princeton essays 2021

Add Project Key Words

Unpacking the Princeton Supplemental Essays 2021-2022

Padya Paramita

July 12, 2021

Having held that coveted number one spot in the US News Ranking of Best National Universities for the last few years, it should come as no surprise that you need to bring your A-game to get into Princeton University. Obviously, your grades, scores, and extracurricular activities matter a great deal, but don’t underestimate the power of well-written answers to the prompts offered by the Princeton supplemental essays 2021-2022 . 

Take the time to perfect your answers to the Princeton supplemental essays 2021-2022 so that admissions officers are not only impressed by the quality of your writing but also believe that you’re a strong fit for an institution as selective as Princeton. To help guide you through the Princeton supplemental essays 2021-2022 , I have outlined each of the prompts, ways to strategize your answers to them, and additional tips for your responses. 

Prompts for the Princeton Supplemental Essays 2021-2022

While none of the questions explicitly ask why you want to attend Princeton (because let’s face it, almost everybody wants to attend Princeton), they do help the school gauge your areas of interest, your academic and extracurricular strengths, and the ways through which you’d contribute to the campus community. Let’s take a closer look at each of the Princeton prompts and ways you could approach them.

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences that was particularly meaningful to you. (Response required in about 150 words.)

It might be difficult to pick only one of your activities for the Princeton supplemental essays 2021-2022 , or the right extracurricular might jump out to you immediately. In either case, it’s okay if this activity is not the one that looks most impressive to others. When analyzing your supplemental essays, Princeton wants to know “ what you care about, what commitments you have made and what you’ve done to act on those commitments. ” What’s key here is that you choose the activity which has had the most influence on you, and allowed you to have an impact on others in return. Choose an activity that has helped your growth, developed your career interest, or is the one activity you look forward to the most every week. 

The key words in this prompt are “particularly meaningful.” Remember to address what makes this activity more meaningful to you than the others. Has it helped you hone your leadership skills? Has it catalyzed your motivation to work with others? Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life? 150 words is extremely short, so don’t spend all of your words summarizing the activity. Throw in a short anecdote, or focus on describing ways that this activity stands out over the rest and why it holds that special spot in your life.

For A.B. Degree Applicants or Those Who are Undecided:

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 about 250 words.)

This is the closest the university gets to a “why Princeton” essay. Admissions officers don’t just want to know why you’re applying to Princeton generally; they expect you to go into specific detail about Princeton’s academic offerings. You can talk about multiple interests across the humanities, arts, natural sciences, and social sciences.

Notice that this type of essay should mainly cover academics. Princeton’s clubs and student organizations may make it an alluring place for you, but the question explicitly asks about your choice of study. Look through the college website and think about what you can write that won’t be common in other students’ essays. Is there an English professor whose writing resonates with you? Would a particular psychology or sociology class perfectly fit in with your 10-year plan? Remember that admissions officers are trying to figure out how you’d make the most of your experience on the Princeton campus. So, write elaborately about how you would take advantage of the curriculum and give them a sense of the ways in which you’d make a valuable addition in the classroom.

Check out all supplemental essay prompts here!

For b.s.e degree applicants:.

Please describe why you are interested in studying engineering at Princeton. Include any of your experiences in, or exposure to engineering, and how you think the programs offered at the University suit your particular interests. (Please respond in about 250 words.)

This essay is required if you’ve indicated Bachelor of Science in Engineering as a possible degree on your application, and with good reason. Princeton wants to know whether you are genuinely interested in the field of engineering, and specifically in the Princeton School of Engineering’s offerings. This is a much more standard supplemental essay prompt than the one before. Most engineering programs will require a similar essay, so don’t write a response that could be substituted for an application to any other school. Your answer must be as specific as possible to Princeton’s engineering offerings. 

Don’t go overboard with all the reasons you’re interested in studying engineering. Focus on one or two of your most impactful activities and experiences, such as working in an engineering lab over the summer or building a robot at school. Again, you must be specific! Shallow motivations won’t win over Princeton’s admissions officers. If you want to excel with this question, you need to research concrete examples of what appeals to you. For example, you could talk about how working with the Princeton Engineering Education for Kids student organization combines your love for engineering and working with children. 

Admissions officers are looking for students who are passionate about their major, involved community leaders, and truly interested in Princeton. This essay is a great chance to show that you check all of the boxes.

Please respond to each question in an essay of about 250 words.

At Princeton, we value diverse perspectives and the ability to have respectful dialogue about difficult issues. Share a time when you had a conversation with a person or a group of people about a difficult topic. What insight did you gain, and how would you incorporate that knowledge into your thinking in the future?

Princeton wants to know how students will engage in classroom discussions and conversations during meals and or in hallways. The difficult topic you address isn’t limited to academics—it could be about sports, books, music, movies, television, or politics (although I would tread the latter department carefully). You could have been on the more generally agreed upon side of a common debate, or you may have held a controversial view. The important part isn’t what happened, so focus instead on the latter parts of the question. Dedicate most of your essay to discussing what insight you gained from the conversation, how you’ve acted since, and how you would bring this knowledge to Princeton.

