<p>I know that some people are obviously going to respond with some variation of "You go to Princeton to get an education," but oh well. I'm wondering if anyone can talk about the party scene at Princeton (whether it exists; big or small; big for Ivy or small for Ivy).</p>
<p>I'm only a junior in high school now, but I'll probably apply to Princeton next year and, whether its right or wrong, this will definitely influence my decision.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>There are parties here, like at every school. We’re no state school when it comes to partying, but people know how to have a good time. </p>
<p>The eating clubs are where you’ll spend a lot of your time if you choose to go out (unless you know friends who are doing things, or are part of a group that is organizing some party - but of course, this is common among any school). Thursday and Saturday are the main party nights, and you’ll generally find that most of the clubs will be open (getting in to some may require passes or being on a guest list). Friday night is usually a little more low-key, but you can still find something (Charter [an eating club] Fridays, for example). </p>
<p>I’d say our party scene is fairly large for an Ivy league school. I’ve had a good time going out to various parties every once and a while up here, so I wouldn’t worry about not being able to find something going on. I go to Princeton to get an education, but I also go here to enjoy myself and have a great time with my friends.</p>
<p>It depends what you’re in too, as well.</p>
<p>Prior to 11pm, there may be some dorm parties (very few, really)…</p>
<p>But the “Street” is Prospect Avenue and there are mainstream parties on Thurs, Fri, Sat… sometimes the clubs are open during the week, but it’s rare you’ll see anyone but members or some regulars.</p>
<p>Thursday: Cloister, Terrace, Tower, Quad, Colonial, TI, Cottage, Ivy, Cap
Friday: Charter
Saturday: same as Thursday</p>
<p>Sometimes, not every club is open, so you’ll find 3-4 clubs pretty packed…</p>
<p>Trust me, though, if you want to see some real partying… go to FSU or some Texas state school. You come here for academics, not to party hard.</p>
<p>Obviously schools like Penn State and Florida will have far larger and “better” party scenes than Princeton. The draw of Princeton is its flawless educational record as a university. I don’t think you can fault me for wanting to know about the party scene, or even for including it in the discussion about where to apply. College is an experience, not only an education.</p>
<p>But on topic, thanks for replying; are the eating clubs open to freshman or only upperclassmen. And do they card?</p>
<p>so Princeton Eating Clubs are open for parties on Thursdays these days?</p>
<p>Geesh, not in my day…</p>
<p>time to assign more work to those Princeton undergraduates…</p>
<p>I’m a junior in high school, too, so I can’t speak from experience, but there are a few interviews of Princeton students [url=<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/vibe/princeton-university]here[/url”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/vibe/princeton-university]here[/url</a>] that may give you a good idea as to the party scene. Watch the videos starting with “Princeton University:” and containing one or two students in the thumbnails. I hope that helps! Princeton is an educational institution, but if partying is important to you and whether or not you’d be happy attending a school, you should definitely take that into consideration while/before applying.</p>
<p>You can definitely party like a rock star.</p>
<p>“But on topic, thanks for replying; are the eating clubs open to freshman or only upperclassmen. And do they card?”</p>
<p>Only upperclassmen can be members, but there is no age discrimination in terms of entrance policies for non-members (i.e., if a club requires a guest pass, it will require a pass from students of all ages). The clubs don’t card, but they do put a wristband on you if you’re over 21. The whole thing’s kind of a joke though.</p>
<p>The party scene is pretty good. Pretty much everyday one of the clubs is open although Thur and Sat are by far the biggest.
A typical Thur or Sat night would be start pregaming sometime between 9-10. These are mostly in room parties with friends or a club. If you join some of the intramural sports of more socially active clubs there will be a lot of pregames to go to or you can just choose to party with unaffiliated friends.
At around 12-12:30 most people head out to the street and go to one of the eating clubs. The clubs are basically mansions with an area for pong, tap room, dance floor, and couches to chill on. They don’t card and although ray said they wristband they don’t(except maybe like once a year if alum are there or something). Most close or empty out sometime between 2-2:30 at which point a lot of people head back to their dorms or head to terrace. Terrace is another eating club that stay open all night (I’ve been there until 5 and they weren’t closing).
In general the social scene is pretty legit, you can party everyday of the week for free if that is your prerogative, although it will probably cause you to fail.
