<p>Professor accessibility is a fairly weighty criterion on which I'm attempting to determine where I'm going to apply, and I'm wondering where Princeton weighs in. Specifically in the math department, will the professors know my name? Will it be easy to get to know them for graduate school recommendations and undergraduate research? For those of you that somehow would be able to assess this, how does it compare to the rest of the top schools, specifically Harvard, MIT, and Stanford?</p>
<p>There’s no “accessibility” rating, you know. It frankly, depends 95% on YOU. Are YOU the type of person to engage, volunteer, seek out relationships and work alongside the faculty?</p>
<p>I laugh whenever I hear about colleges that boast about their faculty to student ratio. As if a better ratio somehow turns the student into an engaging extrovert with professors if he/she isn’t one already.</p>
<p>It matters ZERO if you’re the kind of student who is a wall flower or if you’re the kind of student that won’t let anything stop you from getting what you need.</p>
<p>Agree 100% with t26.</p>
<p>My D took two math classes last year (freshman year). First semester, she socialized during the first month and spent the rest of the semester catching up. Second semester, she worked hard from the beginning. She found the math professors to be incredibly helpful, supportive, and caring. In both semesters, the professors frequently emailed her - encouraging her and ultimately congratulating her on both the effort and result. She utilized the opportunities to go to office hours.</p>
<p>My S took no math classes and basically did not utilize the opportunities to go to office hours. But, he had frequent interaction with his JP and senior thesis advisor.</p>
<p>Like most schools, the professors are there to teach you and really want the students to learn and, if needed, use office hours.</p>
<p>To each his/her own.</p>
<p>I was a math major, so I can speak to this. </p>
<p>Basically, I can’t speak for other schools, but if you put in the effort then the accessibility is probably as good as it can get. In fact I think it might be the best thing about Princeton all around.</p>
<p>Professors always (at least, in my experience - they might even be required to) hold office hours and are usually willing to meet with you outside of that if you e-mail them and set up a meeting. In fact I never had a request for a meeting turned down (even with famous Professors I didn’t know ahead of time). Professors were also always willing to write letters of recommendation, and point me in the right direction for research. Getting an adviser was easy for me - I set up a meeting with the department adviser for our year (who happens to have just won a fields medal…) and he referred me to some Professors who’s research and interests were in line with what I was thinking about. Then I met with one of them and we worked together. Simple. </p>