<p>If Princeton usually sends out interview notices in the middle of November, do they only start reviewing applications in the middle of november? I doubt they would review applications before everything was done</p>
<p>@HPClee I doubt it. There’s no way they can afford to start reading applications until mid-November. I think the fact that interviews aren’t scheduled by mid-November speaks to the relative unimportance of the interview in the grand scheme of the admissions process. Interviews are just there to make sure applicants can think on a deeper level and speak articulately. Adcoms probably just skim over the interview report. Or, maybe the interview is used during the whole committee session, where your application is discussed with the whole committee in early December. </p>
<p>Oh I see. Can you explain this reviewing process? Does one admission officer review my application first and then a big group review it in december?</p>
<p>I think it’s slightly different for every school. But basically, your application is reviewed by two-three admissions officers who are responsible for your geographic “region,” so for me that would be Northern California. There’s a scoring system they use that ranks your course rigor, academic achievement, extracurricular activities, teacher recs, testing scores, personal qualities, etcetc from 1 to 6, for example, and then that score is computed. Some schools like Duke and Brandeis have an “auto-admit” system, where if the applicant is above a certain score, he or she doesn’t even get discussed in committee and is automatically accepted after the first two-three readings. </p>
<p>But most schools, like Amherst, and I’m also assuming Princeton, pick out the most promising applications to be discussed in committee session. Maybe about 10-20% of the original applicant pool. All the admissions officers representing all different regions gather around a table and start discussing in depth each applicant, taking EVERYTHING into account: essays, recs, grades, scores, activities.</p>
<p>I recommend the book “Admissions Confidential” by Rachel Toor, a former Duke admissions officer. This book taught me everything I know about the admissions process! </p>
<p>Also, I recommend watching this video: <a href=“College Admissions: Inside the Decision Room - YouTube”>College Admissions: Inside the Decision Room - YouTube;
It gives you a behind the scenes look at what a committee session looks like. </p>
<p>@Ambitious19 wow whatta pro that was extremely helpful</p>
<p>Oh and also the movie “Admission” starring Tina Fey is very entertaining. If you have time, you should totally watch it! Tina Fey plays the role of a Princeton admissions officer, trying to decide between applicants. While I’m sure the movie is not an accurate depiction of Princeton admissions, it’s fun to watch! It’s even filmed on the Princeton campus. </p>
<p>@hopefulperson @cantiger Thanks so much for the answers; they were very insightful! Has anyone received interview notices yet? Because I sure as hell haven’t and it’s making me anxious… </p>
<p>Just got my interview notification! I think that getting an interview notification early means that the Princeton Alumni Association of the region is very active, that’s all! So don’t worry if you haven’t got the notification yet. Focus on preparing for it, because once you get the notification, you’ll only have like a day or two to prepare for it. I’m from India.</p>
<p>@Frozengogurt Don’t sweat it; there may not be a lot of alumni in your area or they just haven’t gotten to your app yet. </p>
<p>Also, depending on your interviewer’s schedule, you might actually have a week or more to prepare. Mine is this coming Sunday.</p>
<p>I sent in my application on October 23rd and got an interview email on Friday. My interview is scheduled for Thursday. Keep in mind that I live less than an hour from Princeton and about twenty miles from NYC, which definitely has tons of alumni.</p>
<p>@sr97329 I’m a canadian! Actually a dual citizen who was born and raised in USA (NJ), but still represent! Canada!</p>
<p>Ambitious, that post was really helpful, thanks.</p>
<p>An interview would be really exciting, but I won’t sweat it if I end up not getting one.</p>
<p>@Ambitious19 Yeah, I just watched that movie! I’m sure it’s extremely exaggerated and/or unrealistic in some respects, but it does provide insight into Princeton application reviewing process. It makes me feel a bit less jumpy knowing that my file will be reviewed holistically. Do you know how accurate the committee room scenes are? Does your admission really depend a lot on the support of the initial reader that goes over your stats/qualificationse/etc?</p>
<p>@Frozengogurt I actually think the committee scenes aren’t too far from the truth! The real adcom probably goes through something like the committee scenes portrayed by Admission. Debating back and forth, raising hands to indicate accept/waitlist/deny, trying to convince other admissions officers to raise their hands for your candidate, etcetc. This process is definitely very human. </p>
<p>And YES to your second question. Admissions really depend on the support of your initial reader. Your initial reader/regional admissions officer will do a lot of the fighting for you. So if you have a charismatic, assertive, and well-respected regional admissions officer, then you’re lucky if he/she strongly advocates for you during committee session. </p>
<p>@Ambitious19 Wow thank you. That video is really nerve racking… I now truly feel I will be waitlisted or deferred :(( </p>
<p>:D I applied early for Princeton too! Im so nervous! My interview is this weekend and Im from the Georgia region </p>
<p>I don’t know about for Princeton, but I know that for Yale, not everyone gets an interview due to availability and large volumes of applications. I haven’t gotten any notification either, but I live in the suburbs.</p>
<p>Well, decided to take an hour and a half to watch Admission. Loved it! Now I just need my sticker to be switched…</p>
<p>@HPClee The Amherst video terrifies me as well…What scared me the most was when the Dean said that sometimes he doesn’t know why he raises or doesn’t raise his hand…it’s a gut instinct. We really need luck on our side!!!</p>
<p>@emenya HAHA I know right?? All I need now is an admissions officer to sneak into the back room, hack into the digital decisions file, and replace my “deny” sticker with an “accept” sticker! Overall, I think it’s a decent portrayal of the college admissions process (although certain portions of the movie were very, very, very unrealistic). I also didn’t really like how the movie focused more on Portia’s romantic relationship with John. I would have preferred a more admissions-oriented movie, but I guess a romantic plot line appeals more to the general public (aka people who are not nervous anxiety-ridden high school seniors applying to college).</p>
<p>Oh my goodness @Ambitious19 , my thoughts exactly!!! </p>
<p>@Ambitious19 Well, obviously we Princeton SCEA hopefuls would want the movie to be focused more on the admissions process at the university…but the general public would definitely find the romcom aspects more appealing. Oh my gosh! But does that not open up the committee room decisions to subjectivity - as shown in the movie, Tina Fey’s character fights passionately for Jeremiah because she identifies with his personality and character. It really is luck it seems… The movie seems to depict GPA and SATs as more hurdles to overcome rather than the biggest determining factors for admission. The 28 denials in a row scene unnerves me - they really are only accepting the kids that STAND OUT with essays and personal experiences. This is comforting and disconcerting at the same time, because for me personally, my essays, extracurriculars (and SATs I guess) are what’re going for me - not my grades…compared to those kids with ridiculously high GPAs :S</p>