<p>Hi! I'm an international looking to apply to Princeton, and am in love with everything about it--except for the setting itself. I visited last week and was pretty disappointed. My impression was that it was a beautiful campus, albeit, one that was detached from all outside civilization... sort of like that movie, The Village. :S</p>
<p>But in less harsh terms, it just seemed like a really sleepy, small town. I asked my tour guide whether they left the campus much, and he said that everything was pretty much on campus, and even trips to New York and such were only occasional. I've grown up in a big city, and I couldn't imagine myself living in such a place for 4 years. It seems suffocating being away from everything in a self-contained campus o_o</p>
<p>Though, it IS the summer, and there were barely any students there. Perhaps the presence of 5,000 undergrads would make up for it, and it's very much different in the school year.</p>
<p>How is Princeton throughout the school year? What do you current Princeton students feel about it (like if you're used to the city)? Did I just get a bad impression 'cos of the summer?</p>
<p>Campus is definitely dead right now, but even at its peak it never really feels like a metropolis (unless you’re in Frist or Firestone during reading period and finals…somehow 5000 people come out of the woodwork). Proportionate to the number of students, the campus is really big, and people live kind of spaced out because we don’t have high-rise dorms or anything like that. I would say that during the academic year the campus definitely feels more lively, but then again I don’t come from a city and my standards are a little different. </p>
<p>If you’re talking about Princeton the town, then you’re definitely right: it’s no metropolis. Don’t get me wrong, I really like it because it’s so safe and it’s a nice place to walk around if you want to get off campus, but you’ll hardly find a trove of students in town at any given point. Mostly because it’s a little expensive, and there’s so much to do on campus between studying, athletics, extracurriculars, and other events, that it’s easy to spend all of your time on campus. </p>
<p>I hope this helps. I think the best way to get a sense of Princeton would be to visit during the school year, or maybe April hosting if you are admitted. If neither of those are possibilities, then good luck with your applications and ultimate decisions!</p>
<p>I can definitely testify to this. Having grown up all my life in a big city, Princeton was a difficult adjustment for me. Your perception of Princeton as a sleepy, small town setting is correct–even during the school year, the presence of 5000 undergrads hardly compensates for the deadbeat atmosphere, since everyone is studying or competing for grades. And the exclusiveness of the eating clubs, for what reason I do not know why, definitely does not help. It’s basically a bunch of awkward white kids trying to be “cool” by excluding other ethnicity groups to raise their own social status. Don’t expect a fun social life at Princeton.</p>
<p>Having said that, Princeton’s academic superiority makes up for all of this. There is no other place in the world where you find such a high caliber density of academic talent. Princeton’s math department, for example, houses the most intellectual mathematical powerhouses in the entire world. Same goes for the Economics and Physics departments. And the respect and opportunities you get outside of school are incalculable. When you’re at Princeton, it sucks; when you’re outside, you’re gold.</p>
<p>Princeton the town is ranked as one of the top 10 places to live in the United States. I prefer big cities, though. Seems too “perfect small townish” to me. But it’s only an hour away from both New York City and Philly, so it’s not so bad.</p>
<p>FermatABC, I definitely don’t agree with some of your characterizations, and I’m sure most people at Princeton wouldn’t either. First of all, just because you might be studying a lot to “compete for grades” doesn’t mean everyone else is. In some classes, there is definitely competition, but I don’t think that it is necessary to sacrifice a fun social life…it’s possible to study hard, but still have fun too. And I’m not just talking about the eating clubs, which I have found to be much more inclusive and fun than you seem to have. All colleges have party scenes, and I think Princeton’s is particularly open and fun when compared to room parties. With room parties, you automatically have to “know someone” to know where the party is. The eating clubs are an automatic source of partying, and you’ll see a much wider variety of people when you go out than if you were to stay in a small room party with friends. </p>
