<p>So glad you asked this question! VERY EASY. COS 126, the introductory course – for majors and non-majors alike – is taken by over half of Princeton undergrads before they graduate. The department is very proud of that and makes sure that it’s a well-supported course…which leads to lots of people who hadn’t had prior experience switching into CS! This is absolutely intentional and IMO makes for a much more welcoming department / CS community. (Incidentally, it also improves our gender ratio relative to other schools, because girls disproportionately don’t have prior experience.)</p>
<p>If you’re a CS major, you’ll have more recruiting emails (and potential interviews) from financial firms than you’ll know what to do with, even if you don’t get the certificate. I’m sure it’s feasible to get the cert, since there’s a lot of interest. I don’t know the specifics of the certificate requirements. But trust me: keep a decent GPA, as a COS major you won’t have any problems getting attention / interviews / jobs / etc from financial companies.</p>
<p>Do Princeton students ever feel overwhelmed by competition? Do “average” (and I use that term loosely because Princeton student’s aren’t really average) Princeton students feel pressure by being around Olympic athletes, internationally acclaimed musicians, geniuses, and other exceptional people? I’m a really competitive person living in an area where there isn’t much competition. Do many people experience a shock once they go to a school like Princeton?</p>
<p>Yes. I’d say most students here suffer from imposter syndrome–that is, they think they were the one admissions fluke. The trick is to not let that feeling overwhelm you. You got in for a reason. Yes, you’ll probably be average here. But the advantage of that is being surrounded by a bunch of wonderful, brilliant people who are all doing interesting things. Some of them will be doing things you can’t even begin to understand. Others will have similar interests and will collaborate with you on amazing projects. It’s a humbling experience, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.</p>
<p>Did any of you submit music supplements, specifically for string instruments? If any of you are in an orchestra, etc. at Princeton, what caliber are the musicians coming out of HS?</p>
<p>I feel like I should send them a tape, but I’m still unsure whether it will help me at all.</p>
<p>Are Admitted Student Weekends in April paid for by Princeton? If your family cannot afford it (income below $30,000 for example), will they pay for your trip?</p>
<p>ORFE - plenty of jobs, though it does have a (deserved?) reputation for attracting “tools.”</p>
<p>Competition: yikes! Maybe it helps that CS students don’t have to worry about grades quite as much; we’re a department that fosters a lot of cooperation. So I don’t feel like I’m competing with my classmates. (I came from a school w/o much competition, too.) Sometimes the pressure / workload can get overwhelming. But I’ve managed pretty well, and I wouldn’t say it’s a huge problem. I’ve very much embraced being (literally) average here, I think!</p>
<p>Music supplements: I dunno.</p>
<p>Adamgeek: I’m not sure…I strongly suspect that if you were to call up the admissions / finaid office they’d find the funds, though. Never question the value of asking for what you want or need, especially once you get accepted. Finaid for the school year will include a small travel budget, too.</p>
<p>about the music supplements, i submitted a CD with a couple of piano pieces. most of the people at princeton who play an instrument were at a pretty high level (concertmaster/first chairs) at their respective high school/county orchestras. i don’t think it would hurt to submit an arts supplement, as long as you feel that you are at a level where your level of play will be able to standout to people who might not be super musically inclined (the adcoms). but beware, if you submit a music supplement that is rushed and of low quality, that could end up hurting you even more than not submitting. so think it through.</p>
<p>as for princeton preview, im pretty sure that if you’re on the lower end of finaid (or even just any finaid), princeton will pay for your travel expenses. my family’s income bracket is similar to yours and if i recall, we had all of that covered.</p>
<p>Hello. I am an international student (from Russia) applying to 5 ivy league schools, including Princeton.
My SAT superscore is 2200 (680cr, 800m, 720w). I’ve already taken the test 3 times, and the first time my cr score was 500. it then improved to 630 and to 680. So my question is: is it reasonable to take the test again in January if I feel I might finally get over that 700 threshold? Will it make any difference? It’s also a matter of money, because it’s going to cost $80 dollars for the test, and then about $70 to send the score reports.
My SAT II scores are M1 800, M2 800, Ph 730. GPA 5.0/5.0
Ivy League is my dream, please help.
Thanks in advance</p>
<p>Did anyone on this thread receive a letter from the Princeton Dean of Admission during their college search asking that they consider Princeton?? Only found 1 person so far that has rec’d such a letter.</p>
<p>@natureessence: we have many singing groups on campus, one of the largest ones being the princeton chapel choir. they are very active and hold many concerts throughout the year. they also sing at service every sunday as well.</p>
<p>@lemming101: all freshmen don’t have roommates. a good deal of students have singles. you will be sent a housing questionnaire asking for your preferences. even though the school tries to honor your request, it won’t happen 100% of the time</p>
<p>Princeton University requires the applicant to write an essay on the following topic:</p>
<p>If you are interested in pursuing a B.S.E. (Bachelor of Science in Engineering) degree, please write a 300-500 word essay describing why you are interested in studying engineering, any experiences in or exposure to engineering you have had, and how you think the programs in engineering offered at Princeton suit your particular interests.</p>
<p>Which section should the essay focus most on</p>
<ul>
<li><p>how you think the programs in engineering offered at Princeton suit your particular interests</p></li>
<li><p>any experiences in or exposure to engineering you have had</p></li>
<li><p>why you are interested in studying engineering</p></li>
</ul>
<p>@HelenH: Princeton already has a fairly high early action acceptance rate (last year = 21%), which means the regular action rate will be rather low (last year = 6%). Think about how many more people apply regular rather than early – the 6% is mostly reserved for them. I am not saying it’s impossible to be deferred → accepted (I know a girl who was!) but the odds are probably not in your favor. I’m sorry if that’s hard to hear, but keep your head up! You could be the exception :)</p>
<p>Hey, so I got accepted to Princeton early, but am still considering HYS for RD. Princeton’s grade deflation seems to be a bit of a problem (esp. according to many people on this thread) and I really want to go to law school. A lot of people say that law schools (I’m mainly referring to Harvard, Yale, and Stanford Law) really only look at your GPA/LSAT and don’t even care what school you come from. Since it’s pretty obvious I’ll get a lower GPA from Princeton than anywhere else I’m considering, will that significantly hurt my chances of getting in? Would they at least take into consideration the rigor of my course load and the unfortunate fact that Princeton practices grade deflation? I’d love the chance to do Woody Woo but what grad school you go to is ultimately what matters so I’d really like to understand how Princeton’s grade deflation will affect that.</p>
<p>I honestly don’t understand what the big deal about grade deflation is. All it really means is that at most, 35% of students in a DEPARTMENT can get A’s. For most classes, this 35% limit has no negative effect whatsoever. It is just something professors should aim for when INFLATING grades. Take General Chemistry for example: say the average grade for a test was a 70%. The professor then INFLATES grades so that ~35% of students get A’s, which means 70% will probably end up being a B-. This is the case for most sci/math/eng courses when the averages are so low that MUCH LESS than 35% of students get A’s. The only classes where grade deflation takes effect is when >35% students can get A’s (trust me, these are very rare) such as some English or language classes (definitely not Woody Woo classes haha). From my experience, professors who teach these classes are pretty flexible (for example, the professor of a language class I took last semester pushed the 35% limit to 40%). Trust me, if you work hard, it will always be possible to get an A. Don’t let grade deflation factor that much into college decision. Please. </p>
<p>EVERYONE GO TO PRINCETON IT IS THE BEST SCHOOL EVER YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT I SWEAR :)</p>