Be careful while answering this prompt, especially if your viewpoint on the topic can be seen as controversial. With a topic like this, it’s easy to get carried away with your writing, especially if you have a lot of feelings on the matter. You only have 250 words at hand, so remember that your goal here is to talk about why this anecdote stands out to you and how it has shaped you. Allow admissions officers to learn more about you, and make sure you haven’t written anything that can offend or harm any individual or group of people. 

Princeton has a longstanding commitment to service and civic engagement. Tell us how your story intersects (or will intersect) with these ideals.

This prompt is geared towards understanding students' involvement in community engagement and service. If you're passionate about community work and have dedicated yourself to improving your community, this is the place to expand on it. Write about any initiatives or work you have done to positively impact your community, or if you have demonstrated your passion for service and have been recognized for it. For example, if you received a Girl Scout Gold Award, this is the place to include it.

Remember that Princeton is one of the most selective universities in the world. Simply writing about a service trip abroad, or single community service participation won't do. When you write about this topic, think about what you're genuinely passionate about when it comes to community involvement, and how you have conveyed sustained commitment towards it.

More About You

Please respond to each question in 50 words or fewer. There are no right or wrong answers. Be yourself!

• What is a new skill you would like to learn in college?
• What brings you joy? 
• What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?

These questions might throw you off a little. After all, how can you figure out what Princeton is even looking for? Don’t panic. You definitely don’t have to come up with responses that you believe are super deep and intellectual. Don’t mention that your favorite song is a jazz or classical piece if you think these sound impressive even though you don't actually like them. As cheesy as it sounds, the question states that you should be yourself. Admissions officers want to get to know you. 

You don’t have to force yourself to be extra witty, but if you can come up with fun or clever answers to questions that allow for it, such as, “what brings you joy,” that’s great! But let it come to you naturally. Admissions officers have had years of experience reading answers to questions like these. They know if you’re trying to guess what you think they want to hear. At the same time, think about what other applicants would say. Avoid super common answers so that you can stand out as memorable. Your answers should be unique to you and your tastes.

Additional Tips for Writing the Princeton Supplemental Essays 2021-2022

• Be authentic . Every step in your application should be genuine, including in your answers to the Princeton supplemental essays 2021-2022. Don’t write about topics or issues that you believe a Princeton admissions officer might want to see. In fact, those answers might just end up being too cliché and not work against you instead. Admissions officers will appreciate it much more if they can feel organic passion and commitment for the things that you’ve described.
• Don’t repeat your personal statement or your activities list. The goal of the Princeton supplemental essays 2021-2022 is to provide further information on who you are and what you’re all about. There’s no point in repeating what you’ve said on the rest of your application because admissions officers want each component to add something new. Princeton has even specified on the longer essay prompt that you must not repeat your personal statement. If you can’t follow these instructions, your application is basically on its way to the reject pile. You don’t want to lose before your essays have even been read!

The Princeton supplemental essays 2021-2022 might throw you off because unless you’re applying to the School of Engineering, you don’t get a chance to elaborate on why you believe Princeton is the right school for you. However, there are ways you can convey to admissions officers that you’re a great fit for the school by bringing out characteristics that the school values and highlighting them in your essays. Don’t underestimate the difference powerful supplements can make. Good luck! 

Tags : princeton supplemental essays , princeton supplemental essays class of 2026 , princeton , applying to princeton , princeton supplemental essays 2021-2022

Schedule a free consultation

to find out how we can help you get accepted.

The Ivy Coach Daily

• College Admissions
• College Essays
• Early Decision / Early Action
• Extracurricular Activities
• Standardized Testing
• The Rankings

July 5, 2021

2021-2022 Princeton University Essay Prompts

Wondering what the 2021-2022 Princeton University essay prompts will be? Well, wonder no more as the New Jersey-based institution has released the questions for this upcoming admissions cycle. As our regular readers know, Princeton did not offer an Early Action program last year due to the pandemic . They were the lone Ivy League institution to cancel their Early program for 2020-2021 and, as such, Princeton, while it received a record number of applications, did not experience quite as big of an increase as some of its Ivy League peer institutions. But that was last year. This is this year. And Early Action is back at Princeton for 2021-2022 . So with two rounds of admissions for this upcoming admissions cycle, what sorts of essay prompts will applicants be asked to complete?

The first prompt is for A.B. applicants (non-engineering applicants): “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?” Applicants are asked to respond in about 250 words.

Alternatively, B.S.E. applicants are asked, “Please describe why you are interested in studying engineering at Princeton. Include any of your experiences in, or exposure to engineering, and how you think the programs offered at the University suit your particular interests.” Applicants are asked to respond in about 250 words.

All applicants are then asked, “Briefly elaborate on an activity, organization, work experience, or hobby that has been particularly meaningful to you.” Applicants are asked to respond in about 150 words.

Thought you’d be done by now? Not quite! All applicants are then asked to respond to each of the following two prompts in about 250 words: (1) “At Princeton, we value diverse perspectives and the ability to have respectful dialogue about difficult issues. Share a time when you had a conversation with a person or a group of people about a difficult topic. What insight did you gain, and how would you incorporate that knowledge into your thinking in the future?” (2) “Princeton has a longstanding commitment to service and civic engagement. Tell us how your story intersects (or will intersect) with these ideals.”

