I have heard that obtaining a degree from Princeton is a lot more work than at the other Ivies. With the Junior Paper and teh Senior Thesis, is the workload oppressive to the extent that I will not have much time to myself? I hope to have more freedom in college to be able to pursue personal interests. I will also be participating in a variety of extracurriculars, so I am worried about the free time I will be able to have, especially with the Princeton workload.
Also, how does the Pton workload compare with that of MIT’s?
I can’t compare the workload, but I will speak about Princeton. My son is currently a junior and just finished his JP. IHE is also getting a certificate in an area other than his major. He works hard on academics and there are weeks, like last week, when he was swamped with work. However, he has participated in several time-consuming extracurriculars since he started at Princeton and he is an officer at his eating club. He loves the school and has managed to find time for everything, as well as having a social life. And he’s not alone. Most of his friends are also quite committed to their extracurriculars.
My daughter also attended and she too managed her academics as well as her extracurriculars. I think the vast majority of students work hard but also have fun and have time to pursue their outside interests, whatever they might be.
Agree with @midatlmom and would add that your concentration (major) will also impact the amount of free time you have. BSE students have a lot of labs the first couple years so their load may be heavier than some others. However my son is a current BSE senior, varsity athlete and was president of a club as well last year so it is doable!! Yes you will have some overload weeks in every field but if you are a good time manager you will find that many weeks you do have time for extras.
My impression is that Harvard and Yale are somewhat more chill.