<p>It seems to me that one of the noticeable problems at Princeton is their lack of socioeconomic and ethnic diversity. It frequently comes up on this board that Princeton's student body compared to other ivies is rather homogenous. Why? Shouldn't an institution as reputable as Princeton have a student body that reflects the world and not some bubble. I like Princeton, but if I am accepted (in my wildest dreams, of course) do you think that I and other students like me will feel out of place because we're in the minority, both ethnically and socioeconomically? </p>
<p>I don't want to start a flaming war, but I'm curious to know the thoughts of others on this topic. In the parent's forum, there was a thread on the mingling of social classes, a definite must-read. It was apparent that the parents who were not in the majority in their undergrads at rich universities felt out-of-place because their was obvious distinctions. So, this got me thinking about Princeton and its campus life.</p>
<p>i don't have the numbers at hand, but i believe that princeton is no less diverse than yale, and only slightly less diverse than harvard. the student body is approximately one-third non-white, which does, in fact, "reflect[] the world." socioeconomically, princeton, like all elite institutions, has a way to go. it has, however, arguably the best financial aid in the country (u.s. news has ranked it #2 "best value" behind caltech for some time). over 50% and climbing of students in recent classes have been aid recipients. it trails at least yale, now, in the percentage of prep schoolers in recent classes.</p>
<p>just numbers, but that should at least start the discussion.</p>
<p>by the way, if you happen to be black, see the journal of blacks in higher education's ranking of elite universities on their success in integrating african americans. the journal ranks princeton #3 on this measure, and first among the ivies:</p>
<p>While Princeton may not be as diverse as some other ivies, it is hardly homogenous. I don't have exact numbers right now, but I think that the student body is around 8 % black, 6 % hispanic, 12 % Asian, and 10 % international. In terms of economic diversity, while truly needy students might be a small minority, 54 % of the class recieves some financial aid, suggesting that the campus is not dominated by rich kids. Politically, about 75 % of the students are democrats, although the school is seen as more conservative than many of the other Ivies.</p>
<p>So, while Princeton may not be the most diverse school, it isn't homogenous or a "bubble."</p>
<p>Gah, I wish I can find the thread where this was talked about where someone statistically showed that Princeton is no less diverse than the rest of the "elites." If someone can find it, (s)he will be my hero :)</p>
<p>So granted I'm a middle-aged white woman from the California Bay Area, but the visits I made to Princeton with Aludaughter these last 2 years, as well as my own 25th reunion P-rade, left me feeling that Princeton was very diverse for this kind of institution. In particular, the hip hop dance groups appeared have a real impact on the campus culture and provided a very visible role for some of the African American kids. It's actually one of the reasons my daughter chose Princeton over Stanford. Stanford felt too much like it was full of the same Californians she's been at high school with for 4 years. </p>
<p>And there were numerous Asians. Because my work takes me to China all the time, I can recognize the difference between Cantonese, Mandarin, etc. The Chinese ethnicity kids were from everywhere, including BTW Ohio:).</p>
<p>"As for the slight decline in Asian-American numbers [at Yale], SRC officer Stephanie Teng '06 said Asian-American students may be losing spots to other minorities. Teng said there is also speculation that Yale may be losing Asian-American students due to the University's perceived weakness in the sciences or the Asian-American community's preference for Harvard and Stanford, Teng said.</p>
<p>"There's always this myth that Asians are moving out of the affirmative action race, because all the benefits for minorities are for Hispanics, Native-Americans, blacks," said Teng, a former board member for the Chinese American Student's Association. "That is a bad way for Asian Americans to think about it, but the reality is that so many kids are applying to Ivy League schools in the whole push to diversify the student body amongst the minority applicants, the Asian American seat is lost to other minorities."</p>
<p>While Yale's minority population stands at 32 percent, minorities make up 37 percent of Harvard and 31.4 percent of Princeton's non-international undergraduate population. Harvard has more Asian-American students -- 19.1 percent compared to Yale's 14.9 -- but has roughly the same percentage of other minorities. Princeton's statistics also closely mirror those of Yale. Stanford has a much higher minority population -- over 50 percent in 2004 -- but that is in large part because Stanford draws more of its students from California, the most diverse state in the union, Shaw said."</p>
<p>I don't think this debate is about statistics as much as it is about the actual characteristics and backgrounds of the students at Princeton. </p>
<p>I think we can all agree that Princeton is okay when it comes to racial and socioeconomic "diversity", but the OP (Private_Joker) was concerned that Princeton's student body is more homogenous than at other schools. I think, to a certain extent, that's true. </p>
<p>I've heard Princeton students comment that, although their classmates are from all over the world, there seems to be a sense of "likeness" amounst them. One student mentioned that several students in the black community, for example, were from wealthy, upper-class backgrounds or went to school in metropolitan areas. </p>
<p>Although "diversity" and "homogenity" seem to be antonymous, I would argue that whilst Princeton may be statistically diverse, there is some sense of homogenity on campus. </p>
<p>As to whether you'd feel "left out" or not, I doubt that. You probably won't be "out of place" because at every school, you'll find your clique. :)</p>
<p>It also depends on what you're comparing it to...ie. where you grew up/went to high school. If you're used to a school where everyone dressed alike, you'd probably say different things about the level of diversity at Princeton than someone who went to an international school and was used to being around all sorts of people. </p>
<p>A lot of it depends on what kind of people you choose to be friends with at Princeton. You can definitely surround yourself with the same preppy people and be convinced that the whole school was like that. Or you can make an effort to meet all sorts of people. You can define how diverse it is.</p>
<p>well i work at the princeton pool as a lifeguard, and from my perpective its all WHITE. lol I barely see any african americans. Maybe like 3 asians
(on a daily basis)</p>
<p>I believe the stats for the class of 2009 prove Pton's direction with diversity. I have visited the campus as recently as April and after "Tiger Night" I could not imagine a more diverse group of students. The sounds from Alexander Hall could have come from any inner city High School. There is something for everyone at Princeton. I would recommend visiting the campus (try to stay overnight) and go to some of the shows by the many talented dance, comedy or musical groups.</p>
<p>When I visit the Princeton campus I see much more mixing among students of different races than I have in visiting some other campuses, where students seem to walk around and dine in homogeneous groups. I know quite a few African-American students who would not be described by anyone as coming from privileged backgrounds. My d comes from an extremely diverse hs and finds that at Princeton there is far more socializing among people of different races.</p>