And as they say in infomercials, but wait there’s more! All applicants are asked to respond to the following three prompts in 50 words or fewer: (1) What is a new skill you would like to learn in college? (2) What brings you joy? (3) What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?

Finally, applicants are required to submit a graded paper.

Have a question about the 2021-2022 Princeton University essay prompts ? Let us know your questions about these college essays by posting a comment below. We look forward to hearing from you!

You are permitted to use www.ivycoach.com (including the content of the Blog) for your personal, non-commercial use only. You must not copy, download, print, or otherwise distribute the content on our site without the prior written consent of Ivy Coach, Inc.

Related Articles

What Are the Consequences of College Essay Plagiarism?

May 16, 2024

Using A.I. to Write College Admission Essays

October 13, 2023

Word and Character Limits in College Essays

September 27, 2023

What English Teachers Get Wrong About Writing College Essays

Bragging in College Essays: Is It Ever Okay?

September 26, 2023

What Not to Write: 3 College Essay Topics to Avoid

September 24, 2023

TOWARD THE CONQUEST OF ADMISSION

If you’re interested in Ivy Coach’s college counseling,
fill out our complimentary consultation form and we’ll be in touch.

Fill out our short form for a 20-minute consultation to learn about Ivy Coach’s services.

Princeton University Essay Guide 2020-2021

In this Princeton University Essay Guide, we will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Princeton supplementary essays. For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process in general, sign up for a monthly plan to work with an admissions coach 1-on-1.

Applying to Princeton University

Princeton University, located in the quiet but charming town of Princeton, New Jersey, is one of the most of the prestigious institutions in the world. Ranked #1 in the country by US News, Princeton is particularly well-known for its strong undergraduate focus, rigorous academic experience, and unique social scene within its eating club system. The university received over 32,000 applications for the 2019-2020 season and admitted only 1,823 students, yielding an acceptance rate of just over 5%. Princeton is the second smallest Ivy League university, with about 5,000 undergraduate students total.

This year, Princeton was one of the first schools to announce the elimination of their Early Action deadline in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, instead establishing a singular application deadline of January 1st, 2021 for the Class of 2025.

Princeton University Supplemental Essay Prompts

The Princeton University supplemental essays can be tricky because of how straightforward some of the prompts are — don’t overthink them, and be honest and creative with your answers! The supplement consists of two short-answer essays, one longer essay, and a section entitled “A Few Details” that asks applicants to list a few of their favorite things.

After many years, Princeton has released a new set of supplementary prompts for the Class of 2025. Take advantage of this opportunity to make a fresh impression on the admissions officers, and make sure that your essay is one they will remember for years to come.

Activities: Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences that was particularly meaningful to you. (Response required in about 150 words.)

The key phrase in the first Princeton University essay question is, “particularly meaningful to you.” with emphasis on the meaningful. They are not asking for you to re-summarize the most impressive-sounding activity that you listed in your Common Application — they’ve already seen that. What they want now is a story .

That being said, with only 150 words, you don’t have a lot of space. So it’s all the more important to choose a powerful story, and to tell it well — every sentence matters. Pick an experience that your life wouldn’t be the same without. The best essays are unique and personal.

Also, don’t feel constrained to the bullet points on your resume! In my supplement, I wrote about something that I hadn’t even mentioned on my Common Application. My essay was about how horrible I am at the Indian classical instrument that I play but have stuck with it because I love music and the community that comes with it. My story came from a place of humor as well as heart, allowing the admissions officers to understand who I was as a person beyond my resume.

Your Voice: Please respond to each question in an essay of about 250 words.

● At Princeton, we value diverse perspectives and the ability to have respectful dialogue about difficult issues. Share a time when you had a conversation with a person or a group of people about a difficult topic. What insight did you gain, and how would you incorporate that knowledge into your thinking in the future?

The America of 2020 is deeply polarized. Now more than ever, the next generation must promote unity through respectful dialogue. In this essay, Princeton University is looking for future leaders who know how to engage with people who are different from them and learn from their experiences.

Think of a time when you found yourself in a difficult dialogue. Be careful not to sound too preachy in this essay — for example, try not to write about getting someone you disagreed with to “see the light.” With the right spin, that essay could be effective. However, it may be more compelling if you speak about a time where you had to engage with a more complicated issue — maybe one for which you weren’t completely sure of your stance.

In your essay, demonstrate that you are capable of understanding nuance and addressing delicate situations with consideration. Show that the perspective of the other person meant something to you. Explain what you learned from this experience and how this conversation has informed your understanding of the world.

● At Princeton has a longstanding commitment to service and civic engagement. Tell us how your story intersects (or will intersect) with these ideals.

Princeton University’s unofficial motto is “Princeton in the nation’s service and the service of humanity.” Clearly, the university values philanthropy and community service. Now, you only have 250 words to discuss your service experience, so my advice is to focus on a specific moment or lesson from your experience serving others . Describe that moment, what you were feeling, and how important that experience was to you. Just make sure the experience is DIFFERENT than the one you wrote about in the “Activities” prompt!

