Hi all,
I am a rising Senior in hs, and after touring many colleges, I’ve decided that Princeton is my top choice. I’d like to apply early for this reason, however, I’m worried about not getting in and thus forgoing the opportunity to get in early at other great schools. How can I help set myself apart from other students in my Princeton Common App essays, and the Common App in general? Also, do I have a decent shot of getting in? TIA for any help.
Stats:
-1600 SAT superscored
-800 SAT Math II
-5 on AP European History, AP Bio, AP Physics 2, APUSH exams
-4 on AP Physics 1 exam
-4.0 unweighted GPA
Extracurriculars: volunteer as a tutor for middle schoolers, very involved in Boy Scouts and my church, work ~14 hours a week at my job.
-Would apply as an engineering major
-From the US
-Based on the financial estimates for family income, I’d be in the range where Princeton would cover ~50k per year (if that matters for admission purposes)
I suspect you don’t know enough about Princeton, yet, to make this decision. Or about “holistic” admissions. Go back to their web site and learn all you can. It’s much more than having top stats.
You statistics are quite impressive. Your ECs on scouting, tutoring and church work can align well with Princeton’s spirit, as “an institution driven by an ethic of service and teaching” (Dean Emily Carter, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Princeton). In your all important essays, perhaps include YOUR view on how engineering can serve a community; what you have learned from teaching others; how an engineering school in a great liberal arts university can teach you how to build connections across seemingly disparate groups. Don’t forget that Princeton requires a graded paper as part of its application. Harry Bauld’s “On Writing the College Application Essay” can be very useful. Do apply; you do have a decent chance. Good luck.
To be realistic, your stats are excellent, but your ECs are not the type which get kids accepted to the most popular engineering programs. Princeton (or Cornell, or Georgia Tech, or CMU, etc) can fill their entire incoming class with kids who have unweighted 4.0 and 1600 SATs from a single setting. However, they end up choosing students with somewhat lower GPAs and/or SATs who have years of math and engineering ECs, students who have won state and national level awards from robotics and math competitions, etc. The acceptance rate for kids with your stats at Princeton is about 8%, but, without the major-specific ECs that generally go along with those scores, your acceptance chances are likely far lower.
You also need a second subject SAT for Princeton.
The good news is that there are great schools, even for engineering, which care less about ECs, and for who your stats would make you an attractive applicant. For example, look at different good public universities, since these put less emphasis on ECs. Liberal Arts colleges which look at ECs in general and don’t put that much emphasis on having ECs that are directly related to your major may also be good.
@MWolf is spot on.
Even without robotics wins, the idea is the relevant experiences that prep you for engineering studies- the skills and the mindset. Count on tippy tops to look for more. (It’s actually fairer that way, when the competition in classes, discussions, study groups, etc, is at a high level, top kids from around the country.)
And it’s very problematic when kids talk about how engineering serves the community but have little experience, in that respect. “An ethic of service” refers to more than the hours.
To stand out you must be unique. Doing things which inspire you and make you irreplaceable are what it’s about. They are accepting people not stats. Having an amazing essay or doing something no one else has, puts your app in the Yes pile. Most of the posters have the same activities and great stats. The unique ones are the ones who are getting in.