Princeton SCEA Class of 2020 Applicant Thread

Colleges and Universities A-Z Princeton University
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I told myself I wouldn’t visit this page again before decisions, but I just wanted to say that pages 7 and 8 of this thread have probably been the most productive and helpful pages on this entire forum. Huge thank you to all of you guys! The next 35 days are probably going to be the longest few days of my life, but I’ll probably do something during then to keep all this out of my mind.

The decision is so subjective, but there’s really nothing we can do about it right now. What we can do, however, is prepare for the worst by completing our other applications and making a list of other “dream” schools. Know that, while Princeton is the special school that we all have at the top of our lists, there are so many other great schools out there that can provide the same amazing experiences. It’s all a lottery anyway, but the more lotteries you play at once, the higher chance you have of winning at least one.

Here is a wonderful resource from the MIT admissions office:
http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways
The key to getting in is not found by just following a certain path or by doing certain things. The key is found by applying sideways and by being yourself. At the top-tier level, schools pick and choose actual students, not certain test scores or extracurricular activities. Princeton might want a passionate writer who enjoys photography for their new class, while Yale might want a violin soloist who loves applied mathematics. If you do get deferred, you’re not alone! It doesn’t mean that you are not good enough; it means that there is another school out there that fits your personality better.

Last year, there was an applicant who was overly qualified; she had a near perfect SAT, wrote a historical paper about Tokugawa relations in a Stanford journal, won numerous awards for international relations, participated in flute competitions, and was a youth ambassador to Finland (her username is ambitious19). She applied to Princeton early as her first choice, but was deferred and later rejected. In the end, however, she was accepted to Yale, Stanford, UPenn, Wellesley, JHU, and many other great schools. Use this as inspiration; know that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and that a deferral from Princeton may just be an opportunity for you to open more doors that you would’ve never known were there.

Good luck on your applications! I’ll probably stick around here a bit until our decisions on December 14th. :slight_smile:

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@thesheep787 I sent my common app and submitted my official score report on the 24th (the scores were “Pending” until the 4th) and I sent my supp on the 27th

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@azwu331 I also followed last year’s thread pretty closely and was shocked when ambitious19 didn’t get in! But as you said, she did have some great options at the end of the year. I am definitely of the opinion that everything will work out for the best when it comes to college admissions. But I have to say, if you do sign off for the next month or so, thank you for the little pieces of guidance, reassurance, and humor (like the Krebs cycle thing; that was hilarious!) you’ve shared on this thread. Best of luck, and here’s hoping we all get good news in December! :slight_smile:

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Agreed - I think most of us were surprised at that decision by admissions. It’s funny how I find myself pulling for the applicants I “meet” on these threads =) Every year admissions comments on how many exceptionally qualified applications they receive. Not everyone who deserves a spot gets one unfortunately. It’s important to remember that if you’ve worked hard enough to be a viable applicant to a top tier school, you are going to ultimately do very well whether you receive an offer of admission from this school or another.

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I haven’t been contacted for an interview yet. Could I still be contacted or is the time frame up? I submitted my application October 31.

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I didn’t actually answer the questions on the first page yet.

  1. Why are you applying to Princeton for SCEA?
    I’m interested in non-tech entrepreneurship, and didn’t like the atmosphere of another top school with a business program, so I just went with the school that, based on what I’ve read, felt like the best fit. It just seems like an amazing place. I also thought about Dartmouth ED, but I thought I’d apply to an early action school, that is perhaps a slightly higher reach, and keep my options open.

  2. What draws you to Princeton?
    Probably the undergraduate focus and the campus particularly stand out to me. I can really see myself enjoying life there.

  3. What makes Princeton stand out from other schools?
    Maybe the fact that it has a really appealing social atmosphere, with the eating clubs and all. They seem a lot more fun than other schools’ options.

  4. Where else are you applying for RD?
    Stanford, Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, Duke, Harvard, Yale, Brown, Cornell, UPenn, Williams, Amherst, UVA, UNC-CH, Washington & Lee, Davidson College, and a few others, not including safeties.

  5. What are your qualifications?
    4.85 GPA 3.88 UW
    2290 (800 CR, 720 M, 770 W:11)
    Low-income URM (Hispanic)
    Full IB Diploma Candidate

  6. What are your summer plans?

Probably some national competitions, and maybe visiting some family I haven’t seen in awhile. I don’t really know yet.

