<p>Just wondering. I've heard its very segregated and cliquey, every school's bound to have some cliquey-ness. So... any honest cons about Princeton? Thanks! :)</p>
<p>By the way, the reason I'm asking is because my stats are way below average for Princeton... (SAT 2270, not much ECs, GPA 3.8, no awards or anything, not well rounded) so I wasn't planning to apply-- thinking there'd be no chance I'd get in. Then my dad urged me to apply just for the heck of it, since the admissions process is pretty unpredictable.</p>
<p>So I researched, thinking I'd find cons that would support my original stand. I didn't want to waste my time and energy applying to a school I had like a 2% chance getting into, and I needed an excuse. Plus, what if I did get accepted (these freak miracles happen at times) and I didn't like it there? But so far, the only cons I've found are pretty subjective.</p>
<p>Like...I've heard it's cliquey, segregated, in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do, very conservative (i'm quite liberal), and that there's more focus on math & science than the arts.
I'm thinking these are pretty dubious opinions though. Or are they?</p>
<p>And yeah, I'm having this internal conflict deciding on whether to apply to the top 10 schools when it'd be a miracle if I got into any of them. Haha.</p>
<p>Princeton's really not in the middle of nowhere. It's not located in a metropolis or anything, but it's between Philly and NYC. Trains makes it easy to get to both.</p>
<p>*
Like...I've heard it's cliquey, segregated, in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do, very conservative (i'm quite liberal), and that there's more focus on math & science than the arts.*</p>
<p>I've never heard any actual Princeton student make any of these claims. First of all, it's definitely not in the middle of nowhere. It's in a suburban New Jersey town about 45 minutes from New York City. It's also not notably politically conservative, as far as I'm aware (I identify as liberal too). I don't know about cliques or segregation but I don't really have any reason to think that the school is more clique-y or segregated than any other. </p>
<p>There are solid reasons not to apply to Princeton but I don't think these are very good ones.</p>
<p>I've never heard any of those claims regarding Princeton, except for the conservative one. And I only hear the conservative claim when people mention how silly it is that Princeton is sometimes considered conservative :). Like most universities, it's definitely liberal, especially socially. It's no Berkeley, if that's what you're looking for, but you are not going to see a majority conservative opinion at Princeton. I consider it a plus that politically the school is a little more balanced and not overwhelmingly liberal (I'm a liberal, by the way). My guess is that fiscally it's pretty balanced with liberals and conservatives, while socially it's liberal by a very strong margin.</p>
<p>your right 2270 and 3.8 gpa are so low....</p>
<p>btw that was sarcasm</p>
<p>As a Princeton student, the only criticism I would agree with is the "cliquey-ness". Unfortunately, I've never attended another college so I can't attest to how it compares socially, but I have found that the academic competitiveness of Princeton students tends to extend to the social sphere. I have nothing in particular against eating clubs, for example (I actually belong to a bicker club currently) but they can encourage a social-climbing mindset that leads kids to look at each other as useful connections rather than simply friends. I have friends who got swept up in various social groups that were considered cool and who have a hard time being friends with me now because their friends don't find me popular enough. I have been really discouraged by this, as I am not socially competitive and simply hoped to befriend a variety of people. However, I am reassured by older friends that a bit of persevering friendliness and a thick skin can solve these problems. As long as you stay out of the social climbing and aren't too turned off by a bit of cliquish behavior (I would still say less than the typical high school), it shouldn't really be a problem. I know I was too shy and thin-skinned, so I probably took it a bit hard, but I just want to give you a balanced perspective!</p>
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I didn't want to waste my time and energy applying to a school I had like a 2% chance getting into,
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<p>That's your first problem right there.</p>
<p>I know 2270 and 3.8 aren't LOW. but for princeton, harvard, yale, and stanford, they're average, aren't they? I'm still applying to columbia, chicago, brown, etc :] I just don't know if I should skip the super top schools.</p>
<p>And thanks pastariffic for that honest answer. Princeton has a pretty small population and my biggest concern was the whole cliquey-ness thing that I hate about high school. I don't get the whole eating clubs thing haha.</p>
<p>Princeton isn't for everyone, but it doesn't sound like you've done enough research to cross it off your list. If your parents are willing to pay the application fee, I don't see any reason not to apply. If you're accepted, visit during Princeton Preview and evaluate the social atmosphere for yourself.</p>
<p>This thread addresses common Princeton stereotypes that you might be concerned about: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/princeton-university/532356-honest-truth.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/princeton-university/532356-honest-truth.html</a></p>
<p>Thanks for the replies! I don't think I'm going to apply after all. Maybe Yale, though :P</p>