<p>Supposedly, I have heard rumors that if you are from the state of NJ (where Princeton is located),it is a lot more difficult for you to get accepted than any other state. Is this true to any extent?</p>
<p>No, it is equally difficult. But NJ is general does tend to be a competitive state.</p>
<p>Schoolisfun,</p>
<p>I do not believe that is true. If you look at the admission statistics, you will see that MORE applicants from NJ are accepted, relative to most other states. However, meadow36 is correct, NJ is extremely competitive.</p>
<p>Why is NJ “extremely competitive”? Its SAT average is near the middle among 50 states. The upper-midwest states including IL have some of the highest averages.</p>
<p>However, SAT takers are self-selective in IL since the ACT is dominant in the midwest. Only kids looking to go to selective schools outside of IL bother taking the SAT. The rest take the ACT. In NJ, on the other hand, everyone is encouraged to take the SAT given that New Jersey has one of the higher rates of college attendance.</p>
<p>Schools like geographic diversity. When people casually say it’s tough in-state, they just mean sometimes the kid from far, far away is a hair more desirable.</p>
<p>Yes of course it it more difficult for the unhooked in-staters. That is no different than applying to Stanford from California or Harvard from Massachusetts.</p>
<p>Think about it: all colleges prefer geographic diversity. But yet there are plenty of P’ton alums living in NJ, whose kids apply as legacy. Then there are plenty of P’ton professors whose kids apply as well (‘faculty brats’). Both come with rather large hooks, increasing their chances whch, at the same time decrease the chances of the vast unhooked New Jersey residents.</p>
<p>No, its not true. I talked to a Princeton Admissions officer today, and they said that the school where you attended, or where you live has no affect on your application. It YOU!, how do you show you passion in your application? How do you stand out? How hard did you work? Did you try to take the most challenging courses? etc.</p>
<p>^ Yikes. Did you quote that adcom verbatim?</p>
<p>And let’s not be silly here; of course there is intra-school competition. My HS has a list of schools out of which a student can only apply to one early specifically to reduce competition. Also, if a student does indeed get in early to one of these, they can only subsequently apply to one non-rolling school ED. Everyone would be applying to HYPSM otherwise, and it would be uuuuuuuuuuuugly on April 1st.</p>
<p>I have no idea about SAT stats for NJ, but the PSAT cut off for National Merit finalists is one of the highest in the nation. I guess I assumed that the SATs would mimic the PSAT trend, and NJ’s would be amongst the highest in the nation. Apparently I assumed wrong.</p>
<p>would disagree based on the stats, and number of students accepted from NJ public HS here…seems like Princeton LOVES NJ students if this HS is any indication…</p>
<p>^ NJ public schools are some of the best in the country. A few of them are heavy feeders to Princeton and have been for a long time (including mine).</p>
<p>^I agree. My daughter’s public school has quite a few students accepted to Princeton each year.</p>
<p>My NJ community has average annual 15% acceptance rate, though quite volatile by year</p>
<p>Monstor344…your Hs actually restricts which colleges you can apply to? How do they get away with that? Public or private HS?</p>
<p>
Yep, this.</p>