  1. What is your intended major?
    Economics, Politics, or Woodrow Wilson

  2. What are your hobbies/interests/extracurriculars?

I have a lot of national- and state-level awards related mainly to business, and also placed top in the nation for journalism competitions. Also, I created an organization that helps people who want to create their own businesses, but aren’t aware of the resources that exist in the community. I have a state-level leadership position too, so hopefully that’ll help me some.

My main interest is definitely entrepreneurship. I’m currently in the process of creating my own business, and presented my business plan to entrepreneurs and venture capitalists a few months ago. Plus, I just had my first sale a few days ago of $50, so I haven’t grossed a lot yet but I’m getting there. The goal is to finish starting my own business this year, get a loan so that larger production can be carried out, and then hopefully succeed in running the business during my college years. If it doesn’t pan out, I’ll find something else to fall back on.

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@azwu331 I’m pulling for you, I hope psywar jr. gets to meet you next year at Princeton, you seem like a great kid. Good luck to all, you all will end up where you are meant to be, and you will be amazing!

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lol did anyone else apply without subject tests?

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@elk1819 Thank you for your kind words! Don’t worry, I’ll probably stay active on this thread for a while… it doesn’t hurt to get to know new people! Best of luck to you as well!

@psywar Thank you, psy! I hope that I can meet psywar jr. next year as well; it would be great if we both got in! He seems like a really talented kid. :slight_smile:

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Ive really enjoyed following this thread - thanks to all of you for all of the great advice and commentary! It is definitely making me feel better :slight_smile:

Quick question though - does anyone know how the alumni interviewers are assigned to each candidate? My interviewer is like 30 minutes away from me (even though I know there are alumni located closer), but she happens to have majored in the EXACT thing that I noted on my applications - certificate and everything (and my major is far from common…)!! Do you think this was assigned on purpose? If so, I think that is fantastic and shows what a great job Princeton does at looking at individual applicants.

Regardless, Im super excited to talk to her and learn more about her specific experience!

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@collegebound1915 - (I like your username; are you 100 years old? ;)) - my DS’s assigned interviewer is also in the field (Engineering) that my DS is applying to, and the same was true for his assigned interviewer from MIT (RD), so I suspect it is done on purpose if possible! I agree that it shows a great degree of care on P’s side.

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@collegebound1915 Same here! My interviewer lives about 40 minutes away, even though there’s a Princeton alumnus just one block over. But my interviewer’s major was the same as the one I specified on my application. It makes sense that they would try to match like-minded people in order to facilitate more meaningful discussion in the interview. And I agree - very thoughtful! It also alleviates a bit of stress on my part, since I know going into it that we have some common ground.

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My interviewer lives only 10 minutes from me. He majored in Economics, which isn’t even close to my major of choice.
However I’m surprised that there was an interviewer near me in the first place.

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@Waiting2exhale Thank you! And yes, I did have a chance to visit Harvard on the same road trip in which I visited Princeton. It was a lot of fun, and I really liked the Boston vibe.

Best of luck!

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i haven’t gotten an interview email yet. i’m starting to think i won’t get one, like, ever?

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@eyesight2020 Don’t worry, we’re on the same boat! I do know that Princeton will try its best to give everyone an interview opportunity; it just depends on the availability of interviewers in your area.

Is anyone else here on this thread applying from the Midwest?

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My daughter got in SCEA in Dec 2012 and didn’t have her interview until the first few days of Dec. Don’t worry! Also she applied with a planned major in physics but with significant ECs in creative writing. Her interviewer was a English major.

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@asappebble I didn’t either -_- really wanted to take Math 2 and Chemistry but couldn’t fit it into my schedule (i’m an international student enrolled in a British school so I had a lot of work cut off for me if I wanted to do well). Feeling very guilty about not taking any subject tests but I’m glad that I was realistic and decided not register for a test I knew I would flop. Hopefully my A-Level grades make up for it though.

Also stressing about not getting an interview because I want do everything I can to get in now that my app. is in…

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Iowa. Haven’t heard anything, and neither has my friend who also applied SCEA.

The wait is killing me, but there’s nothing to do but keep plugging away with other applications and homework.

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Hi everyone! I’m also applying SCEA. My dad has been an alumni interviewer for Princeton (not this year obviously hahaha), and he said the interviews are usually pretty lowkey. Basically, Princeton just wants to make sure you’re not absolutely insane before deciding to admit or deny you. He said that he just asks general questions and tries to see if the student REALLY wants to go to Princeton. That’s the thing that the university most emphasized when he received the interview evaluations. They want to see the applicant’s interest in the school. Makes sense, because what school doesn’t want to increase their yield rate? Best of luck!