<p>Hi everyone! I don’t know if it is ok to ask it here. But I have a choice to make.
To current students:
I am an international student from China, so U.S colleges are a little distant for me.
What I am trying to find out is, what exactly is Princeton distinct for? In what ways is it most different from, say, Harvard? What kind of students you think should go to Princeton? Just a few words of your true opinion will help!
Thank you all!</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I was wondering if Princeton accepts external recommendations. I would like to ask for a recommendation from my research mentor who may be able to show a different side of me. </p>
<p>Also, after we submit our commonapp application and supps, will there be an online portal that allows us to submit additional materials that we may have?</p>
<p>Thank you very much!</p>
<p>Definitely. I submitted a recommendation from my research mentor and it certainly helped. For that matter, you can have outside recommendations from a lot of different things but keep the number reasonable.</p>
<p>As for the online portal…they’ve probably changed it in the last 3 years. Man I’m old.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The biggest difference between Pton and its peer institutions is, I’d say, the focus on undergraduates. Princeton really is 100% committed to the undergraduate experience: grad students are an afterthought. This might not mean anything to you now, but once you get into college wherever you go, you’ll understand how this is positive. Harvard undergraduates sometimes get lost between the gov school and the business school and everything–and, literally lost among the tourists in the Yard–but that doesn’t happen at Princeton. And let’s be honest, Princeton kids know how to have fun. Harvard has a reputation for attracting cutthroat, competitive kids, while Princeton kids are a little more relaxed.</p>
<p>Question - Is the 4 year foreign language an absolute requirement to be even considered? Did anyone get in with less than that? With the idea, that this can be done in college.</p>
<p>@tryingforcollege: I’m not sure if the fact that I applied as an engineer mattered, but I got in with 3 semesters of foreign language. (With 1 semester being equivalent to a year elsewhere, since my high school had 4 classes / day and 2 semesters / yr.)</p>
<p>@lbgen1: When it comes to Princeton vs our “peer institutions” (Harvard / Yale / etc) the undergrad focus is indeed nice. Princeton has hardly any grad students, so it’s absolutely true that undergrads get a lot of attention.</p>
<p>Also pay attention to the particular departments you’re interested in. For example, Princeton has a better Computer Science dept than Harvard, I think. (Typically people name MIT, Stanford, and Princeton as the best in the country, I think?) I’m not sure though, lol. But yeah – I’d recommend looking closely at specific programs, departments, etc. I’ve heard that Harvard is somewhat more competitive but that may not be true.</p>
<p>If you’re willing to work hard and are really interested in what you’re studying, you’ll enjoy Princeton and all of its opportunities. On the other hand you’ll probably be able to thrive, be happy, and learn lots of things at many, many schools.</p>
<p>A few questions regarding Princeton student life:
- What is your sleep schedule like?
- How long do you take to get ready for class? I’ve heard stories at other colleges where the time between leaving bed and arriving for class is all of 5 minutes, for morning classes, obviously.
- What is your favorite place to study? Dorms, libraries, dept buildings, outside… Where does most studying take place?
- What is your favorite place on campus?
