Princeton FAQ: Get your questions answered by current students

<p>Thanks absent…iv got d drive now</p>

<p>Can anyone help me with my question?</p>

<p>Does Princeton have a nice shopping period (for classes)?</p>

<p>Also, what’s it like at Princeton? And what makes it more attractive than other schools?</p>

<p>i’m an international student living in the US, 3.8 unweighted gpa, lots of ap and honors classes, 1440 on the sat cr and math, i run cross country last year and i’m gonna do track for my second year, i think i’ll also do that i college,i sing, volunteer at church and also part of this big time community service thing in town. 740 in history and 690 in math 2. i’m black
i don’t have any medals or stuff like that
am i wasting my time or do i have a chance?
also, does princeton weigh in the writing score of the sat?
on the supplement, about how much should we write because 7900 will be a long essay
finally, where it asks to describe the past two summers, should it be an essay or short answer kind of deal</p>

<p>does Princeton accept January SAT scores? and what are the statistics on ACT scores of accepted students?</p>

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<p>Yes.</p>

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<ol>
<li>You mean do they look at the score at all? Yes.</li>
<li>The supplement says ~500 words for the essay.</li>
<li>I would do short answer style, but probably both could work depending on what you write.</li>
</ol>

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<p>Yes. This is easily found on the website:</p>

<p>[Princeton</a> University | Standardized Testing](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/standardized_testing/]Princeton”>http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/standardized_testing/)</p>

<p>All SAT testing must be completed by the January test date.</p>

<p>And here as well:</p>

<p>[Princeton</a> University | Application Dates & Deadlines](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/deadlines/]Princeton”>http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/deadlines/)</p>

<p>January: Last month to take the SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Tests. (International applicants are encouraged to complete their testing by the December test date.)</p>

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<p><a href=“http://registrar.princeton.edu/university_enrollment_sta/common_cds2008.pdf[/url]”>http://registrar.princeton.edu/university_enrollment_sta/common_cds2008.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Thanks so much, that was really helpful =D</p>

<p>How does admissions to the School of Engineering differ than the rest of the school?</p>

<p>It doesn’t. You apply to the university.</p>

<p>Princeton doesn’t have an official shopping period but it is widely practiced and not a big deal if you add/drop classes during the first two weeks</p>

<p>do students group themselves by socioeconomic status? are people rude to ppl of lower incomes?</p>

<p>You will probably find a greater range of socio-economic classes here than almost anywhere else, which translates into a very accepting community. Princeton has one of the best, if not the best, financial aid programs, and is also need-blind for international students. A lot of students who maybe couldn’t attend their state schools do have the financial ability to attend Princeton.</p>

<p>This is not to say that there aren’t a number of well-off people at Princeton, but it really doesn’t affect student interactions that much. The dress code is more relaxed than many other schools (UVA comes to mind) and no one will think twice of someone wearing jeans and a t-shirt on a regular basis. When I first came to Princeton, a mentor reminded me that here, with everyone living in dorms and eating in the dining halls, differences in socio-economic status are perhaps less defined than they will ever be in the real world.</p>

<p>Princeton also offers some pretty substantial financial aid for eating clubs, but you don’t have to even think about that until sophomore year.</p>

<p>how hard do princeton students party? how big is the alcohol scene?</p>

<p>Overall, the Princeton community is very accepting. Not many have trouble finding people they can relate to. However, I do think that some people do tend to make friends among those with similar backgrounds (religious, racial, ideological). I think this is mostly just about individuals relating to each other and having common experiences. This can be found at any university. I do think premier universities tend to have a higher concentration of wealthier people (due to access to resources, education of parents, better high schools, etc), but I don’t think Princeton is any worse at this than any other first-rate university. In fact, due to the great financial aid and need-blind policy it is much more diverse than schools who don’t share these characteristics. The vast majority of the people here are really friendly and nice, and even if making friends along various “lines” is faster/easier, most people do make friends with a diverse group of people (through residential college, classes, student groups, parties, etc)</p>

<p>There are plenty of parties and alcohol for those who are interested in partying. You can party as hard as you want to (although hopefully you don’t overdo it and get hurt) or as mildly as you want to. You can also not party at all. There are plenty of people who do all of these things.</p>

<p>(I just posted this in a thread, but I thought I’d copy it here for the sake of consolidation)</p>

<p>Warm, down-to-earth, genuine students? </p>

<p>I’ve just been admitted to Princeton through the Questbridge College Match program. It’s my first choice; I’m in love. But I would love to hear current students or alumni talk about friendships at Princeton. I’m pretty low-key when it comes to weekends, fashion, status, etc, and I suspect but want to be sure that I can find students with similar attitudes toward life at Princeton. I’m not looking for any particular political, philosophical, whatever view: just good friends.</p>

<p>I realize that there is no typical Princeton student, but I just wondered if anyone could comment.</p>

<p>Honestly most people are really nice here and I don’t think it’s hard to make good friends. Obviously I think you’re more likely to make good friends by being active in campus groups and organizations because you meet other people who have similar interests and that’s a way to bond.</p>

<p>I highly recommend visiting in April so you can meet students and other prospective students.</p>

<p>Is much of an extracurricular life at Princeton possible for an undergraduate humanities major? How much free time would such a student have during the week?</p>

<p>how will princeton look at creative essays?
It’s not about a person, or how i overcame a challenge, and none of the standard, good college essay topics. colleges like sarah lawrence will like it, but will princeton?</p>

<p>Is this still true this year? Are freshman grades removed and GPA recalculated?</p>

<p>JetBlack: Yes, there is enough time, if you manage it well. It’s all about prioritization of schoolwork, activities, jobs, video games, internet, hanging out, etc. Right now I’m enrolled in four classes, hold two jobs (around 8-13 hours per week total), am in a dance group, hold an officer position in a different student group, and still wish I would get more involved on campus. I might. </p>

<p>Lotus: A creative, original, well-written essay will be well-received if it expresses something sincere about yourself.</p>

<p>Dixie: I’m not sure, check the admissions website, shoot them an email, or call their office.</p>

<p>I’ve got a question: I’m an artist. Are any of you visual art majors, or do you have friends who are? What is the program like? And this might be a stretch in terms of someone who’s on here being able to answer it, but has anyone incorporated a design aspect into a visual arts major? (I’ve wanted to be a fashion designer for as long as I can remember, but I’m only applying to liberal arts universities- it makes my life kind of difficult :-/</p>