Now remember, everybody’s version of service is different. Yes, your volunteering experiences could be great to talk about here, but it’s totally understandable if you did not have the luxury of working for free during high school. Working a part time job after school is service (if in a restaurant, the most literal form!); looking after your siblings so your family can save money on daycare is service. Focus on what is most important to you. I might sound like a broken record saying this, but remember that the most effective essays are honest essays.

More About You: Please respond to each question in 50 words or fewer.

● What is a new skill you would like to learn in college?

● What brings you joy?

● What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?

I think Princeton put it best here when they said, “there are no right or wrong answers. Be yourself!” My only advice for this section is to have fun! None of these answers will make or break your admission, so don’t try to be someone you’re not. Fifty words is much shorter than it seems (a sentence or two at most). A clever or humorous answer is always appreciated, and if it pops into your head, witty commentary in parentheses couldn’t hurt. You do you!

This Princeton University essay guide was written by Shru Bharadwaj, Princeton University ‘24 . If you want to get help writing your Princeton application essays from Shru or other CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts , register with CollegeAdvisor.com today.

Personalized and effective college advising for high school students.

• Advisor Application
• Popular Colleges
• Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice
• Student Login
• California Privacy Notice
• Terms and Conditions
• Your Privacy Choices

By using the College Advisor site and/or working with College Advisor, you agree to our updated Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy , including an arbitration clause that covers any disputes relating to our policies and your use of our products and services.

• Phone: (617) 993-4823

• September 17, 2021

How To Write The Princeton Supplemental Essays (2021-2022)

Adrianne is a college admissions consultant and TV/film director, producer, writer, and actress currently based in LA. She uses her experience in multiple disciplines to help students achieve their personal and academic goals.

Welcome to the Princeton supplemental essays for the 2021-2022 application cycle!

The Princeton writing supplement divides its essays into the following sections: “Extracurricular Activity and Work Experience,” “Your Voice,” and “More About You.” For Princeton supplemental essay questions — which you can find here on the Princeton website — you have more power to shape your responses as you write your application. It’s worth putting significant effort into these since Princeton’s extremely low acceptance rate means you need to stand out in a very competitive pool.

Here’s how to write the best Princeton supplemental essays possible.

For A.B. Degree Applicants or Those Who are Undecided:

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 about 250 words.)

If you’re already familiar with many of the common questions on college applications, this question is essentially the “Why Major” prompt , which usually asks you about the specific programs, majors, and concentrations you’d like to pursue at the given school. The key to writing this essay is extensive research into Princeton’s offerings in the classroom.

Dive into class descriptions, syllabi, faculty research, and anything you can find to help you craft your essay with as much specific detail as possible . Without repeating your resume or getting too repetitive in the context of the rest of your application, tie in your experience to these specific offerings to show how you will take advantage of the resources you’d have access to at Princeton. Show them what makes you excited to learn and fuels your curiosity about the subjects you love the most.

Obviously, Princeton is world-renowned for its academics, but avoid mentioning this prestige as a reason you want to attend. With 32,835 applicants for the class of 2024 , it’s safe to assume most applicants are interested in Princeton’s prestige — instead, focus on what makes Princeton a great academic fit for you and you a great fit for them.

For B.S.E Degree Applicants:

Please describe why you are interested in studying engineering at Princeton. Include any of your experiences in, or exposure to engineering, and how you think the programs offered at the University suit your particular interests. (Please respond in about 250 words.)

The same “Why Major” insight mentioned above applies here as well. Since the prompt specifically asks for you to describe any previous experience, make sure that is a significant part of your essay — balance that the same specific, in-depth research you should do on the engineering program. Focus less on the aspect of academic curiosity since that is not a part of this prompt.

Extracurricular Activity and Work Experience

Briefly elaborate on an activity, organization, work experience, or hobby that has been particularly meaningful to you. (Please respond in about 150 words.)

This is a very common prompt at top-tier and mid-tier schools alike, where they’re giving you the opportunity to elaborate on activities that you otherwise have to summarize in less than 150 characters earlier in your application. Some people have very impressive accomplishments that will naturally fall into this prompt: winning an international award in an academic competition, being an exceptionally talented musician, etc. For the rest of us, and for those people too, you should focus intensely on why the activity was meaningful to you beyond the awards and recognition. How did it shape you as a person?

Participating in a high school club and doing well at the state level is certainly an accomplishment, but that on its own isn’t enough to convince Princeton admissions officers that you qualify for admission to their school. To make a description of an otherwise-fairly-common activity into a standout essay, you need to analyze it in a compelling manner. What did you take away from this activity that nobody else did? Maybe you did martial arts, but instead of focusing on how you learned to work hard (which way too many extracurricular essays do), you discuss your reflections on the obedience culture and conflict of traditional practice and modern knowledge. A unique take with thoughtful discussion is necessary to present yourself as someone able to make the most of opportunities, and thus deserving of those Princeton provides.

Please respond to each question in an essay of about 250 words.

1. At Princeton, we value diverse perspectives and the ability to have respectful dialogue about difficult issues. Share a time when you had a conversation with a person or a group of people about a difficult topic. What insight did you gain, and how would you incorporate that knowledge into your thinking in the future?

