<p>Grade deflation definitely makes this competitive. You can't compare a GPA from two years ago to a GPA today... I'm speaking mainly engineering, and physics mainly... It's much harder now. It's not impossible, though.</p>
<p>I wouldn't really get that competitive since most of my friends are going through the same thing. If anything, it strengthens friendship because we're all going to be leaders in our field... so when you're CEO of one company you can phone the CEO of the other company. ;)</p>
<p>Sunday is a really dull day, sleep in to around 11am... not much going on since it isn't really a major city we leave in. Also, as an engineer my mondays and wednesdays are basically like highschool... 9-4, with a 1 hour and 30 minute break for lunch. Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday end around 12am... very light.</p>
<p>I know people who got in without a 1400 - 1600, but they had some pretty awesome ECs. they are still very smart, so... I'm not really sure.</p>
I try to exercise my addictive hobby of photography (great place to do it...even if the night are coming far too early nowadays)<a href="a">/quote</a> Film or digital? (I'm a photo geek, I have to ask...)
(b) Did you submit a portfolio?</p>
<p>Thanks for doing this; it's really helpful to us prospectives. :)</p>
<p>Ok, the Princeton calendar says that you get the Thursday and Friday off for Thanksgiving, but what are classes normally like for the Monday through Wednesday? Kind of a random question, I know, but I'm interested to know if there's any way to have that entire week off.</p>
<p>maributt:
obviously, I'm not FitzRandolph, so I can't answer for him/her, but I'd generally refrain from asking personal questions like that, especially since it doesn't lend any more insight into Princeton life.</p>
<p>jon314:
I don't know of anyone who has a MTW schedule. There are a lot of people who have heavy days TR or MWF or have F completely off, but I think a MTW-free schedule is near impossible. This is because classes come in MW, TTh, and MWF forms, with various precepts, seminars, and labs scattered throughout those days. The only way you'd be able to get that whole week off is if you signed up for seminars that met only on Thursday and Fridays--something that's virtually impossible.</p>
<p>
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Ok, the Princeton calendar says that you get the Thursday and Friday off for Thanksgiving, but what are classes normally like for the Monday through Wednesday? Kind of a random question, I know, but I'm interested to know if there's any way to have that entire week off.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>quirkily's got your answer!</p>
<p>
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oh and i mean what ecs did you have in high school
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<p>
[quote]
what were your hs stats
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<p>Heh, more than personal, it's like conjuring a whole foreign past, really. You have to understand that one of the best things about college is that you get to start over fresh and put all that stuff behind you.</p>
<p>ECs...stuff like Math competitions (which I was heavy into), CS team, various science competitions, Model United Nations, quizbowl, ultimate frisbee etc. with leadership positions scattered.</p>
<p>HS Stats...we didn't have ranks, but I guess I'd have fallen in the top 1% or 5% or something. Took old SATs, lucked out, and got in high 1500s, and similarly strong. But then, I was one of those kids who didn't expect to get in because of some crazy extracurricular thing...the only thing I had going for me was academics.</p>
<p><a href="a">quote</a> Film or digital? (I'm a photo geek, I have to ask...)
(b) Did you submit a portfolio?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>a) Film, of course! Digital is selling out! :P
b) Nope, it never even hit me. I think I might have written about photography in one my my college essays, but I don't think it was Princeton's...</p>
<p>There's a darkroom in Wilson college that's open to everyone, and I've heard Forbes has one too. Not sure if every residential college has them (including my own, haha), but I think that's one of the things they ask about when you sign up for housing.</p>
<p>how would you say the academic rigor is at Princeton, compared to high school?</p>
<p>Rutgers probably isn't comparable to Princeton at all, but my friend who had been getting C's in high school physics got a 99 on his midterm...and he says college is a LOT easier than high school?</p>
<p>As a current high school debate team member, I was wondering how hard it is to join the University Debate Panel? What is the style of debate? And how intensive is it?</p>
<p>My school doesn't offer debate, but I would like to do debate in college. How hard would it be for someone who hasn't debated but thinks he/she has potential for it to join?</p>
<p>In addition to the darkrooms FitzRandolph listed, there's another one located in the basement of Blair Hall (Mathey College)</p>
<p>In terms of academic rigor, Princeton is definitely more difficult than high school. For example, I got A+s in math throughout high school (I went up to BC Calc) fairly easily. Here, I got a 65% (which was curved to a B+) on my math (multi-variable calc) midterm and I had to work a lot harder and study more for that B+ than I ever had to do to get an A+ in high school.
My problem sets (I'm an engineer by the way) are also significantly harder than anyhting I saw in high school. There have been multiple occassions on which I've needed the help of my classmates/friends, which was a rare occurrence in high school. Fortunately, there isn't a competitive atmosphere here and nearly everyone is willing to help others understand and solve their problem sets.</p>
<p>about taking off early for thanksgiving...i know a girl who had a language class (those meet every day), but went to her class on monday then left in the middle of the day. she missed 2 lectures and 2 of her language classes...you can get by missing a couple classes so it's not a big deal. it just means you lose some of your get-out-of-italian/spanish/whatever free cards. (you usually have 3 to 4 of those before they take off your grades) & most lectures don't take attendance...so you can skip whenever you want, i guess. labs are generally all canceled that week and if you have a precept, talk to your preceptor and they can probably figure out something for you to do (eg write a one-page paper or something) to make up for it.</p>
<p>Yes, I agree with andreas430; Princeton is a very tough school. Some classes are easier than others, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anything "easy." You probably could, but it's not worthwhile.
I know this is not true at other Ivies (ahem <em>Yale</em>). A friend of mine who is in a fairly prestigious freshman program there was told by the professor that if you show up for the final, you get an A. That does not happen at Princeton.
And yes, the atmosphere here is not competitive. People work together if they can. </p>
<p>As far as debate - I've heard it's fairly easy to join (and you get your own Greek temple!), but it's also very time-consuming.</p>