<p>Suppose one has received a BA from an unranked university (4.0) and then an MPhil from Cambridge in English Literature, would he have any chance of attending the Princeton PhD program or would his undergraduate education prevent it? In other words, does Princeton only take those students who spent their undergraduate years in the Ivies and private liberal arts colleges, or can an underprivileged education be set right by a respectable master's degree? Thanks!</p>
<p>You seem to have the mistaken notion that Princeton possesses a blinding bias that prevents them from reading in-depth, the applicants to their PhD programs from “unranked” colleges.</p>
<p>If Princeton indeed is so vapid, why would you even consider joining the ranks of such an idiotic and incestuous school?</p>
<p>From conversation I have had with a few Princeton students re: the PhD program, they seem to follow a few tendencies. One thing I heard a few times was that if you have done your undergraduate work at Princeton, you are actually less likely to be accepted into graduate school there. The rationale I heard was that Princeton really wants you to seek out other schools for diversity in thought. </p>
<p>Another theme I heard was that while in some countries (mine, for example) a PhD follows a completed Masters’ program of study, at Princeton (perhaps at other schools in the US as well?) you tend to be accepted into either the Masters’ (2-3 years) or the PhD (4-5 years) program directly from undergrad. With completion of the PhD work, it sounded like the Masters degree was also conferred incidentally at graduation. They explained the reasoning to be that Masters’ work tends to expand on field specialization whereas the PhD work is more focused on research and a nod toward the possibility of teaching at the post secondary level. These are generalizations and probably apply more to some fields of study than others, but this is how it was explained to me. </p>
<p>If you are interested in applying to Princeton’s PhD program, the best idea is to get in touch with their graduate admissions department and ask questions. I really doubt that the “name” means much to them, but that they are more interested in your academic work to date and what you did with the opportunities you were given. I do know that professor recommendations are an important component of the admissions’ decision so it would be worthwhile to connect with those professors whose recommendation you are seeking and have this conversation well ahead of time. </p>
<p>I wish you the best!</p>
<p>
T26E4, I think you’re the one making unfounded assumptions here. The OP was simply asking if Princeton possesses such a bias. It’s a fair question, and rather than mocking the OP, I think it would be better to answer their question.</p>
<p>I’ll try my best. An undergraduate 4.0 and and a Cambridge master’s degree should put one in a competitive position for Princeton graduate school admissions.</p>
<p>Best of luck to the OP.</p>
<p>ahhh… thanx for that perspective Sherpa. I crossed a line. My apologies to Fopling</p>
<p>If you went to undergrad that literally no one outside a 10 mile radius has ever heard of, then yeah, you will probably not have much chance because your transcript and letters of recommendation won’t have any credibility. I’m a Princeton PhD student and while many of my classmates (and most of the Americans) come from highly ranked undergrad schools, most of the international students went to schools I’ve never heard of. Even if you don’t go to a top 20 school, as long as you have letters from faculty members with some credibility you’ll be fine. But if you went to Cambridge for a MPhil, did well, and got strong letters from there, you’d be a very competitive applicant.</p>