This is frankly an exceptionally hard prompt to respond to in a mature and positive manner. First, it forces you to consider what difficult conversations you have had about sensitive topics — you may not have many conversations to reflect on. Second, it asks you to communicate the nuance of your conversation on an important and controversial topic, what you learned from the encounter, and how it will be important in your future endeavors… all in 250 words.

Many people will default to conversations on politics and race here, and while these can be strong options if you have had meaningful experiences, I’d encourage you to brainstorm a little longer, especially if you’re talking about hearing someone else’s story and empathizing with them. Unique topics can make your essay memorable. What is a conversation that made you view others or yourself differently?

Whatever you write about, make sure your opinion is well-informed and succinct. Read up on the topic to discuss it appropriately before writing your essay. Reinforce a feeling of compassion and understanding instead of claiming victory or insisting you were right (so maybe don’t talk about a debate competition). Show yourself able to engage in the gray answers to some of our biggest modern questions, and you’ll make progress in convincing the reader you would fit as a Princeton student.

2. Princeton has a longstanding commitment to service and civic engagement. Tell us how your story intersects (or will intersect) with these ideals.

This is a variation on a classic prompt about community and/or the meaning of community to you. Colleges understandably want students who are going to leave lasting impacts on their campuses, especially at a well-known school like Princeton. Consider how you can best convince the Princeton admissions committee that you are going to be a force for good on their campus. This will likely involve discussing a time you took initiative to change something upon noticing a problem.

Alongside being intelligent, Princeton students are also very passionate about making a difference. How have you done that in your school, town, or state already? If you haven’t done something yet, then write an essay looking towards the future (the “or will intersect” part) that convinces them you will. Come up with a viable and impactful plan to improve the world with your abilities and make them want to give you the education that will support that improvement. Avoid speaking in generalities and vague statements, as your essay will be forgettable without specific details.

More About You

Please respond to each question in 50 words or fewer. There are no right or wrong answers. Be yourself!

First of all, there are definitely wrong answers — don’t be fooled. These questions help Princeton admissions officers get a better feel for how your personality fits their college and could also be called “personality questions.” Princeton is known as upscale, sometimes artsy, cerebral, and very put together, although there is a lot of diversity in these features among the undergraduate population. But since you don’t have much room, you need to convey all of this as efficiently as possible.

Would you get along well with the people at Princeton? This is where they look to find that out.

1. What is a new skill you would like to learn in college?

Think back to Princeton’s desired traits. Don’t just say you want to learn guitar or karate without a good reason to back it up. There are thousands of “skills” you could learn, so pick one and describe its unique appeal among this vast array of potential abilities. And make sure that it fits with the overall narrative you’ve been crafting throughout your Princeton application.

2. What brings you joy?

Well, ask yourself: what brings you joy? The best advice here is to be honest and be yourself, as they mention above. An admissions officer can smell a disingenuous answer to this question like “math problems” or “studying for history tests” from a mile away. Paint yourself as an honest and balanced human more than just an intense student in your answer to this. Obviously, stay away from inappropriate or completely irrelevant topics, but there is no need to convince Princeton that you’re someone you’re not.

3. What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?

It would be smart here to pick something the admissions officers are likely to have heard — obscure music, even if it is a genuine interest of yours, may not play well. They probably won’t look up many of peoples’ responses here given their time constraints, so pick a song that strikes that balance between recognizable and unique. Stay away from overly explicit and inappropriate music. Consider the kind of music that tells a story similar to the situation you’re in currently.

Princeton requires you to submit a graded written paper as part of your application.

This is a pretty unique request on a college application, but it speaks to Princeton’s emphasis on their students’ academic prowess. Of course, pick a paper where you got great feedback and a high grade. The more complex and polished the argument you make in the paper, the better, especially if it’s about an interesting and/or unexpected topic. If you have no idea what to submit, ask your teacher in your best subject what they might recommend submitting.

If you’re looking for help on your Princeton supplemental essays, set up a free consultation with one of our expert college admissions consultants . We offer hands-on essay ideation, drafting, and editing assistance.

• Ivy League , Supplemental Essays , The College Essay

College Admissions Trends 2024

IB vs. AP: Choosing the Right Program

What It’s Like to Be a First-Generation Student

• Partnerships
• Our Insights
• Our Approach

Our Services

• High School Roadmaps
• College Applications
• Graduate School Admissions
• H&C Incubator
• [email protected]

Terms and Conditions . Privacy policy

©2024 H&C Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Princeton University

• Cost & scholarships
• Essay prompt

Want to see your chances of admission at Princeton University?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

Princeton University’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Lived experience essay.

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?

Community Service Short Response

Princeton has a longstanding commitment to service and civic engagement. How does your own story intersect with these ideals?

Graded Paper

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. Detailed instructions for our graded paper requirement can be found here.

Bachelor of Arts Short Response

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?

Bachelor of Science in Engineering Short Response

Please describe why you are interested in studying engineering at Princeton. Include any of your experiences in, or exposure to engineering, and how you think the programs offered at the University suit your particular interests.

Select-A-Prompt Short Response

More About You Prompts

What is a new skill you would like to learn in college?

What brings you joy?

