<p>OK I'm travelling across the US to visit Princeton and will have just one day there. Besides the tour, what should I be sure to see and do? Where should I eat? Where is the best place to hang out to get a feel for what the students are like? (I will be there when classes are in session.)</p>
<ol>
<li>VISIT CLASSES
Go to the registrar's office (you can ask your tour guide) and ask if she has a list of classes for the day. If not, just browse through the Prospectus, find some classes you like, and then narrow it down to the ones meeting that day. Arrive a little early to check with the professors.</li>
<li>TALK WITH STUDENTS
If you know someone at Princeton, get them to take you to lunch in their dorm. That way you can sit with their friends and hear them talk. It's a good way to get a feel for what Princeton's like. If you don't know anyone there, ask your tour guide if he has a friend who you could go to lunch with in one of the colleges (you'll need a Prox to get into the dining halls anyway). Finally, if all else fails, just go to Chancellor Green (coffee shop) and go introduce yourself and ask questions to random students. Don't worry, they're super nice.</li>
<li>CHECK OUT FACILITIES relevant to you...
Go see the tennis courts if you're a tennis player, the weight room and football field if you're a football player, the science labs, the art studios, etc etc. Just use your map!</li>
<li>CHECK OUT THE SOCIAL SCENE...if you're social. If not, check out the library! If you're not there on a weekend, just go walk down Prospect Street so you can see all the eating clubs. Not that much to see, but still fun.</li>
</ol>
<p>Others:
-hear an Arch Sing
-see Triangle, diSiac, or another theater/dance group perform
-check out Frist student center
-read stuff posted on the bulletin boards (really! it helps you learn more about what Pton students do)
-pick up a copy of the Prince (the newspaper)...and check out its offices if you write for your school paper
-go to Bent Spoon or T Sweets (just ask a student for directions)
-eat pancakes at PJ's
-wander around dorms and see if a student will let you take a look in theirs. i recommend seeing whitman, rocky, and wilson. one new, one old, one very middle aged and icky.
-check out Woody Woo if you're into policy, the Engineering school if you're into that, the theater if you're into that...</p>
<p>That's all I can think of for now...good luck!</p>
<p>I 2nd getting pancakes from PJ's</p>
<p>wooo. Arch Sing was awesome! i second that.</p>
<p>this is minor, but at all the campuses you visit, I suggest checking out the bulletin boards. Postings for speakers, parties and other events will give you a good sense of what goes on on campus.</p>
<p>A minor point, you can't actually eat in the dorms at Princeton. Each residential college has its own dining hall. I am not sure how you eat there, if they take cash, so ask when you go to the Admissions Office and they will tell you. You can, however, go to Frist and eat. Hanging out at Frist is a good way to see what's up, the same goes for Cafe Vive. Those are the equivalent of a cafeteria and a coffee shop on campus, and kids go hang out, meet friends, and do homework there.</p>
<p>I'd also suggest, if the weather is nice, taking a walk out by Lake Carnegie, the golf course, or the woods at the Institute for Advanced Study. Princeton, like Stanford, has the benefits of being in a suburb that still has some beautiful open space. You can have the feeling of being in the countryside pretty easily.</p>
<p>I'm a fan of Halo Pub vs. Bent Spoon/TSweets. It's cheaper and still delicious. But go to classes - pm me for what I think are good lectures, go to the library, eat in a dining hall if possible, go to the admissions session/get a tour, take a look at the chapel and art museum and dorms if possible.</p>
<p>I never looked into golf. Both my S and myself love the game. Is there a course where students can play at a reasonable rate that is easy reach of the college?</p>
<p>Sorry, by dorm I meant college. And yes, as I said, you do need a prox to get into the college dining halls. That's why I recommend befriending a student! They get a certain number of guest meals or something on their card. At least that's how it worked the times I've visited. Or as alumother said, ask in the admissions office to see if they can give you a pass.</p>
<p>The golf course is called Springdale. Kids are allowed to play. Princeton has a pretty good golf team. I really don't know what it takes for visitors to play on the course however. Hmmm. </p>
<p>Here's a link from Princeton</a> University - Welcome</p>
<p>Staying</a> Fit</p>
<p>Thanks Alumother. My S is used to the private country club atmosphere so, according to the link, I am sure he will not offend the members too much by playing there. What part of NorCal are you from, we were originally from San Jose before moving to Raleigh.</p>
<p>The beautiful Peninsula of course, in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. Now known as Silicon Valley but the original orchards and marshlands peek through here and there, especially after a rain in the spring.</p>
<p>I thought that link was hysterical - on Princeton</a> University - Welcome they talk about a country club copping an attitude:).</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great suggestions. I'm taking the whole list with me on my trip.</p>
<p>We also traveled from the West Coast to visit Princeton. What surprised us was how tired we were on the first day due to the three-hour time difference. If I was doing it again, I would have scheduled meetings in the afternoon, not the morning, at least on the first day of the trip.</p>