Princeton University Top Questions

The absolute best thing about Princeton is the very diverse people that you will meet. I have friends from all around the United States and the world. Also the level of intellect on campus is amazing. You can count on having "intelligent" conversations with most people and the faculty is simply brilliant.

best thing about princeton is the people. i would change the study abroad program. at times i feel it is too small, but i generally like the size. people are usually very impressed i go to princeton. some are intimidated by it. spend most of my time in my room, at eating clubs, frist campus center, library, soccer fields. the town is nice but i dont spend that much time there. i dont have much of an interpretation of princeton's administration- seems like they do a pretty good job. the biggest recent controversy on campus would be lawsuits against several eating clubs. they have been rescinded i think. there is a lot of school pride. the eating club scene is unusual. the students are also pretty impressive which i think is unusual. they are unusually impressive i guess. i think most people are happy to be here. i will always remember being front row at lawn parties watching reel big fish. mosh! students might complain about weather, workload, waking up, repetition of the social scene.

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.

Princeton is a bredding grounds for the rich and famous. If you are not a certified genius (can you see your self in a PhD program at 17?) or you last name is not Rockefeller, Whitman, Frist, Tanger, or Wilson, your life here, in short, will be a fish bowl view of the rich and truely gifted. It will suck for you.

It's great! Sometimes, a bit too much work, too much stress. But hey, it's education, that's what we're here for.

Considered to be the most conservative of the Ivy Leagues but still seems extremely liberal to republican kid from the south. Sports definately take a back seat compaired to most other schools. Most unique aspect of student life is the eating clubs, which aren't found at any other school (I don't think). They are kind of like coed fraternities where upperclassmen eat all there meals, if they choose become a member that is. Most of the nightlife/social scene revolves around "the Street" where all the eating clubs are located. Multiple clubs are open to all students, regardless of membership, on most Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Academics are very challenging, although engineering seems to be even more so than humanities. I typically spend anywhere from 10-30 hours per week doing homework. Some people complain about the town being too small and there not being anything to do off campus, but I like it. It's quieter than a city, and everything you need is within walking distance. Plus there are always things to do on the weekends with all the student group productions (music, dance, plays, etc). We always complain about the administration. Especially their "war on fun," or the constant attempts to crack-down on underage drinking, and on-campus drinking in general. Grade deflation (placing a cap on the number of A's a department can give out every semester, and hence drag down your GPA) is also a huge point of contention.

The best thing about Princeton is the campus--it's beautiful. Also, the size of the student body is pretty nice because it's not too large or too small. I would definitely change the grade deflation-it's a sad excuse for elitism in an overly pretentious institution for higher education. Ultimately, it unfairly biased against 70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student population simply for the reason of maintaining an unnecessary exclusivity. The administration is great, but the professors in the sciences are not nearly as available as college guides and tours let on. Most of the time, they're too busy with research to care about student questions. You often have to hound them to get help, although when you finally do receive it, they are very knowledgeable.

if i could change one thing on campus it would be to reduce the amount of homework. right now it is too much and as a result you do not have enough free time to explore and get involved in life outside of school work

Princeton is a great school. It's the perfect size for an undergraduate body, and the focus on undergraduate education is palpable. The town of Princeton is nice, although certainly not one of the main focuses of the school. The eating clubs are a huge part of the undergraduate experience as most students will join one their junior and senior years.

I think the best thing about Princeton is its diversity of personalities. I've never met so many interesting people with such unique interests. Almost everyone I met is passionate about a unique issue. Some people were really interested in politics and would spend some of their breaks campaigning for candidates. Other students were really interested in community service and started their own community serviced projects through the Student Volunteers Council. When I look back at Princeton now, I realize I learned a lot just through the all the different types of people I met.