To those who have been accepted to the Princeton Class of 2019: Congratulations!
I imagine a lot of you will have questions (many of them seemingly trivial, practical, or personal) about Princeton and life after Princeton. Please feel free to post them here or to PM me if you prefer to ask privately.
Hip! Hip! Rah! Rah! Rah! Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! Sis! Sis! Sis! Boom! Boom! Boom! Ah! Nineteen! Nineteen!
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Any student/alum/parent/friend is able to answer questions posed here.
I am beyond excited to step foot on campus this fall but am a bit intimidated by the difficulty of the classes with the whole grade deflation policy (although I did read that they recently did away with it).
How were you able to adapt to the rigor of Princeton’s classes from high school? Did it feel overwhelming and incredibly difficult?
Hey H2H, congrats and welcome to Princeton! In a nutshell (because there’s a lot to say about this question), Princeton is a very challenging; the rigor of the academics is, understandably, beyond what most student were used to in HS. At times, especially when you first get here, it can seem overwhelming. But the best advice I can give is to never be afraid to ask for help. It seems like a simple concept, but when you’re surrounded by people that seem… so much smarter than you and you feel… like everyone is doing things so effortlessly, doing so isn’t quite so easy. This is something I realized about halfway through my Princeton career. Though my first two years weren’t bad, they certainly could have been better if I asked for helped—from professors, preceptors, and even other students—more often than I did.
Princeton seems like a fantastic place, and I’ve heard so many great things about it, from academics to campus feel to resources. So my question to you is: what ISN’T so great about Princeton? Was there anything that disappointed or surprised you when you attended?
Also, do many of the students come in with huge egos? I just want to get a sense of some cons, as I’ve heard numerous pros. 
@H2H and Autumn: High school to freshman year at Princeton was a big adjustment and a major blow to my ego. I went from getting straight A’s without much effort to working twice as hard for mostly B’s with a sprinkling of A’s. It was very humbling to go from always being top of my class to average. Once I got over myself though, I was able to appreciate my classmates even more and realized how fortunate I was to be a part of such an amazing group of people.
Grade deflation is now a thing of the past but I am sure the grading system will not move to “easy” any time soon! This could be perceived as a negative depending on how important it is to you to get A’s. Having said that, A’s are still a possibility…they just come with a LOT of hard work. Princeton profs expect exceptional work for an A. Note - lots of students have been admitted to law/med/grad school in spite of grade deflation but for some people seeing letter grades trumps other things. If this is you, Princeton might not be for you.
Another possible negative might be location…while it’s easy to travel to the city, some students prefer to live within the hustle and bustle of city life.
Freshman year, I did feel overwhelmed by schoolwork. I came from a shoddy public school system in the South and felt woefully underprepared for the rigors of Princeton work. But in a freshman seminar, one of my professors reached out to let me know she liked my work. And that she thought I should speak up more in class, because I had ideas worth sharing. Those are the kinds of interactions that I think characterize Princeton’s undergraduate-focused education. Professors want you to succeed, and they’ll help you do it.
Is getting a 4.0 at Princeton doable?
@Robots156 I think it has happened but very, very infrequently. My question would be, what is the benefit? Princeton has far too much to offer beyond the academic realm to obsess to that extent over grades IMHO.
@Cantiger Thanks for your reply! I just wanted to know if it would be possible, I promise I won’t obsess over my grades!
@Robots156
Not only is it true that Princeton has too much to offer to obsess over grades, its also true that (except for a small number of exceptions like medical school) grad schools and employers care a whole lot less about GPA when compared to college admissions. So really… try to get good grades by all means, but by the time you graduate your GPA will be far from the most relevant thing to your future.
Looking back, there are times when I’d gladly trade an A for a B for any number of things - academic or nonacademic. You’ll have to choose how much time to spend on what, which is a balance that can very from semester to semester. But overall, it’s definitely a good idea to let go of some of the grade obsession that was necessary in high school to get into somewhere like Princeton.
How is premed at Princeton? I know I shouldn’t be worrying about grades right now, but I know med schools tend to be really picky when it comes to GPA.
@uclabound you have asked essentially the same question on 4 different threads. It adds significant confusion to conversations for other students who might be wondering the same thing you are and truly you are not going to gain anything by asking it four different ways. From what I can see this question has been answered from a couple different perspectives already.
@Cantiger i realize ita a bit redundant. just trying to find an actual student with personal eXperience…
how is princeton’s female (and male) student body (attractiveness-wise)? attractiveness isn’t the only metric by which people should be judged, but it is still significant. therefore, i am basing my college decisions on this factor since i’m like dumb.
My son who just completed his freshman year at a different school, will be attending a two week percussion program at Princeton this summer. I’ve never been there and he’ll be traveling alone but I’m trying to help him get his plans in place. I’d appreciate any feedback from current/past students or parents.
Is the campus neighborhood safe? He’ll arrive there the night before he checks in to the program, so he’ll need a hotel for one night. Is there one close by that you’d recommend? Places to eat? He won’t have a car so walking distance would be great but he can always catch a cab if needed. Thanks in advance!
The campus neighborhood is very safe - Nassau street has lots of neat little places to grab a bite to eat. Hoagie Haven is a student favorite that I know of. Bent Spoon has great ice cream. Also the Frist Campus Center has a cafe where you can buy meals. The Nassau Inn and the Peacock Inn are walking distance from the school. Most other hotels are on #1 and would require a cab.
Nassau Inn is convenient but quite expensive. I’m unfamiliar with Peacock Inn. If money’s an issue I’d consider booking a cheap room on Hotwire and taking a cab to campus the following morning.
Thank you both for your replies!