Princeton University Top Questions

My college experience has given me a lot from confidence to a sense of independence. Before attending college I had never worked before or ever really been pushed out of my comfort zone so when I got there it was a whole new world for me. However, I think that being in college and not being able to go back has given me even more. I now see, as I try to go back, everything that I had at my disposal and truly appreciate it and value it that much more such as the abundant access to knowledge and tools for success. I feel as though college was an excellent and neccessary step in my life to help not only equip me for life but to help mold me into a better and stronger person.

Princeton has such a diverse campus--it really is a melting pot of races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. Coming from a small rural school in western Maryland, I was never subject to the beauty of diversity. This "culture shock" has opened my eyes to many traditions and beliefs that are different from my own. I have learned to be respectful of all different cultures and and to even admire them. I know that the world is not like my homogenous hometown: it is rich with people of different origins, of different creeds. Going to a school with such an assortment of students has helped me think not on a Keedysville, MD-scale, but on a national- and international-scale. I feel as though I am prepared to take on the multi-faceted globe with eyes free from the shadow of ignorance.

Ever since I was old enough to question the concept of education, my parents have stressed the importance of a college degree. Now, after the sweat and frustration of incalculable hours of academic achievement, I stand on the threshold of earning a degree in molecular biology with minors in neuroscience and environmental studies. I have taken every opportunity I could to pursue these goals and they have paid off nicely. Princeton has allowed me to explore the jungles of Honduras and the coral reefs of Bermuda while guiding me towards graduation. I have had the opportunity to learn from world-class professors alongside students from all over the world. I will end up taking more classes than I need to graduate simply because there are so many amazing courses to take each semester. Princeton has done an excellent job of preparing me for life after my undergraduate years, and thanks to its generous financial aid system I will graduate debt free and ready to enter medical school with a clean slate. I am forever in debt to this wonderful institution, and I could not be happier with my decision to attend.

Princeton University taught me what power really is. Power is having the resources and ability to change the world. Princeton has the power to nurture her students to become the best in their fields, whatever they may be. With a neat apron around her neck, she tends to every single one of our personal needs, making sure we may flourish under her arms. Indeed, her motto "Under God we flourish," reflects this magnanimous maternal attitude, one that only a truly powerful institution could ever afford. At Princeton, I have gotten a life's worth of lessons in my personal, academic, religious and social spheres. I have learned how to describe the vibrating membrane of a drum mathematically, and I have learned that that the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus is the center of our biological clocks; I have learned that God is with me when I am glad and when I am not, and I have learned that putting together a professional rock concert is something teenagers can do. I have learned I will never quite have learned enough. Princeton enabled me to flourish, with her wondrous love and experience, and I will give back to her in the future.

In high school, I was an Eagle Scout, I had been a national leader for Students Against Violence Everywhere, and I was ranked first in my class. Though proud of my success, I was eagerly awaiting for the catalyst that would give me the tools and knowledge to reach previously untapped potential; college proved to be that catalyst. At Princeton, I met other first year students who were accomplished athletes, researchers, writers, and artists. Meeting other dedicated students was a truly inspirational experience. The classes I took, Social Psychology, Epistemology and Metaphysics, and International Relations, made me grapple with questions I had never previously considered, and stretched my thinking and understanding of the world in ways I found exciting and refreshing. It is this world-class education that will prepare me to create change on the global scale I’ve always aspired to achieve. The tools and vibrant diversity of thought that college provides are essential to succeed in nearly any enterprise one chooses to undertake. College is an invaluable experience that is giving me the inspiration to reach higher and the preparation to succeed in what I choose to do, bringing my fullest potential to mind and to fruition.

I've always been working towards something - towards an Ivy League school, a trophy, an A+. And finally, after overcoming a plethora of obstacles and challenges, I'm faced with a problem - I'm now in an environment in which there are too many opportunities, too many goal oriented people, and a grade deflation policy that prohibits no more than 5 A's per class. From Princeton, I've learned that life is not as simple as "winning"; it's more complicated than that, because it requires that one chooses the very challenges that one will eventually have to overcome. And that's what makes life so difficult - knowing that you have the jump the very hurdles that you set for yourself. Mom isn't there to tell me to run the race, nor to pat me on the back if I win it. Now something else must define my existence. There's more to life than just getting high grades and winning a trophy - it's also about defining the character of your life. I've come to realize that living is not about "working towards" life, but rather, defining and living it yourself.

I've learned so much about topics both academic and otherwise--about people, about life. I've met awesome friends and been exposed to great opportunities, and I finally feel like I can live up to my potential. What's not to love?

The value of Princeton University is not the educational experience that a student will receive there. Granted, academics at Princeton are top notch and the university?s faculty places a special emphasis on undergraduate teaching. The real value of Princeton, however, is the intensive leadership training that the environment provides: Students are plunged into a peer group of a thousand other brilliant and interesting young people. The wealth of extracurricular activities allows every student to take a huge role in shaping the campus environment. The vast resources of the university allow every student to pursue his or her passions. Faculty and administrators do not just lecture, but challenge and engage students to make a difference and to go the extra mile. I received a wonderful academic education from my four years at Princeton. I am more grateful, however, for the experience to interact with other amazingly talented youth who are going to make a difference in the world ten, twenty years down the line.

I would advise myself to go with my instincts and to keep an open mind. As a high school senior, I was eventually admitted to my first-choice school, which was in my home state of California. Having applied early to this school and been deferred, however, I would advise myself to not apply early. Applying early just increased my stress levels, and getting deferred was a huge disappointment. Instead of applying early, I would advise myself to keep considering all schools and to really think about the possibility of going across the country for college. I ended up choosing between two schools, my initial first choice in California and another school in New Jersey, about two hours before the deadline. Ultimately I chose the New Jersey school, but seriously considering that possibility from the beginning of the process might have made my decision easier. I remember that at the end, I was almost crying from the enormity of deciding to leave home. Thinking about that possibility earlier might have made the process less emotional. But most importantly, I would tell myself to have faith that my college experience would be worth the pain of applying.

I was always extremely eager to finish high school and begin my college experience. I thought I had everything figured out. I knew exactly what I wanted to pursue and couldn't wait to begin. If I could travel back in time, I would tell myself to let go of that close-minded certainty. I would advise the younger me to open her mind to all of the extraordinary possibilities Princeton offers, even those that may seem incompatible with what she wants for herself. College has expanded my way of thinking in a way I never could've imagined. In my first semester at Princeton, I learned more about myself than I did in the last two YEARS of high school. The preconceived ideas I had about myself dissolved within months. I'm now pursuing a major in Astrophysics, something I never would've considered as a senior in high school. I am discovering who I am as both an intellectual and personal individual. College is such a valuable and life-altering experience if one enters into it with an open mind and heart. "You don't know anything," I would say to myself. "Your real education starts now."