The parties obviously aren’t going to be as sick as at some other schools but in general the clubs have a decent amount of people. Also there are a good amount of special parties that some of the clubs host that are a ton of fun(maybe 6-7 in total). Some weekends you may find stuff dead, other weekends you may have an amazing time but there is always stuff to do.</p>
<p>The party scene is kind of what you make of it. Having fun at eating clubs boils down to knowing people. I personally never go to Cottage because my friends didn’t in the beginning and it was difficult for me to get in. Now I could decide to go but I do not know a lot of people so it isn’t fun really. However, at other clubs I know a good amount of people and this makes nights fun whether I am blasted or not. If you like a couple clubs go out and really make an effort to meet people it will pay off. You will enjoy it a lot more and when bicker comes around(if its a bicker club) it will help.
If you think eating clubs are not enough for you, you can always go for a frat, which in fact do exist at princeton. This definitely would ramp up the amount of partying and intensity if that is something you look for.
I don’t know how well this answers your question but if you have any others let me know.</p>
<p>“although ray said they wristband they don’t(except maybe like once a year if alum are there or something)”</p>
<p>I said they put wristbands on you if you’re over 21, not that they “wristband.” Maybe not every club does this all of the time, but Cap, Charter, Cottage, Ivy, and TI definitely do so on a regular basis. </p>
<p>Also, I’m confused by this statement:</p>
<p>“If you join some of the intramural sports of more socially active clubs there will be a lot of pregames to go to or you can just choose to party with unaffiliated friends.”</p>
<p>By “socially active clubs,” do you mean eating clubs or student groups? If it’s the former, wouldn’t you be unable to join their IM sports team until you’re a member, which isn’t for at least a year and a half? If it’s the latter, which student groups have IM sports teams?</p>
<p>ray, don’t some of the Residential Colleges have IM sports teams?</p>
<p>In my day, some of the students that lived in certain dorms would form IM sports teams to represent those dorms.</p>
<p>Didn’t mean to insult you, but I think “wristbanding” and putting a wristband on people over 21 is the same thing. Moreover, the clubs do not do so regularly. I have gone to TI and tower basically twice a week since I’ve been at princeton. Never have I seen them give out wristbands, although this doesn’t mean they haven’t at all just not on a regular basis. I’ve also been to every other club multiple times and I’ve only seen it like once or twice(I hear Charter might do it a decent amount but I do not go often so I can’t say). More importantly the point is for the most part the clubs do not care if you are 18 or 21. </p>
<p>I guess I could see how my statement was confusing because it contained a typo (of should be or). I basically meant if you want to find a lot of pregames you can join some of the socially active student groups or club sports(not IM my bad). Clubs like Rugby and Frisbee have a lot of pregames that you can go to if you want to party more.</p>
<p>Residential colleges do have IM sports so they are a great way to meet people.</p>
<p>@JohnAdams: Yes, they do, but ras said clubs, and I didn’t think of rescoll IM teams because they’re less likely to hold pregames.</p>
<p>@ras: “I think “wristbanding” and putting a wristband on people over 21 is the same thing.”</p>
<p>I’d say that in Princeton-speak, “wristbanding” means one can’t get served without a wristband (e.g. Charter), whereas putting a wristband on people over 21 doesn’t actually affect anyone’s ability to get a beer (this is why I said “the whole thing’s kind of a joke”).</p>
<p>The reason I’m so adamant about maintaining that the clubs do give out wristbands is because, as an over-21, there are at least one or two wristbands I need to cut off after every time I go out.</p>
<p>I mean I have actually never heard either term used as a princeton phrase because as I have contended it really doesn’t happen that much. Where are you getting wristbands and what nights? I can tell you since spring break neither TI nor Tower have had wristbands more than maybe once on a Thur or Sat. Unless you are doing a prospect ten every time you go out there is no way you always have to cut off “at least one or two wristbands.” I am fairly sure most of the bouncers don’t even check birth date on the puid since a good amount of the time you just hold it up to them and walk in. I guess there is really no way to settle this unless other people want to chime in, although it doesn’t matter I guess because even if they do have wristbands, we agree they are nothing more than a formality.</p>
<p>Princeton has one of the best ballroom dancing clubs in Jersey! I’m assuming that’s the partying you meant…? </p>
<p>If not, I suggest you reconsider Princeton as your school of choice. Shenanigans of any sort are not tolerated in Princeton’s coveted realm of academia.</p>
<p>The last time I went out was on Saturday, when Cap and Ivy were closed. Still got a wristband at Cottage, though. My memories regarding TI this year are hazy, and I didn’t get a wristband at Tower when I went on Thursday, but don’t you remember how, at the beginning of last fall, they were being really anal and only allowing officers to be behind the tap? They were wristbanding then, in the more restrictive sense.</p>
<p>lets just say if you cant have a good time its on you…not the school</p>
<p>Seriously if you wanted to you could go out Tuesday through Saturday (as long as you have passes which aren’t that hard). and if you a girl and pretty…well you don’t need a pass really at all.</p>