What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Application Dates & Deadlines

To apply, you will need to submit the Coalition Application or the Common Application and the Princeton-specific Questions.  You can apply to Princeton as a first-year student through single-choice early action or regular decision. Transfer applicants must apply through the transfer process. Before you begin preparing your application, we encourage you to review our  standardized testing policy  and review our helpful tips .

For those applying through the QuestBridge application, please visit our QuestBridge National College Match page for more information.  

Single-Choice Early Action

Regular decision.

Princeton University’s single-choice early action program is a nonbinding process. If admitted, you have until May 1 to notify us about your decision to matriculate. If you apply single-choice early action on Nov. 1, you may not apply to an early program at any other private college or university within the United States.

As with students who are admitted through single-choice early action, students admitted through regular decision have until May 1 to notify us about their decision to matriculate.

Application Available:

Coalition Application or  Common Application , with  Princeton-Specific Questions

Application with Princeton-specific Questions  Due

Graded Written Paper Due

School Report, School Counselor Letter and Transcript

Teacher Evaluation Form 1

Teacher Evaluation Form 2

TOEFL , IELTS Academic or PTE Academic  Test Completed (if applicable)

Optional Arts Supplement  Due

Princeton Financial Aid Application  Due

Mid-December

Decision Notification

Optional Arts Supplement Due

Candidate's Reply Date

Princeton University’s single-choice early action program is a nonbinding process. You may not apply to an early program at any other private college or university. However, please note the following:

• You may apply early to any public institution or service academy, as long as the decision is nonbinding.
• You may apply early to any international institution, as long as the decision is nonbinding.
• You may apply early to any college or university with a nonbinding rolling admission process.

If you apply early action , there are three possible outcomes for your admission decision. We will either:

• Offer admission.
• Deny admission.
• Or, defer a final decision on the application and review it again in the regular decision process.

If you apply regular decision , there are three possible outcomes for your admission decision. We will either:

• Or, offer you a spot on the wait list.

If you are admitted and have completed the Princeton Financial Aid Application , you will be notified of any financial aid award at the time you are offered admission, enabling you to compare your admission and financial aid offers with those from other institutions to which you’ve been admitted.

Videos do not contain audio.

You can get a good feel for all that Princeton has to offer in person through an Orange Key tour or online through a virtual information session.

Princeton University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision: 

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 1

You Have: 

Princeton University 2023-24 Application Essay Questions Explanation

The Requirements: 2 essays of 250 words, 1 essay of 500 words, 3 short responses

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Community ,  Why , Oddball

This is Princeton, the Number One university in the nation. Maybe you’ve heard of it? JK, we can smell the sweat on your palms from here. So first, take a breath. The Princeton supplement is extremely straightforward (perhaps too straightforward?) and your greatest challenge will be to refrain from overthinking it. Don’t intimidate yourself with visions of what you think admissions officers want to see on an application. Self-aggrandizing or downright false stories aren’t going to win anyone over. It’s the unique, specific details that only you can share that will set you apart and seal you in an admissions officer’s memory. Take this as your mantra: be yourself! 

For A.B Degree Applicants or Those Who are Undecided:

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 about 250 words or fewer.) .

To ace this question, you’ll need to articulate for admissions why a well-rounded liberal arts education is important to you. Do you think Princeton’s liberal arts curriculum will allow you to build upon your communication and problem solving skills, preparing you for a career in civil service? Maybe you think it will help you be more marketable once you enter the working world, preparing you to work in a variety of fields (which is especially helpful if you’re undecided). What classes are you dying to take? Which academic programs call to you and why? Demonstrate your interest in Princeton’s academic offerings (and liberal arts curriculum, for brownie points) and admissions is bound to be impressed!

For B.S.E Degree Applicants:

Please describe why you are interested in studying engineering at princeton. include any of your experiences in or exposure to engineering, and how you think the programs offered at the university suit your particular interests. (please respond in 250 words or fewer.).

You can get an engineering degree at thousands of schools across the country, so why are you so keen to study engineering at Princeton specifically? Remember that this isn’t set in stone, so don’t stress over your vision; just show that you’ve done your research. Maybe your sister regaled you with stories about her experience studying engineering at Princeton, and you knew you wanted the same experience for yourself. Maybe there is an alum who is doing what you aspire to do, and you want to follow in their footsteps! Does Princeton have a specific program that many other schools do not offer? Whatever it is that draws you to Princeton’s engineering program, make sure that, after reading your essay, admissions has a clear understanding of your interest and goals.

1. 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?  (Please respond in 500 words or fewer.)

Engaging others in meaningful conversations about important issues can be incredibly intimidating and challenging, and the Princeton admissions department knows this. That is, in part, why they are curious to learn how your lived experiences will impact the way you engage with others on campus. What has shaped you as a person and how has that made your perspective unique? What lessons have you learned and applied? What can you share with others? Is there anything you can teach your classmates or peers about your hometown, culture, religion, identity, race, or ethnicity that they might not already know? Admissions wants to know how your lived experiences will affect the conversations you have and the ways in which you contribute to the Princeton community. Tell admissions a story that demonstrates your investment in listening, learning, and connecting.

