Princeton University

General Information

Admission

Financial Aid

Student Body

Princeton University is located out of the big city limelight, in a small, pleasant New Jersey town about an hour's train ride from either New York City or Philadelphia. Although it might be considered one of the quieter members of the Ivy League, Princeton University holds a place in American – and even international – education and public life that is second to none.

Since its founding in 1746, Princeton has educated thousands of men and women who have made historic contributions in government, science, and the arts. Princeton graduates did much to shape the internationalist outlook of the American statesmen and diplomats who led the United States into its post-World War II era of leadership.

In the field of the sciences, it's hard to imagine what the history of the twentieth century would look like without the contributions made by Princeton physicists, mathematicians, and economists. They include Albert Einstein, who spent the last two decades of his life at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study, and John F. Nash, the Nobel Prize-winning mathematician portrayed in the film "A Beautiful Mind." Princeton also has an important place in the arts, counting some of the past century's most influential writers among its alumni and faculty – among them Eugene O'Neill, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Toni Morrison.

Approximately 1,175 freshmen enter Princeton University each fall. They come from across the United States and around the world. Princeton students enjoy the benefits of an extremely low student-to-faculty ratio (approximately 5 to 1) and access to remarkable libraries and art collections.

Princeton University sees itself as a research university with an enduring commitment to undergraduate teaching. This mission is reflected in the senior thesis that all Princeton seniors are required to submit. These theses are original works, typically about one hundred pages long, in which students apply the knowledge and skills they have gained at Princeton to a topic of particular interest to them. Senior theses can be anything from scientific papers to works of fiction or poetry. The thesis provides students with an extraordinary opportunity to exercise their intellectual skills, and the chance to cap their undergraduate work with a written product of substance and quality that is typically expected only of graduate students. The thesis, like the Princeton educational experience itself, is an achievement of lasting value that benefits Princeton graduates throughout their careers.

General Information

Princeton University

P.O. Box 430

Princeton, NJ 08544

Phone: (609) 258 - 3000

Private

Founded 1746

No religious affiliation

Suburban

Semester

Admission Information

Admission Director: Janet Lavin Rapelye

Phone: (609) 258 - 3060

Early decision

Princeton ended its Early Decision program in 2007.

Regular decision

Regular decision deadline: January 1.
Decisions are mailed by April 1.

Transfers

Princeton does not accept transfer students.

Test scores

The SAT is strongly preferred, but ACT (with Writing) scores are accepted.

3 SAT Subject Test scores are required in addition to the SAT or ACT (with Writing).

Engineering applicants should take one SAT Subject Test in mathematics and one in physics or chemistry.

Applicants should take these tests no later than January.

The Common Application is accepted, together with the Princeton Supplement form.

Campus visit: recommended

Interview: recommended

Acceptance rate: 10%

Top 10% of high school class: 97%

SAT score (25/75 percentile): 2050-2360

ACT (25/75 percentile): 31-34

Financial Aid

Tuition and fees (2009-2010):      $35,340

Room and board (2009-2010):     $11,680

Average financial aid package (2009-2010): $32,424

Princeton follows a need-blind admissions policy for both U.S. and international applicants. The University is committed to meeting each student's full financial need through grants, scholarships, and work-study employment. Over 50% of students have received some form of financial aid.

Student Body

Undergrad student body: 5,097

Male/female ratio: 50% / 50%

Greek life: N/A (Princeton does not officially recognize fraternities or sororities and the Greek life on campus is rather limited.)

5 year graduation rate: 95%

Out of state students: 85%

International students: 11%

Students living in campus housing: 97%

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