Princeton is an elite university that combines impressive research opportunities and a liberal arts perspective. A member of the famed Ivy League, Princeton offers 37 , and more than 500 to their 5,700ish undergraduate students. In only the last 10 years, 17 Princeton students have become . The acceptance rate is .
If you are considering Princeton, it’s important to know that they do not do Early Decision. Instead, Princeton offers . S-C EA not binding, but you cannot apply early to any other private colleges or universities. You can apply to public universities, though, and not only ones in your state. You can also apply to schools with a non-binding rolling admissions process.
Princeton also has a application process, which means that you are not required to submit SAT or ACT scores. That doesn’t mean that you should jump at skipping it, however. of recently accepted and enrolled students submitted scores, and the scores they submitted were very strong. The composite SAT score for accepted and enrolled students was 1530, and the student submitting an ACT should aim for a 35 or 36.
In this post, we’ll be focused on the parts of your application that aren’t quantifiable. You can’t be summed up in numbers, after all. And having the grades and the scores to get into Princeton isn’t actually enough. You need to be a person who they are excited to welcome onto campus, and the supplements are the best place to show that you would be exactly that sort of positive addition to the Princeton campus.
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The Princeton supplement could reasonably be called ‘extensive.’ It is long, and writing impressive answers requires that students start early. We begin with our students as soon as the supplement is released during the summer.
THE SUPPLEMENT
As a research institution that also prides itself on its liberal arts curriculum, Princeton allows students to explore areas across the humanities and the arts, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. What academic areas most pique your curiosity, and how do the programs offered at Princeton suit your particular interests? (Please respond in 250 words or fewer)
This is a “why us” with an academic focus. They know their campus is cool and that eating clubs are awesome. What they really want to know, though, is how you’d take advantage of their academic opportunities.
Before you start writing, do some research. Find the official name of your prospective major, and two classes beyond the introductory level that you’d love to take. Identify a professor you hope to study under, and write a sentence or two about why. Also find a program, like research or study away, that would empower you to dig even deeper into the subject that you love. If you are considering a minor, or a multi-disciplinary program, do the same research for that subject.
Once you have all of your research, it’s time to pull it all together with a story. The story should not be about a visit to Princeton. Instead, it should present your genuine interest in the subject you are including as your prospective major. They know that it is likely that your interests will develop or shift. Despite this, it’s important that they feel your passion for this specific academic path and how Princeton can support you in pursuing it. We like stories that convey passion and enthusiasm in a focused package, whether it’s a memorable moment engaging with poetry or problem-solving during a robotics competition.
Princeton values community and encourages students, faculty, staff and leadership to engage in respectful conversations that can expand their perspectives and challenge their ideas and beliefs. As a prospective member of this community, reflect on how your lived experiences will impact the conversations you will have in the classroom, the dining hall or other campus spaces. What lessons have you learned in life thus far? What will your classmates learn from you? In short, how has your lived experience shaped you? (500 words or fewer)
This is a mash-up of a question. It’s both the infamous and oh-so-popular “civil disagreement” question that has popped up all over the place this year, and the “lived experience” question that is also super popular right now. Instead of asking the two questions separately, Princeton has packed it all into one. To be nice, they’ve given you a word count (500) that can accommodate this – but 500 words also poses a challenge. It’s a lot of room to roam in an essay, and a strong supplement needs to stay focused and grounded.
So, let’s start from there. Ground this supplement by starting with a single, specific story that tells the reader about an experience you have had that involved working with others who did not entirely align with your beliefs or perspectives. You have 500 words, so this story needs to be told in vivid detail. Don’t rush through it.
Next comes the lesson part. What have you learned from working with people who you don’t necessarily agree with on everything all of the time? Share a specific lesson that you have learned, and pivot it into how that lesson will inform how you engage at Princeton.
Basically, this essay is a tiered cake. The bottom layer is the story that you start with. From there you build to the 2nd tier, the lesson. Finally, you top it off with a link to Princeton and the impact that you will have on campus.
Princeton has a longstanding commitment to understanding our responsibility to society through service and civic engagement. How does your own story intersect with these ideals? (250 words or fewer)
This prompt is actually quite similar to the previous one, but you absolutely cannot repeat yourself. The story you share here should show you engaging in your local community through service. However, whereas the previous prompt focused on how you work with others we recommend focusing this prompt on internal drive and values. What drives you to give back and serve, really? It may be a hard question, but it is one worth exploring for this prompt as they want to know what fuels you to improve the lives of others.
Please respond to each question in 50 words or fewer. There are no right or wrong answers. Be yourself!
The next three are super short, but don’t rush them. Come up with 2 or 3 ideas for each before settling on what speaks to you most strongly.
What is a new skill you would like to learn in college?
Think broadly here, but make it college-specific. You don’t want them to wonder why you haven’t already learned this skill. They aren’t asking for a fact or a subject, but a skill. Is learning to make a brownie in the microwave as a late night study snacks a skill? Maybe!
What brings you joy?
Keep this simple and outside of academia. This is a great opportunity for them to have a glimpse at your inner world. What makes you smile every time you do it?
What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?
This one is a stumper for most applicants, but we love it. Remember that you are applying to Princeton, and they will look up the lyrics, so don’t pick a song that takes a dark turn. This song is, once again, a reflection of who you are internally, so make sure it has a positive theme.
Princeton requires you to submit a graded written paper as part of your application. You may submit this material now, or any time before the application deadline. If you choose not to upload the required paper at this time, you may mail, e-mail, or upload your paper through the applicant portal.
We highly recommend submitting the graded paper when you apply, as opposed as sending it through another avenue. However, we also know that sometimes there are special circumstances. If you have been working on a paper you are really excited about, but it won’t be back from your teacher ahead of the S-C EA deadline, it may make sense to wait.
Regardless of whether you wait to submit the paper or send it in with the rest of your application, there are you need to follow. Now, while Princeton does call them “guidelines,” we emphasize for our students that this really means “rules.” Don’t make yourself an exception, instead embrace the guardrails Princeton has put in place. These include that the paper needs to be from sophomore, junior, or senior year, and should be from a humanities course. It can be a paper, essay, research paper, but cannot be creative writing. “We are interested in seeing expository writing only,” they state.
Longer is not better, either. They only want one or two pages (single-spaced), so this is not the place to show off that you can write a big paper. The paper should also include the grade and comments if the teacher made any.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
They also allow you to attach a document with additional information. We recommend using this place for a research abstract or a resume customized for Princeton. Remember, though, that any resume should be a single page. We recommend keeping anything else to only one page, too. They have a lot to look at for your application already, and we want to keep them focused.
Applying to Princeton is a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time, draft thoughtfully, and edit carefully for your strongest application.
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