<p>I do not know if Princeton is a good fit for you. The best way to determine that is to visit Princeton and decide for yourself.</p>
<p>Let me address your father’s comments:</p>
<p>1.many students at Princeton have affluent upbringings True at Princeton and many other selective universities. I had one roommate that was from a wealthy family. Most of my roommates were from middle class or from humble backgrounds. Since students do not have cars and do not live off campus wealthy students are not as obvious as at many state universities where wealthy student s live in expensive apartments and drive a Mercedes.</p>
<p>2.snobs There are snobs everywhere. You can just avoid them or ignore them.</p>
<p>3.competitive, cliquish Students at Princeton are high achievers. They expect to get good grades and to excel in sports, music, or other EC activities. This is true at other selective universities. I found students willing to help in labs, share lecture notes, etc. I have no bad memories of grade grubbing competitive students. There are cliques every where. Football players and basketball players tend to hang out with their teammates. I did the same thing in high school. I had no desire at Princeton to join the football eating club or the basketball eating club so I did not care if they had a clique.</p>
<p>4.Going to Princeton is a highly humbling experience Yes. I thought that I was the best math student at my high school. I thought that I would excel at Princeton in math. The third or fourth freshman that I meet had placed second in a national math contest and said he could not imagine how he had missed a question. I realized immediately that Princeton would be a much higher level of competition.</p>
<p>5.not having grown up in a private school preparing for the rigor of Princeton puts a person at a disadvantage and in a state of shock I went to a public high school, never felt at a disadvantage, and never experienced shock. Most students at Princeton are from public high schools.</p>
<p>6.It is intense. He said he liked it there, and he had a lot of fun. It is challenging and exciting. You are able to learn from brilliant professors and learn so much from your fellow students. It is fun. </p>
<p>I attended Princeton before your father so I suspect my experience difference compared to your father has to do more with personality than when we attended Princeton. If you enjoy learning learning, if you want to share ideas with brilliant students from a wide variety of majors Princeton is a good college experience. If you lack self confidence, need hand holding, need to be recognized as the best student in your class then Princeton may not be a good fit.</p>
<p>If you are similar in personality to your father then listen to his reasons. If you respect your father but have a different personality then visit Princeton and decide for your self.</p>