<p>We recently visited Princeton and granted it was raining, but it almost seemed desrted. In fact, I asked the tour guide whether they were in session. He told me that it's a pretty quiet school. There just didn't seem to be any buzz at all. Was this a result of the weather? Is Princeton a "pretty quiet" school? Actually the tour guide did a good job of trying to convince people not to apply. Odd.</p>
<p>Im not a student there but i visited princeton a few weeks ago, and it wasnt as quiet as you make it out to be lol. There were lots of people around the campus and it seems like a fun place to be, in my opinion.</p>
<p>It’s quiet inasmuch as no cars are allowed on campus, and there’s no city to add decibels. But visit on a weekend night and you’ll hear more than enough hooting and hollering:). Also, visit on a nice day, and the campus is crowded with kids out playing frisbee, etc. on the lawns of the courtyards.</p>
<p>It is more peaceful than Harvard or Yale, but about the same as Stanford. Except few bicycles, of course, because the campus is smaller.</p>
<p>Also, I would like to note that Orange Key has been doing tour guide auditions lately…which means you may have gotten a less-than-stellar “guide.” :P</p>
<p>Quiet? I mean, I spend all of my weekdays in class, talking, hanging out, going to events, etc. But if you’re wandering around while everyone is sitting in lecture? Yeah, you won’t see people. </p>
<p>So no, I wouldn’t say that we’re “quiet.” Definitely a lot quieter than schools located in cities, sure, but is “quiet” a good way to judge a school? Meh.</p>
<p>If it was raining and you weren’t there doing a class change, then yeah, there probably weren’t a ton of people milling about outside. But wait for class change or wander inside a building, and you’d find a buzzing community of students.</p>
<p>Durangomom, I was there on a nice spring day and had the same impression. Some might say “idyllic,” depending on point of view. Of course it is a beautiful campus. But I kept thinking “Where is everybody!”</p>
<p>On another note, maybe it would be helpful if more colleges provided tour guides who described the supposed downsides of their schools!</p>
<p>I think it depends a lot on the specific day and where on campus you go. On a rainy day, there just won’t be lots of people outside unless it’s between classes. On a nice day, if you catch us right around exam time or reading period it’ll be deserted unless you wander into the library.<br>
In terms of the “where” part, tours generally make it seem like the north part of the campus, where a lot of the picturesque, old academic buildings are located, is the center of the school. However, a lot of the living and working space that gets used more often than, say, the beautiful but generally empty chapel, is located south of where the tours go.</p>
<p>i can’t wait to visit the place!!!</p>
<p>Campus will probably be busier starting next week with midterms over with. Also, go during weekends because people (students and residents) tend to be out on Nassau Street or walking around a bit more.</p>
<p>@Durangomom - it tends to be a quieter/ more serious place during the week since kids are hunkered down with their considerable workload, but they definitely blow off steam on the weekends.</p>
<p>Downtown, specifically Nassau Street, is quite lively (especially Hoagie Haven at 1AM after many a beer and bowl hit ;))</p>
<p>Don’t forget that Trenton and off-campus parties are right down the road.</p>
<p>I have two Daughters at Princeton, one a Senior, one a Sophomore. I have visited quite often over the last 5 years, including two Princeton Previews. I have always remarked to my Daughters how quiet it was, which just added to the Princeton mystique for me (I went to a large 40,000+ State School). It is quiet, but as others have commented, no cars on Campus, and, the buildings are spread out, lots of trees, students are studying during the day, or, if not, there is plenty of open space, courtyards.</p>
<p>Remember also- there are a little over 5,000 students on this magnificent Campus. Go to Nassau Street, or “The Street”, and you will see (hear) more of what you may be looking for. You have the best of both worlds, within blocks, and you cannot beat the sheer grandeur and majesty of the main Campus. It is a very special place, my Daughters have never felt that it was “quiet”. Truly the “Best Old Place of All”! I encourage you to go to Princeton Preview and see how “not quiet” Princeton truly is!</p>
<p>I do think that the OP hit on a critical why Princeton or why Harvard question. The only person I have known who didn’t like Princeton was a classmate of mine who pined for an urban environment, and that sort of energy.</p>
<p>OMG it’s such a party skool. Ivy *****es go wild!!!</p>
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<p>This. They’re nuts!</p>