What if I go Princeton ED?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Princeton University
1

<p>I would like to know my chances as far as the very top go. I am torn between Princeton ED and Harvard SCEA. </p>

<p>Prospective major: Political Science/Econ</p>

<p>White male from competitive public school in Southern California</p>

<p>SAT: 2330 (800 Verbal, 730 Math, 800 Writing)
SAT II's: 790 Math IIc, 790 World History, 800 Physics
GPA: 3.97uw, toughest courseload, ranked #2/490
AP scores: 5's on US Gov, Comp Gov, Biology, World Hist, Euro Hist; 4 on Physics</p>

<p>EC's:
Highly, highly involved in JSA
Varsity debate team
local youth advisory board for congressman
Spent last summer registering voters
Canvassed neighborhoods for local candidates
president of Young Democrats, AEIOU (political-action club)
Vice President in STAR, Federation of Muslims and Jews, a couple other clubs
Principal's Advisory Council
Swimming, water polo (JV)
Teacher Aide (several days a week) at local congregation
work with the Anti-Defamation League</p>

<p>Awards, Etc.
Harry Kirsch Prize
UN Essay Contest Winner
Governor's Scholarship Award winner
a couple of other minor ones</p>

<p>These are the schools I'm interested in: Princeton (ED), Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, Dartmouth, Williams and Amherst. I will, of course, add safety and match schools once I decide what they will be. </p>

<p>How do my chances look? Thanks!</p>

2

<p>very very good chances. </p>

<p>I don't have any advice on where you should apply early. But I do feel that Princeton might be a good fit for you. </p>

<p>In terms of matches/safeties, you might want to consider Georgetown. It's probably a safety for you.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

3

<p>Princeton's econ department is excellent. Re politics, you would have the option of the politics department or the Woodrow Wilson school. One of the great things about Princeton is that you don't need to decide on your major until spring of your sophomore year, so you have lots of opportunities to explore the many tempting options for a student with your interests and experience.</p>

<p>As a Democrat, you might have heard about the Frist Filibuster, a very creative protest that started on the Princeton campus and moved to Washington, DC. This got quite a bit of national media coverage and was pretty exciting for the students, who organized other schools across the country to join them. You can read more on the site of the Princeton College Democrats: <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/%7Epudems/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.princeton.edu/~pudems/&lt;/a> and at <a href="http://www.filibusterfrist.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.filibusterfrist.com&lt;/a>. </p>

<p>Also, this site is currently being redesigned, but you could write to them for info: <a href="http://whigclio.princeton.edu/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://whigclio.princeton.edu/&lt;/a> Whig-Clio offers many opportunities for debaters and JSA people. </p>

<p>You look very good for Princeton ED. My only question would be, what does "highly, highly involved in JSA" mean? Princeton has its share of chapter presidents and State governors...If you don't want to say here so as not to ID yourself, that's perfectly understandable! If you have demonstrated leadership in that area, then I would think P would be very interested in you. </p>

<p>What my d liked about ED was that she had a gut sense it was a chance for an excellent student to demonstrate a clear preference for P. If you read some of the other threads here you will see why she was right.</p>

4

<p>Maybe pegdiver will chime in. She is a Class of 2009 competitive diver from Southern California. She might also have some opinion on the intangibles of Princeton in her experience. Do you plan to compete at all in swimming or water polo in college?</p>

5

<p>If the issue is Harvard vs Princeton, however, there is no question that the edge goes to Harvard. Both are tied near the top in the USNEWS Economics rankings, but Harvard is a clear #1 in the country in Politics, and the Kennedy School outranks the W.Wilson School.</p>

<p>Then too, by applying SCEA to Harvard, you are not precluded from aplying elsewhere and deciding what suits you best. It will be your decision. If you apply ED to Princeton, on the other hand, you will be legally forced to attend, as Princeton will make you sign a one-way binding contract to this effect when you apply.</p>

<p>Whether Cambridge or Princeton strikes you as a better place to spend four years is, of course, a question you can only decide after visiting.</p>

<p>For what it is worth, the overwhelming majority of those admitted to both schools choose Harvard over Princeton.</p>

6

<p>Yes, as we have discussed on this board a lot, for some reason, we all have different theories, students and parents have become increasingly brand-focused in the college search game. If you like Harvard best, apply there. If you like Princeton best, apply there. Do you like cities? Hustle and bustle? Do you like green lawns and trees and quiet? There are lots of ways to figure out which school is right for you. Visiting is of course the best.</p>

7

<p>I agree with Alumother. Look at all the stats and rankings, consider the relative advantages of SCEA and binding ED - but by all means visit both campuses.</p>

8

<p>Princeton undergrads can be admitted directly to the Woodrow Wilson school, where there is a specific program just for them, including internships and research funding. Is that the case with the Kennedy School? It doesn't appear to be. Looks like an apples and oranges comparison.</p>

<p>Thenewyear, have you seen the freshman seminar program? These vary some from year to year but quite a few are likely to interest you: <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/fs/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/fs/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Byerly, your repetition is getting tiresome. As I've said before, the majority of Americans choose to eat a Big Mac instead of lobster; numbers are about marketing, not quality. Every year nearly 2,000 students choose ED at Princeton, knowing that they could have done EA at Harvard; for them, "there is no question that the edge goes to" Princeton. To each his or her own. </p>

<p>These boards have always been valuable because here we don't treat kids like numbers but instead listen to what they're interested in and then tell them specifics about what might interest them at the schools we know best.</p>

