<p>Hi people, I'm an international student, from China. I feel really excited to get into both of the amazing institutions but can hardly make up my mind about where to spend the next four years. Since I don't have the opportunity to go to preview, I will really appreciate any help here!</p>
<p>Honestly I didn't expect to get into Wharton at all because I don't have any finance/business related experience and applying there was just a random decision. But I do consider finance as one future path. </p>
<p>I'm pretty leaning toward Princeton at this moment because Princeton gives me financial aid while Wharton not. However, I have a few concerns about Princeton:</p>
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<li><p>Many people have been telling me that Princeton is really "preppy", though I'm not clear about the extent. For me as an international student, I really look forward to getting integrated into the American culture and making great friends with domestic students. But I'm not sure how open are the students there towards intl students. Are there very strong separations such as "Asian groups" "White people groups", etc?</p></li>
<li><p>Grade deflation! Might be an old topic. Does this affect students' life a lot? The academic pressure? I still want some time for social life...... Also will it affect my chance negatively if I want to get a job outside U.S?</p></li>
<li><p>Currently I'm not very sure about my majors and careers. But yes I might still want to do business/finance graduation. It seems the only majors related are Economics/Financial Engineering (which i might not take because I didn't do chemistry in high school). How does Princeton prepare students to get into finance industry? What about the recruitment at Princeton?</p></li>
<li><p>Princeton doesn't allow double majors.. Will it be an disadvantage when compared to people have done two?</p></li>
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<p>That's it I'd say.. Please help thanks a lot!!!</p>
<p>If you’re not a strong math/science student, you might have a difficult time going through Princeton’s B.S.E. ORFE program. ORFE is definitely more quantitative than Wharton is. Recruiting for finance (banks, consulting firms, etc.) is pretty much similar across both schools. However, keep in mind that, even so, you still need to maintain a 3.7+ GPA to have a competitive edge when applying to internships. ORFE may not be right for you since it’s more specialized and intense (engineering, heavy math) than Wharton is. However, you could opt for Economics at Princeton, but unlike ORFE, Economics will suffer from the grade deflation policy since it’s a humanities concentration (STEM isn’t affected by grade deflation).</p>
<p>If you want a less quantitative and more hands-on program where you’re looking to acquire business/entrepreneurial skills, Wharton would on the other hand have an edge over Princeton ORFE.</p>
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<p>You wouldn’t be able to double major either if you go to Wharton. And I’m pretty sure that employers care more about GPA than someone who double majored, although it wouldn’t hurt to get a high GPA with a double major either…
At Wharton you can concentrate in two fields under the Finance major. The pool of these concentrations available to you are definitely more geared towards business than Princeton’s certificates are.</p>
<p>My son is an international freshman BSE student at Princeton so I think I can answer a couple of your questions. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>a) The “preppy” image is an outdated stereotype. Yes there are preppy students on campus. There are also artsy types, hipsters, athletes, and a mix of all sorts of other styles. The predominant style on campus is “Princeton wear”. b) International students make up about 12% of the undergraduate student population. Meeting people from other countries is one of the coolest things about Princeton. Internationals fit right into the mix! And the Davis Center is a great resource for internationals on campus. Google it!</p></li>
<li><p>Grade deflation - yes this is talked about all over the place. My sense is that the biggest adjustment is that everyone on campus is used to getting straight A’s pre-Princeton and this is no longer the case when you go there. The academic load is definitely significant. However you quickly learn that you need to balance your drive to get A’s with the social aspect of university life. It seems that most freshmen go through a period of growing pains with this. As an international I think that a Princeton degree means something even with an imperfect transcript. Some of my husband’s business contacts have already shown interest in having our son come work for them after graduation - and he’s only a freshman. </p></li>
<li><p>MANY Princeton students go on to work in the business/finance industry and are recruited heavily, even without a business/finance background. I don’t know why they are in such demand except that Princeton really does a good job of teaching, creating a great work ethic and broadening the students’ ability to think creatively. </p></li>
<li><p>Princeton allows for an area of concentration (equivalent to a major) and a certificate (roughly equivalent to a minor). If you really want a double major, then Princeton is not for you. If you want the double major for marketability I think that Princeton’s structure is very adequate. FWIW if you try to do a double major ANYWHERE the work load to get decent grades will cancel out your desire for a social life as you mentioned in #2. There is a joke I’ve seen about college which is quite true. It’s a picture of a triangle with one of the following at each point - Good Grades, Sleep, Social life. Below it says: College - pick two. </p></li>
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<p>Any other questions about internationals at Princeton, feel free to PM me. Good wishes on your decision making!</p>
<p>Another really important bit for your future happiness is the environment. Do you really like cities? If so, Wharton’s in Philadelphia. While Philly isn’t one of the absolute greats of American cities, it can be a nice urban environment with a lot to offer. But if you’d like quiet lawns, clean air, and the peace of a suburb with lots of green space, you will much prefer Princeton. And, if cities are your thing, kids do go into New York regularly, either by train on their own or with their residential college on bus outings.</p>
<p>Culture: I promise, the preppy stereotypes are pretty old. 
And there’s a lot of mixing between international and American students. There has to be; internationals are something like 15% of the student body! (At least as long as you feel comfortable with speaking English in social settings; if you don’t that obviously becomes more difficult.)</p>
<p>It is true that we have some racial splits, but I think that mostly it’s the bay-area American-born Chinese kids who stick to the Chinese culture groups, and by no means should it limit your interactions with others. I’ve had friends describe it to me as “the culture group is always there if you want it, but it’s not like anything stops you from meeting other people.”</p>
<p>Anyway, I can’t compare with Wharton (no experiences there) but culture-wise I think you’re probably fine!</p>
<p>I will address only questions 3 and 4. </p>
<p>Companies that hire are interested in your knowledge not what you majored in. A double major may sound good to someone in high school but has minor relevance in the hiring process. Princeton does not have double majors since you are required to write a thesis to complete your major requirements. You can take the courses similar to a double major at another university if you want to do so. By taking the appropriate courses you can have a program in economics and finance that is very similar to a double major at other universities.</p>
<p>You should consider majoring in economics and obtaining a certificate in finance. See: [Undergraduate</a> Certificate<em>-</em>Undergraduate Certificate - Bendheim Center for Finance - Princeton University](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/bcf/undergraduate/]Undergraduate”>http://www.princeton.edu/bcf/undergraduate/) Economics courses are taught by several Nobel Prize winners and the Bendheim Center for Finance is very highly regarded on Wall Street. This combination will more than meet your desire to double major.</p>
<p>Many people that work on Wall Street live in the Princeton area and commute into New York City everyday. Many students obtain summer finance internships in NYC and after graduation are hired for finance jobs. Many financial firms recruit at Princeton. The highest percentage of students obtain employment in STEM fields. Finance is the second most popular area for employment after graduation. </p>
<p>However, many Princeton students major in the humanities and are still recruited to work in finance. A few examples: Carl Icahn '57 was a philosophy major. Heidi Miller '74 was a history major before she was appointed the CFO of Citigroup. Bob Scully ''72 was a psychology major before he was appointed the President of Morgan Stanley. Christopher A. Cole '81 was a history major before he was appointed Managing Director Goldman Sachs & Co. Follow your passion and interests and you will be able to find employment in your chosen field.</p>
<p>Wow thank you for all the detailed responses!! I think I made up my mind: Go tigers!</p>
<p>Congratulations on your decision. I think that you will have an amazing, wonderful experience at Princeton - it’s truly a special place.</p>
<p>Welcome! You are joining a wonderful set of traditions and a talented group of people. I don’t mean me, BTW. We’re humble too. ;]</p>