clean, and fun. the administration does a pretty good job on most things, and definitely needs to work on other things. THere are lots of controversies on campus and mostly they get fought out via the princetonian, the daily princeton newspaper. there is tons of school pride.

-Strong emphasis on academics, while simultaneously encouraging students to have a well-balanced college experience (taking classes outside of their concentration, getting involved in various extracurriculars on campus, attending different cultural events, etc.) -A TON of school pride. Every May, ALL the alumni come back for Reunions... 3 solid days of festivities.

Like any outstanding organization, Princeton's greatest strength is its people. Admission does a fantastic job of composing a talented cohort of diversely gifted students, but the magic really happens once they arrive on campus and spend four years working, learning, and living with one another. It sounds hard to believe, but Princetonians' loyalty to the University and one another rages early and lasts a lifetime. Illuminating examples: - Princeton clothing is always acceptable attire - An overwhelming majority of students would rather stay on campus than go abroad for a semester (perhaps misguidedly...) - Over one hundred alumni from the class of 1964 registered for their 45th reunion 16 months in advance of the celebration The quality of human capital at Princeton doesn't stop with the student body, though. In fact, I would argue the caliber of Princeton faculty and administration is second to none. Each of them, most importantly, is dedicated to the undergraduate experience. And for this institutional focus to resonate at a research university is truly exceptional.

I was not sure that princeton was the right fit for me until i got here and spent a whole semester giving it a chance. I am now extremely happy. academics are challenging, but extremely rewarding, professors are readily available to help with anything from course work to summer internships and jobs. The social scene is fun and active, but not overwhelming or consuming. The town is boring but in the same way that most other college towns are boring. We all complain about being stuck in the "princeton bubble", but in the end princeton students are spoiled by the opportunity to be part of such an all around incredible college experience.

Every year approximately one million and thirty-seven Princetonians return to campus for reunions. People frequently go back on 'in-between' years, not waiting for the multiples of five. This is partly because Princeton is awesome, but it's mostly because Princeton knows how to put on a good show. The school is good at talking with the undergrads and trying to impress them. And that's pretty cool.

The best thing about Princeton is the people. I would change the negative stereotypes that the media and prospective students tend to hone on instantly. My school size ended up being fine for me, but frankly, as time goes on, you become more accepting of your school's characteristics. People tend to regard Princeton with a mixture of disgust, awe, and impressiveness, the level depending on their own background. I spend most of my time on campus in my room, other people's rooms, the various libraries, and coffee shops. The Princeton administration functions well but does not appropriately seek student input (or give the image of at least trying to more importantly). Being an alum, am unsure of the biggest recent controversy on campus. There is quite a bit of school pride, evidenced by the large gatherings at Reunions. Princeton is unusual in its ability to maintain its strong alumni base.

I would say the big picture is simply: awesome academics in a tight nit friendly community. The interaction that you have with Princeton's incredible faculty, as well as the opportunities for research with JPs and the thesis really give the Princeton education a special quality. The big picture socially: Don't expect an urban nightlife or the cultural trappings of Nyc. But Princeton can still be a lot of fun, the social scene revolves around the eating club and such revolves around dancing/drinking games/hanging out.

Best - The rigor of the faculty, and their commitment of time to undergraduates. Not just the famous ones, and not just the ones that are great pedagogues. They're (almost) all first-rate. Worst - People need to take themselves much less seriously. There's no worse a turn-off than a sophomore who, when making introductions, begins to rifle off paragraphs from his/her resume. A lot of the people who come off as the best and brightest of the Princeton crowd have turned out, in my experience, to be smoke and mirrors. That aside, the Princeton administration, though notoriously unjust in disciplinary matters, sluggish in responding to student concerns, and to a lesser degree incompetent, takes very good care of students, if students seek out help with any matter, academic or not.

Best things: heavily focused on undergraduate studies, looking to expand the arts, prestigious Change: add a few degrees, e.g. journalism; less elitism within eating clubs Good size People are usually taken aback when they hear I went to Princeton, usually impressed too Most time on campus is spent in my room doing work, sleeping, watching tv, etc. Not a huge college town really The admin is decent I suppose, perhaps a little slow and stubborn to react to student suggestions/complaints Grade deflation controversy Lots of school pride Unusual: eating clubs Always remember: community action Student complaints: the gym/fitness center, grade deflation, eating club selectivity

Best thing about Princeton is the diversity. It's not just for show, it makes it a much more interesting, satisfying environment. Not just racial diversity, either, but diversity of wealth, nationality, etc. The town of Princeton: cute. Not a college town exactly, but I can't complain. It's got some great restaurants, a nice movie theater, and pretty scenery all within easy walking distance. It's secluded enough to get academic stuff done, but also an easy hour-long train to Philly or NYC. Best kept secret? Not exactly a secret, maybe, but the tow path. Just south of campus, in between Lake Carnegie and West-Windsor practice fields, a path runs alongside the lake and for miles in either direction. The varsity athletes all run here, but everyone should know about it. I've had some great runs and walks out there, and seen some beautiful sunsets. It almost feels like you aren't in South Jersey.