2. 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? (Please respond in 250 words or fewer.)

Princeton wants to welcome motivated, socially aware students to campus next fall, so tell admissions about a time when you gave back to your community in a meaningful way. (Hint: your “community” can be as small as your neighborhood and as large as the entire world or even universe!) Maybe you’ve volunteered at your church’s food pantry every other weekend since you were in middle school or canvassed for political candidates that you believe will generate positive change for generations to come. Whatever your example(s) may be, don’t be afraid to touch on what those experiences meant to you (after all, you do have 250 words to work with!). And bonus points if you can connect your past service to the work you hope to do in the future. 

More About You

Please respond to each question in 50 words or fewer. there are no right or wrong answers. be yourself, what is a new skill you would like to learn in college, what brings you joy , what song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment.

Do not, we repeat, do not overthink your responses to these questions. Admissions even goes so far as to say that there are no right or wrong answers. So, go with your gut. Maybe, in college, you’re hoping to learn how to speed read, or play frisbee, or even ride a bike! Perhaps you want to tell admissions about the look on your sister’s face everytime you agree to play dress-up with her (what brings you joy?). As for the song, we’d recommend keeping it clean, but other than that, let your freak flag fly. Are you currently listening to “Midnight Sky” by Miley Cyrus on repeat? Or maybe “Ooh La La” by The Faces really resonates with you as you’re growing up and learning life’s tough lessons. Whatever it may be, be true to yourself and you’ll ace these short answers.

About Kat Stubing

View all posts by Kat Stubing »

We're waiting for your call!

Contact us for information on rates and more!

• I am a * Student Parent Potential Partner School Counselor Private College Counselor
• Name * First Last
• Phone Type Mobile Landline
• Street Address
• Address City State / Province / Region Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, the United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye US Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands Country
• Which best describes you (or your child)? High school senior High school junior College student College grad Other
• How did you find CEA? Internet Search New York Times Guidance counselor/school Social Media YouTube Friend Special Event Delehey College Consulting Other
• Common App and Coalition Essays
• Supplemental Essays
• University of California Essays
• University of Texas Essays
• Resume Review
• Post-Grad Essays
• Specialized Services
• Waitlist Letters
• Private School Essays
• General College Counseling
• School list with priorities noted:
• Anything else we should know?
• Name This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

School Stats:

• Agnes Scott College
• Alvernia University
• American University
• Amherst College
• Babson College
• Bard College
• Barnard College
• Baylor University
• Bennington College
• Bentley University
• Berry College
• Bethany College
• Bishop’s University
• Boston College
• Boston University (BU)
• Bowdoin College
• Brandeis University
• Brown University
• Bryn Mawr College
• Bucknell University
• Butler University
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
• California Lutheran University
• Capitol Technology University
• Carleton College
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Catawba College
• Centre College
• Chapman University
• Claremont McKenna College
• Clark University
• College of Mount Saint Vincent
• College of William and Mary
• College of Wooster
• Colorado College
• Colorado School of Mines
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Culver-Stockton College
• D'Youville University
• Dartmouth College
• Davidson College
• Drexel University
• Duke University
• Earlham College
• Elon University
• Emerson College
• Emory University
• Flagler College
• Fordham University
• George Mason University
• Georgetown University
• Georgia State University
• Georgia Tech
• Gonzaga University
• Harvard University
• Harvey Mudd College
• Haverford College
• Hillsdale College
• Hofstra University
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Illinois Wesleyan University
• Indiana University Bloomington
• Ithaca College
• Johns Hopkins University
• Kalamazoo College
• Lafayette College
• Lehigh University
• Lewis and Clark College
• Linfield University
• Loyola Marymount University (LMU)
• Lynn University
• Macalester College
• Malone University
• Manchester University
• Marist College
• Mary Baldwin University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Meredith College
• Monmouth College
• Moravian University
• Morehouse College
• Mount Holyoke College
• New York University (NYU)
• North Park University
• Northwestern University
• Occidental College
• Oklahoma City University
• Olin College of Engineering
• Pepperdine University
• Pitzer College
• Pomona College
• Princeton University
• Providence College
• Purdue University
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Rice University
• Saint Elizabeth University
• Santa Clara University
• Sarah Lawrence College
• Scripps College
• Seattle Pacific University
• Smith College
• Soka University of America
• Southern Methodist University
• St. John’s College
• Stanford University
• Stonehill College
• Swarthmore College
• Syracuse University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas Christian University
• The College of Idaho
• The George Washington University
• The New School
• Trinity College
• Tufts University
• Tulane University
• University of California
• University of Central Florida (UCF)
• University of Chicago
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Colorado Boulder
• University of Florida
• University of Georgia
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• University of Maryland
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• University of Miami
• University of Michigan
• University of Minnesota
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Oklahoma
• University of Oregon
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Richmond
• University of San Diego
• University of San Francisco
• University of Southern California (USC)
• University of Texas at Austin
• University of Tulsa
• University of Vermont
• University of Virginia (UVA)
• University of Washington
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Vanderbilt University
• Vassar College
• Villanova University
• Virginia Tech
• Wake Forest University
• Washington and Lee University
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Wellesley College
• Williams College
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
• Yale University

Want free stuff?

