<p>^^HILARIOUS!!!</p>
<p>And by the way, before I finally (actually) sign off, there was no pun intended when I said I play devil’s advocate for Duke (Duke’s macot=blue devils).</p>
<p>haha, but in all seriousness, Princeton is probably a better choice than duke. Simply put, it has the best undergraduate education…whether you want to go to law school, grad school, med school, or wall st., Princeton will help you get there</p>
<p>LOL princeton
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<p>BOSS</p>
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<p>Whoa, not true! Where do I even start?
- We are not all eating club prestige whores. We’re not even majority prestige whores or plurality prestige whores. If you’re the type of person who thinks higher or lower of someone based on club “prestige”, you’re generally looked down upon.
- “Most people I have talked to only hang out with the other students in their eating club.” The idea of someone being friends with others only in his club would sound ludicrous to most students. Clubs, unlike frats or sororities (where you actually have to live with the people in the organization), are great precisely because they’re so unrestrictive.
- “I do know that the students who are not in eating clubs have very limited social interaction” Again - totally off base assertion (speaking from the perspective of someone not in a club). If you don’t join a club, all that means is that you don’t get to eat dinner there (and even that’s possible if you have a friend in the club). You can still go to all the parties in the club, which is why you’d want to go anyway. Feel free to PM me if you have questions about life outside the club system. </p>
<p>Most of us, even those not in clubs, are having a ball at Princeton. Come join us!</p>
<p>“…it is sort of silly to claim that students who are not in eating clubs have limited social interactions. In addition, since half of the clubs are sign in clubs, very few people are excluded from the eating club experience if they want to join. Also, the system is much more flexible than you might think–my daughter, a senior, has numerous friends who have joined a club and then become independent for senior year, and their social life remains vibrant.”</p>
<p>I think it is great to have midatlmom’s perspective on this as well because it just goes to show you that there is no singular college experience on every campus. My friends at Princeton seem to have had a very different experience and perspective than her child. My friends and their friends whom I met told me that it was “social suicide” not to join an eating club in your sophomore year. And that while there are “sign in clubs,” they are viewed as inferior to the bicker clubs- essentially as back-ups to those rejected from the bicker clubs. I feel that I should also add it is a well known fact that the eating clubs are very controversial, especially in the eyes of the Princeton administration who view the clubs as institutions that promote social hierarchy. Princeton in particular has historically had a reputation as an elitist and snobbish institution, which the administration has tied to curtail in the past few decades.</p>
<p>“I contrast this with a school with frats/sororities which are joined in freshman year. If you are not selected during rush, you cannot sign in somewhere like you can at Princeton. Often kids live in their frats (by contrast no one except a few officers are allowed to live in an eating club) and the social lives of kids who have been rejected can be quite difficult, at least for a while.”</p>
<p>I can tell you that Duke and Penn are quite similar in that 30% of the campus is in a frat or sorority. And the rush process at fraternities is usually quite laidback- most people know whether or not they are going to get a bid before they actually receive one. And at least in my experience at Penn, the Greek scene is extremely fluid (much like the eating club scene described above). I was not in a fraternity, but many of my friends were. I hung out in their houses and attended their parties and events. I was able to enjoy the Greek scene without being a member. Of course like the eating clubs, I’m sure there are “good” houses and “bad” houses at Duke- most Greek systems have some sort of hierarchy system as well.</p>
<p>I think that both systems have positive and negative aspects to them, which is why i encourage you to do more research about Duke and Princeton- look up info on their websites- I’m sure the eating club system and Greek system have their own & call the admissions offices at both schools and see if they can put you in touch with students involved in eating clubs/fraternities and also independent students to get different perspectives.</p>
<p>Oneweektodecide, I’m curious as to why you feel pressured to make a decision in one week. (You seem to be suggesting this by your screen name.) Surely you know that, at least for Princeton and other similar schools, you don’t need to make that decision until the end of the month. </p>
<p>At any rate, regarding social exclusivity and pretentiousness and their relationship to the eating clubs at Princeton, don’t fall for the hype. You’ll find that, almost without exception, those who relate these stories are not Princeton students or alumni. Instead, they are passing along information from people they identify as relatives, friends or, worst of all, friends of friends. Some claim to have formed their opinions from one or more visits to Princeton. Some are just making it up or passing along urban legend. The truth is–there is virtually no truth to any of these claims–something that will be verified by the comments of real Princeton alumni and current students. </p>
<p>I don’t mean to say that you won’t find pretentious students or social exclusivity at Princeton. You’ll find both in small doses. What you need to understand is that Princeton is no better or worse in this regard than any of its peers and it has nothing to do with the eating clubs. You’ll find those people in every school (and every workplace). Still, the vast majority of students at Princeton (and at its peers) are hardworking, friendly, unpretentious achievers from across the world.</p>