Princeton definitely has a brand-name value. When I tell folks where I go to school, their eyes light up with recognition, and my intelligence is given the benefit of the doubt. I like the size of Princeton: it's big enough that I could find a whole new group of friends and start afresh socially if I so choose, but small enough that I run into people I know while walking to class. I spend a lot of my spare time hanging out at Terrace F. Club, one of Princeton's eating clubs. It's a super chill social center that serves as the university's main venue for rock concerts. The town of Princeton is boring. It is clearly designed for the few rich students and the wealthy suburban citizens. The main stores in town are J.Crew, Ann Taylor, Kate Spade, Nine West, and other fancy-pants establishments of that nature. The saving graces of Princeton is the Record Exchange, an awesome little record shop where you can buy cheap music, and Small World, a cool free-trade coffee shop that also serves delicious soup!

There's a few things i loved about Princeton. It's just the right size so that every person can find their niche without getting lost. That's what was most valuable to me, i was able to find where my interests were and become a leader in them. It also offers really amazing opportunities- shows, famous speakers and professors. As far as academics go, I couldn't have asked for a better place. I liked the social scene for a couple of years and then got tired of it. Princeton is in a small town and there's nothing to do off-campus. On-campus the eating clubs take over- it would have been nice to have more options and more opportunities to meet new people.

The best thing about Princeton is the culture. Everyone there wants to learn, but everyone is different too. You are always being challenged, but you can always find something to do that you enjoy. I think the school size is just right. It's not so small that everyone knows everyone, but its not so big that you dont really know anyone. You can often become friends with so many people who do so many different activities. I think people all react differently when I tell them I went to Princeton. Usually people think its really cool haha. I spent most of my freshmen and sophomore year around my residential college, and then junior and senior year I spent a lot of time at the street. I think an issue of big controversy on campus has been the four year college system vs the eating clubs. There is a large amount of school pride, but its not always necessarily evident at sports events. There are two experiences about Princeton I'll always remember - 1. The bonfire in 2006 when we beat Yale and Harvard and won the Ivy League Championship. 2. Graduation and walking through the gates!

The best thing about Princeton is the money. Princeton's enormous endowment allows the school to offer unbeatable financial aid and resources to its undergraduates. Funding for summers abroad, thesis research, extracurricular groups, social events, you name it, are all readily available for those with a little initiative. I think the school is a nice size with around 5000 undergrads and 1000 graduate students (a fact that perhaps shows how undergrad-oriented Princeton is). Everywhere on campus is walkable, and you're likely to run into someone you know every time you venture out to class.

The best thing about Princeton is definitely the students! Each student is more incredible than the last. You're surrounded by people with incredible accomplishments the moment you step on this campus. And, the best part is that these students are incredibly down to earth and more than happy to share their passions with you. The school's size is just right - although there is an entire portion of the population that I never see. The sociable population however is quite nice. Small enough that you are always surrounded by people you know but big enough that you still meet new people every day.

Princeton is probably just the right size for the consummate college experience. It is a medium-sized school, but smaller than most of the other Ivies. Princeton has 4800 undergraduates and only 2000 graduate students, which means that we have all of the University's attention and resources. This smaller community allows Princeton to have almost a liberal arts college feel but with the resources and advantages of a full fledged, world renown research institution. The fact that every faculty member, no matter how big his ego or how famous, is required to teach undergraduates is something that sets Princeton apart from other schools. There is something to be said about a school that has the most loyal alumni in the United States. More than 15,000 alumni return to campus every year for Reunions, and more than 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of all living alumni donate annually, which is the highest among any other school in the country. On a per capita basis, Princeton has the highest endowment dollar to student ratio, higher than that of Harvard or Yale.

The most common misconception about Princeton that I hear when I tell people I go there, is that you have to be really rich to go there. In reality, it has THE best financial aid in the country, and there are kids from ALL kinds of financial backgrounds here. Students complain mostly about piddly quality-of-life stuff that shows you how spoiled we truly are: the one-ply toilet paper in all campus bathrooms, the early closing time of the library (midnight), clothes disappearing in laundry rooms (but you never hear gratitude expressed about our free laundry), etc.

The best thing about Princeton is that there are so many things to get involved with. Something is always going on, and you are never bored. I think it is just the right size. You feel like you know most people, but then you are meeting new people on a daily basis. People don't really go "into town" very often. Town is basically just Nassau Street. The shops and restaurants are kind of pricey. People go on Rte. 1 (a few minutes away but must go by car) for anything and everything they need.

Best thing: academic. I loved the fact that I was learning from the best minds in the world and that I was sitting next to future presidents, scientists, etc. Change: the snobby, elist people at Princeton. I liked the size of Princeton, just big enough where I would meet new people in my senior year, but small enough that I knew, at least by name or face, a lot of my classmates. I get one of three reactions when they find out I went to Princeton: 1) OMG, you went to Princeton. You must be so special and so smart. 2) YOU went to Princeton. Yeah right. That's impossible. 3) You went to Princeton. Well what do you think of the theory that Marx presents in his treatise blah blah blah. I spent most of my time in Frist or at Firestone. I have no opinion or P-ton's admin. I have a huge respect for VP Dickerson, but I didn't know any other admin well enough to say more.