<p>I’m sorry you’ve had such a terrible experience, but please don’t characterize the school so negatively, when your experience is clearly such an outlier. You seem to be at Princeton to take classes and reap the benefits of a Princeton diploma, but many, many students enjoy the social and extracurricular side of Princeton as well. I’m sure people would (and hopefully will) back me up on this.</p>
<p>Thanks for the insightful comments guys! I’d like to get some perspective though: is this sleepiness particularly true even among the ivy leagues (dartmouth and cornell aside :P). Columbia definitely isn’t, but are Harvard, Yale, UPenn and Brown similar to this at all to some extent or even greater?</p>
<p>Boston is a pretty bustling area; of course, it’s not NYC, but there was plenty of fun going on when I visited. </p>
<p>I live 20 minutes from New Haven, so I’m partial to Yale–New Haven is artsy and has plenty to do including “night life”. It’s not wildly urban but definitely not sleepy! I think it’s the perfect balance :] </p>
<p>I didn’t check out the area near Brown too much but my tour guide seemed fond of the area and said there was quite a lot of things to do, there was a mall nearby, etc.</p>
<p>Well sure it’s a sleepy small-town kinda campus, but so are LOADS of American universities. It’s actually kinda the quintessential American college experience - going to school in some small self-contained town with a buncha undergrads. It’s not so bad, and like, well Princeton is a pretty rigorous place - you sure as hell won’t be sitting around and go, “Oh gee, there’s nothing for me to do. I have so much free time. Woe is me.” Besides, you’ve grown up in a big city. Why not try suburbia?</p>
<p>Btw, I’m with JTC in that I totally disagree with Fermat’s assessment of the social scene. People don’t really study to compete for grades, they study because they’re not used to not succeeding academically - and Princeton will definitely challenge you at times in that way. The eating clubs are not exclusive. Even as a lowly freshman male, you can always go to the Street on a Saturday night and be able to get into at least 3 clubs with just your student ID (and it won’t cost you a thing). There are a lot of white kids in eating clubs, but they are not trying to exclude non-whites (I’m not white, so I’m not just trying to defend my “kind”). Your social life at Princeton is what you make of it. If you are laid-back and willing to put your best foot forward and initiate social interactions, you will most certainly have a great time here.</p>
<p>I have a theory: The more that’s going on in the city around a campus, the less the school feels it needs to provide socially. Thus, you’ll find places like Dartmouth and Princeton talking more about “school spirit” and strong alumni associations (re: connections after college) than more urban schools. </p>
<p>Personally, I would never go to a remote area for grad school, but for undergrad, there’s a lot of great opportunities for the classic bonding one finds on a safe, bucolic, small town, suburban, or rural campus.</p>
<p>"I dunno the Columbia campus seems like a ghost town to me. "
Are you kidding? It was a gorgeous day when I visited and there were so many visitors strolling around, since Columbia encourages Morningside Heights residents to enjoy their campus, it was great :]
And of course, the city was full of commotion in the distance. There’s nothing sleepy about NYC!</p>
<p>I live in Princeton. It’s a really safe, and nice atmosphere. It’s not like the village; you can easily go to Philly or NYC within 1 hour. It’s a pretty upscale neighborhood, so don’t bring trash with you.</p>
<p>There isn’t much happening at Columbia. Why would there be?
In my daughter’s case, growing up in a major city, she was eager to expand her experiences. New Haven seemed to offer an “urban” experience with no cultural upside, a la Chicago or New York. Cambridge had some bustle, but was a tourist destination more than anything else. Count the tour buses. Harvard Square is more than anything a shopping destination.
Look, there is something to be said for four or five thousand amazing young people making their own fun.<br>
I will admit that my kids chose Dartmouth and Princeton partially because they grew up in Chicago in the shadow of the U of C. I love Chicago. But most U of C students seldom venture downtown, nor do Harvard students often get into Boston.
You are picking a college. Not a tourist experience.
It isn’t an accident that Princeton and Dartmouth are much more social places than Yale and Harvard. You will not be bored at Princeton.</p>