<p>Belonging to an eating club is not necessary for a full social experience at Princeton. I was an independent and had a wonderful time. I understand that there are even more independent options for today’s students that are centered around the residential colleges. Even if you don’t belong to an eating club, you’ll probably spend a great deal of time in one or all of them. As Silly Puddy noted, non-members regularly attend the parties and even take meals there with friends.</p>
<p>Think of it this way.</p>
<p>Randomly select twenty students from each of the country’s ten leading universities. (You define “leading”.) Invite them all to a party and ban name tags or any mention of which college they attend. You would have an impossible task in identifying the alma maters of each. Clothing, conversational styles, friendliness, records of accomplishment–none of these will help you. Some will be witty and sharp-edged. Others will be buffoons. Some will be shy and awkward while others will be gregarious and open. Some will be pretentious but the vast majority will be just like you, ordinary, polite and friendly. There will be athletes, artists, aspiring politicians, scientists, engineers and finally . . . the merely dazed and confused. You’ll find faces of all hues, sexual orientations of all types and dreams of every sort. Each of the top schools in the country is seeking the same types of students. While there may be some self-selection based on areas of interest and the relative strength of departments at different schools, you’ll find far more commonality than differences. The stereotypes are very dated.</p>
<p>The days of F. Scott Fitzgerald are long gone at Princeton. Dink Stover no longer roams the courtyards of Yale. Thurston Howell III has sailed away from Harvard and is resident on Gilligan’s Island. It’s time to move on. A new age has dawned.</p>
<p>^ Nice post.</p>
<p>“I’m curious as to why you feel pressured to make a decision in one week”</p>
<p>The week is not necessarily set in stone, but I have applied to ROTC at Princeton and NROTC at Duke, and they generally like you to have a decision earlier than acceptance deadlines.</p>
<p>so have you decided yet? ill b attending princeton next year and was just curious</p>
<p>Princetonians have a long history of military service. Nassau Hall has a list of alumni who died in uniform mounted in the front hall. While other Ivy League schools have dropped ROTC Princeton has had a ROTC unit for over 90 years.</p>
<p>Some of the military leaders with Princeton education include:</p>
<p>General David Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command received his M.P.A. degree and Ph.D. from the Woodrow Wilson School. He was a commencement speaker last year and has previously talked at reunions. He has a close and continuing relationship with Princeton.</p>
<p>William Crowe, Jr. *65 During his 47-year career in the Navy, Crowe served as a commander in several regions and, from 1985-1989, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. From 1993-94, he chaired the Presidents Foreign Intelligence Board. Princeton Board of Trustees.</p>
<p>James Forrestal 15 Served as secretary of the Navy and, after the National Security Act of 1947 was passed, as the first secretary of defense. As Navy secretary, he directed a naval expansion and procurement program during WWII. As defense secretary, he initiated a reorganization of the U.S. armed services. Editor of the Daily Princetonian.</p>
<p>Donald Rumsfeld 54 U.S. congressman and ambassador to NATO before becoming defense secretary for presidents Ford and George W. Bush. Captain of the Princeton wrestling team. NROTC</p>
<p>Frank Charles Carlucci '52 was Secretary of Defense from from 1987 until 1989. Member of the wrestling team. Carlucci and Rumsfeld were roommates at Princeton.</p>
<p>As of April 28, 2010, I will be attending Duke University with a Naval ROTC scholarship for a possible BME major (and maybe a Chem double if I feel like I want to wreck my GPA)</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the help</p>
<p>So sorry. In your case my guess is that you may regret the decision. But so be it.</p>
<p>As a mother and not a current student, I would thank you to not guess about my future regrets. It is just a matter of courtesy. I am very happy with my choice.</p>
<p>I actually think you’ll love your decision. But what do I know?</p>
<p>oneweektodecide–</p>
<p>I personally did not find Alumother’s comments uncourteous nor do I think that being a mother (actually an alumna and the mother of a recent Princetonian), disqualifies her from posting about your decision.<br>
Moreover, anyone who posts on one of these forums, should expect to receive honest responses, so I think your rather prickly comment is unwarranted.</p>
<p>However, good luck at Duke–it’s a great school.</p>
<p>thanks to people like alumother and midatlmom princeton gets its negative reputation.</p>
<p>Agreed, alumother’s remark (above) was really really sad. Embarrassing! </p>
<p>Meanwhile, this:
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<p>should read HARVARD!!!</p>
<p>Speaking as a Princeton alum, Duke’s a great school. Glad that you made a decision that you’re happy with, and enjoy your four years. And don’t let anyone, ANYONE give you any $*!t for deciding what you wanted. . .</p>
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<p>From what I’ve seen, the idea that graduates try to avoid mentioning their school is most true for Harvard.</p>
<p>I call them as I see them. I am also aware that there are many more people showing up, purporting to be students choosing, on the Princeton board than on the other boards. For some reason we are infinitely more prone to ■■■■■■. If you are not a ■■■■■, I apologize. Chalk it up to my extreme loyalty to the school, and my enormous respect for the education both I and my children have received.</p>