Thank you very much!</p>
<p>1) It can really depend on class schedule and when things are due. This semester was extremely weird for me: almost all my classes were on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and almost all my major assignments were due on Tuesdays. For me, that meant regular all-nighters on Mondays, which I compensated for with regular 4 hour naps in the middle of the day on Wednesdays. I averaged about 50-55 hours of sleep per week. This coming semester, my schedule is much more balanced, so I’ll probably sleep from around 2 to 9 every weekday.</p>
<p>2) A certain group of my friends and I eat breakfast every weekday, so I tend to wake up at 8:45 to get to breakfast at 9:15 and leave for class around 9:45. A lot of people don’t eat breakfast though and are capable of waking up 15 minutes before class. It’s a matter of personal preference.</p>
<p>3) I have several spots I really like to do schoolwork; the Firestone B-floor, Lewis treehouse, and Chancellor Green Library (best chairs EVER) are my big three when I’m working alone. Group work normally happens in dorm study rooms.</p>
<p>4) It really depends on time of year, time of day, and a lot of other things. Chancellor Green, the University chapel, the football stadium and basketball arena, Frist TV lounge, Holder courtyard, anywhere with a lot of snow, wherever my friends are, and my bed can all top the list at different times.</p>
<p>1) I require at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Sometimes I get 8. Rarely do I get 6 or 9. But usually, it’s 7 or 8. I like my sleep. :P</p>
<p>2) About an hour, because I eat breakfast and I live ~15 minutes away from the COS building (stupid Forbes). But I have friends who manage to roll out of bed 15 minutes before class starts. (They don’t eat breakfast.)</p>
<p>3) I honestly like working in my room. Or random computer clusters. Empty classrooms are great during exam times.</p>
<p>4) Wow, that’s a tough one! I love lots of places…the Forbes Sci-fi lounge…Frist, when people are playing piano…my room…Firestone…</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I usually sleep from 3 am - 10:30 am. I try to get at least 7 hrs a night. </p></li>
<li><p>I only eat breakfast when I have a 10 am class or meeting. If I do eat breakfast, I get up 45 minutes before class. If not, maybe 20 minutes before class. </p></li>
<li><p>I work in my room or in the math department common room (usually when I’m at the point in a problem set when I want to work with other people). </p></li>
<li><p>The only places where I spend a lot of time are the math common room, my room, and my eating club.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>@tryingforcollege
I think it depends on why you didn’t take 4 years of foreign language. For example, I didn’t take history my senior year because I really wanted to take a music composition and theory class and couldn’t do both. I imagine that they are generally understanding about scheduling conflicts that you can’t control.</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I was wondering if Princeton allows you to mail additional materials that are no arts supplements. For example, research projects, some small projects we did etc.</p>
<p>Thank you FightTheTide, Tiger and stl for your resposes!</p>
<p>Excellent question shannonhadley, and the responses are even more intriguing! Makes me want to go to Pton even more :/</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>My SAT results are not out yet. I’m not sure why, I emailed collegeboard but they are not replying (Maybe it’s Christmas). Can someone tell me what I should do?</p>
<p>tryingforcollege,</p>
<p>My son was just admitted to Princeton. He had only completed one semester of foreign language at the community college (worth 2 years of high school for some reason) before applying. He did another semester of the same language this semester but will not take it in the spring because the class is so impacted. So, he had 3 years worth of the same language but only 2 semester of college work.</p>
<p>Thanks for your replies. For us, the 4th year Spanish is AP spanish which is supposed to be very hard, as the teacher is pretty much useless. So I didnt want to spend my senior year stressed out with that course. I just wanted to know if it would hold me back on college apps next year (looks like it won’t). I’d rather take some other AP honestly. I guess that would mean it wont satisfy the foreign language requirement (in most schools graduation requirements) but I can worry about that later. First I got to get in 
and it is important to maintain my gpa rather than it fall to the wayside with a AP level language course that is supposedly very difficult in our HS.</p>
<p>For any current Princeton students or anyone who might know!</p>
<p>Would it be fine if my Princeton supplemental essay is 700 words? It’s a pretty “large scale” topic and I really can’t cut anymore without taking some of the essence away from the essay… 
Could I just leave it at 700 or should I cut it to 500 as they suggest?</p>
<p>Thanks SO MUCH! :)</p>
<p>I do not understand why you would take any risk whatsoever by including an essay longer than the one they asked for.</p>
<p>I would recommend cutting it down to 500 words, which was the request. I am not an adcom, but I would get an automatic bad feeling about a candidate who does not follow extremely clear directions.</p>
<p>@aangel42 Look I’m not an admissions expert but I can offer an example. My friend applied to Harvard with an essay that she told me was a good amount over 500 words. The essay, similar to yours, was about a rather serious topic (I read it), and she got in with that essay. Do not freak out over the word count, as long as it is not more than 1000 or so words. If the length is justified by the topic you should be fine.</p>