<p>Is there one reader, then another (if you go on to the next "round"), then another, and then they present it to all the reps?</p>
<p>Who are the reps by region? How can I find out who my rep is? I haven't been able to find it online.</p>
<p>How do they discuss the essays together? in a quick minute? two minutes? several in-depth discussions and possibly reading your whole essay to the committee?</p>
<p>I know we don't know exactly how it works, but how do you think it works? Or how do other schools of the same caliber do it that you think P might do too?</p>
<p>Thanks. I'm just curious now that I'm awaiting my decision.</p>
<p>The only detailed information about Princeton's specific system is from Getting In, but unfortunately it is very outdated (the dean of admissions profiled in the book was removed, and the new dean has significantly changed the process). As I understand it, they have modeled the new process a lot on how Harvard operates, so your best bet might be Chuck Hughes's What It Really Takes To Get Into The Ivy League. Otherwise, be wary of unsubstantiated speculation.</p>
<p>I just went on a tour/info session at Princeton last week with my son. We were impressed, but saw very little inside any buildings and no visits in any dorms. Time was spent talking about res. colleges, but no look at the facilities. What are the dorms like? How is residential life? Easy-going, cutthroat, intense. We were given very few clues as to day-to-day lifestyles of the students. My son liked the campus very much, but questions remain. Any help would be appreciated.</p>
<p>I've found most of the students to be very easy going. Everyone studies very hard, but the goal is to learn the material and demonstrate that learning on exams, not to get a higher grade than your friend. I don't even know my roommates' GPAs.</p>
<p>Aardvark - I don't mean to derail either, but want to respond to your question. D and I visited last February and had the exact same response. She didn't find anything to like about Princeton, and pointed out we hadn't seen a classroom, lab, library or dorm room. It's VERY peculiar. I feel badly, because they have specific programs that are in my d's areas of interest. On the other hand, the odds of getting in are low, so maybe it's for the best.</p>
<p>In hindsight, I wondered if their tours/info sessions aren't geared more to the tourist/history audience than to prospective students. I understand they must have huge numbers of prospectives visiting campus and maybe feel it's distracting to their students to have visitors traipsing through everywhere, but other schools seem to manage. There was a discussion on this forum last year about it, and a student tour guide wrote that the admissions office was looking to make some changes. I'm sorry to read they haven't.</p>
<p>To continue off-topic, I would strongly recommend taking a couple of hours just to knock around any campus.
At Princeton my daughter and I wandered into a classroom building, a residential college, Alexander (a beautiful music and lecture venue), and a small theater building. Everywhere, students were friendly and took as much time as my daughter needed to answer questions. We didn't revisit any tour-programmed locations.
In fact, for any college, if you have time for just one, I would wander rather than take the official tour.</p>
<p>Yeah just because the tour doesn't cover certain things doesn't mean you can't get your questions answered. Don't be afraid to walk up to students, ask if they're in a hurry, and if not then ask them whatever questions you have. I know most students at Princeton would be happy to answer them and even show you around some.</p>
<p>what i meant was that if people knew definitively, then logically there would be no need for chances threads and the like...the whole thing would just become like a mathematical formula or something...
i do, however, get what you're saying...good point</p>
<p>Oh ok I see what you are saying kingmo. No I think the OP was wondering about the specific process of how adcoms decide. ie, is it part of a committee, what committees talk about, how each applicant is reviewed, etc.</p>
<p>yeah, i get that...that's always going to be a great mystery...i think that, at best, all we know is that they do it holistically, and probably by multiple readers.</p>