9

<p>While it may well be true, as you say, that "the majority of Americans choose to eat a Big Mac instead of a lobster", it does not necessarily follow that they would make the same choice if each was open to them at the same price.</p>

<p>The fact is that, for many years, applicants who are admitted to both, and have a choice, overwhelmingly prefer Harvard. Indeed, it was in order to limit such losses, and improve its yield rate, that Princeton moved to binding Early Decision in 1996.</p>

<p>Every applicant must make his or her own choice, of course, but it is certainly appropriate they do so mindful of the choices made, in thousands of cases, by the talented applicants who have preceded them.</p>

<p>See, for example, the "Revealed Preference" rankings.</p>

<p><a href="http://post.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/hoxby/papers/revealedprefranking.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://post.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/hoxby/papers/revealedprefranking.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

10

<p>you look great on paper for princeton ED. you mention debate and water polo among your activities. i'll note that princeton has the oldest collegiate political and debating society in the US, in whig-clio, which counts among its alumni james madison and aaron burr; and that princeton's varsity water polo team made the sport's final four this year, a rarity if not a first for an eastern, non-scholarship program. they took UCLA to overtime in a tight match. good luck to you.</p>

11

<p>The Princeton "debating society" may be old, but it has never provided a national champion - in this century at least. Harvard, on the other hand is to debating what Princeton is to lacrosse - the ultimate destination for talented practitioners. The elite national debating event is the annual Harvard Tournament, with more participants than any other.</p>

<p><a href="http://hcs.harvard.edu/%7Edebate/tourney.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://hcs.harvard.edu/~debate/tourney.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

12

<p>Princeton is great, but if you're going for politics, Harvard's the place. EA chances there is 20%, might be a good idea to apply there.</p>

13

<p>Whig-Clio's emphasis is different from Harvard's debating. Debate tournaments are only one aspect of Whig-Clio: <a href="http://woodrow.princeton.edu/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://woodrow.princeton.edu/&lt;/a> It focuses on bringing in speakers, organizing programs for high school students, and offering a public forum for debating campus, national, and global issues.</p>

14

<p>Note that they are the defending national champions.</p>

<p><a href="http://hcs.harvard.edu/%7Edebate/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://hcs.harvard.edu/~debate/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

15

<p>Fascinating. I see two essential differences between Harvard and Princeton, and one of them is demonstrated right here on these boards, week after week. </p>

<p>The first is that the latter is primarily an undergraduate institution, where the wealth of resources and the world-class faculty are devoted almost entirely to undergraduates. </p>

<p>The second is the campus ethos. Princeton students absolutely love their school and one another. Proud of their own achievements and eager to learn and grow, they tend to be low-key and friendly and find the competition-as-a-raison-d'etre that is the hallmark of a certain other institution, well, tacky. And here you see it: Harvard people are constantly on the Princeton boards, trolling for Harvard every time a student comes here for information about Princeton. Interesting that you don't see the reverse happening on the Harvard boards.</p>

16

<p>Thenewyear:</p>

<p>Harvard is no doubt the best school in the country but do not underestimate the power of Princeton or Yale, MIT or Stanford. I think if you look some data it suggest that applying ED to Princeton give you much bigger boost than Harvard. However the downside applying in ED is if you are looking for a financial aid. But Princeton is very generous and after been educated by other students and parents, I feel no one will be unhappy at Princeton. The opportunities available at Princeton are second to none. Princeton education is second to none. </p>

<p>Like you we are debating this issue ourselves. In our case our kid’s education is tied with financial aid. We are aware that ED at Princeton is a bigger boost as compared to crapshoot chances at Harvard where so many other people try their luck. It seems a gaming to get an edge but one has to deal with reality in life with so many kids who are equally qualified. Thus, only you can determine how much risk you will take by sacrificing better chances at one of the top five colleges in the USA or a crapshoot in a slightly more prestigious Harvard. Do what your heart says as we are leaving the decision to our kid also. Good luck.</p>

17

<p>Redstar, I trust you have done the Early Estimator? <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/main/admission-aid/aid/prospective/estimator/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.princeton.edu/main/admission-aid/aid/prospective/estimator/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>When we attended an info session, the adcom also encouraged parents to get in touch with financial aid and ask any questions. As you say, Princeton is generous. We know quite a few students at Princeton who received much larger aid packages there than at other schools.</p>

18

<p>aparent5:</p>

<p>Thank you for showing that website to me. We did talk to the financial aid office and they were very helpful. Honestly I am thrilled that such an opportunity exists for our income bracket. We were almost going to other school in South as they promised full ride if son decided to apply there. If I have to do it, I will apply ED to Princeton. I will forget trophy hunting and forget other schools. But unfortunately the choice is not mine. So we wait for our son to make up his mind.</p>

19

<p>If you are particularly interested in being unsatisfied with college and unhappy compared to your peers at other institutions, Harvard is probably for you!</p>

<p><a href="http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=506799%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=506799&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>...and a side note, I don't think it is easy to take classes at KSG as Harvard is notoriously bad at allowing its undergraduates to take grad level classes without much beauracratic pain. So I don't know how much the presence of KSG at Harvard will be a factor in your undergraduate career. Then again, I don't know how much the "woody woo" will too.</p>

20

<p>Lol it is to your credit that you leave the decision to your son. Where we live, Princeton is also quite a "trophy." ;-) Good luck to your son.</p>