We thought so. Sign up for free instructional videos, guides, worksheets and more!

One-On-One Advising

Common App Essay Prompt Guide

Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

• YouTube Tutorials
• Our Approach & Team
• Undergraduate Testimonials
• Postgraduate Testimonials
• Where Our Students Get In
• CEA Gives Back
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
• Private School Admissions
• International Student Admissions
• Common App Essay Guide
• Supplemental Essay Guide
• Coalition App Guide
• The CEA Podcast
• Admissions Stats
• Notification Trackers
• Deadline Databases
• College Essay Examples
• Academy and Worksheets
• Waitlist Guides
• Get Started

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Get into Princeton: Admissions Stats + Tips

Do you know how to improve your profile for college applications.

See how your profile ranks among thousands of other students using CollegeVine. Calculate your chances at your dream schools and learn what areas you need to improve right now — it only takes 3 minutes and it's 100% free.

What’s Covered:

• How Hard is it to Get into Princeton?
• Average Stats of Accepted Princeton Students
• What is Princeton Looking for?
• How to Improve Your Chances of Acceptance
• How to Apply to Princeton

A rich history, extreme selectivity, and Ivy League status make Princeton University a dream school for many college-bound students. Bolstering Princeton’s popularity are its beautiful campus featuring classic gothic architecture and the ample opportunities it provides students to explore interests outside of the classroom, from its renowned eating clubs to athletics. 

If you’re interested in attending this top school, here’s everything you need to know about improving your chances of acceptance.

How Hard Is It to Get Into Princeton University?

How difficult is Princeton to get into? Very. The university’s class of 2025 had a record-low 3.98% acceptance rate —extending admission to just 1,498 students out of the 37,601 applications it received. All applications were through the regular decision process, as early action applications were suspended for this admissions cycle.

Admissions were even more challenging for the class of 2025, as the total number of admitted students was roughly 20% lower than average due to more than 200 students who deferred their enrollment in the class of 2024 . 

Princeton is one of the hardest schools to get into in the nation, but your chances are dependent on the strength of your profile. Our free chancing engine can help you better understand your odds of acceptance at Princeton University—using metrics like grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities, it predicts your chances of acceptance and provides tips to improve your profile.  

Average Academic Profile of Accepted Princeton University Students

The average high school GPA of Princeton’s class of 2025 is 3.92 . More than half of those students (59.48%) had a 4.0 GPA. 

The middle 50% SAT score for Princeton’s class of 2025 is 1460-1560 —86.15% had an SAT score between 1400 and 1600. The middle 50% composite ACT score for Princeton’s class of 2025 is 32-35 —92.94% of admitted students scored higher than 30. 

Class rank is an important consideration of Princeton admissions, however, the university doesn’t report the class rank of accepted students. It’s a safe assumption that the students making up Princeton’s class of 2025 graduated near the top of their classes—59.48% of accepted students graduated with a 4.0 GPA , while 32.05% graduated with a GPA between 3.75 and 3.99 . 

What is Princeton University Looking for?

Princeton admissions put a high priority on academic excellence—even when compared to other highly ranked, highly selective schools like Harvard, Yale, and Stanford. Superb standardized test scores and amazing grades are expected of a Princeton applicant, but aren’t enough to wow admissions officials, since most applicants are academically qualified. 

What does help a Princeton applicant stand out is participation in prestigious academic programs such as Governor’s School . Experience with academic research and STEM achievements are also ways for an applicant to distance themselves from the competition—and they make great supplemental essay topics as well.  

How Princeton University Evaluates Applications

According to their 2020-2021 Common Data Set , Princeton considers the following factors “very important” :

• Course rigor
• Standardized test scores
• Application essay
• Recommendation letters
• Extracurricular activities 
• Talent/ability
• Character/personal qualities 

These factors are “considered” :

• First-generation student
• Alumni/ae relation 
• Geographic residence
• Racial/ethnic status
• Volunteer work 
• Work experience 

And these are “not considered” :

• State residence
• Religious affiliation
• Level of interest

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting into Princeton University 

1. achieve at least a 3.92 gpa while taking the most challenging classes available.

Princeton values academic excellence, and GPA is an important metric for determining it—the average GPA for the class of 2025 is 3.92 and 59.48% of students in the class of 2025 graduated high school with a 4.0. 

Many selective schools, like Princeton, that receive huge numbers of applications use a tool called Academic Index —essentially the distillation of a student’s academic performance into a single number—to cull candidates who are academically unqualified. Outstanding grades, impressive test scores, and challenging coursework won’t guarantee admissions, but are a good step toward ensuring an admissions official takes a good look at your application. 

If your GPA is below the average of accepted Princeton students, it can result in your application getting filtered out early in the decision-making process. Students early in their high school career have time to improve their GPA , but juniors and seniors will need high test scores to increase their Academic Index.    

2. Aim for a 1560 SAT and 35 ACT  

The middle 50% SAT/ACT scores for Princeton’s class of 2025 are 1460-1560 and 32-35 . While any score in the middle 50% is good, the closer you are to the top of the middle 50%, the more competitive of a candidate you are. 

Princeton suspended its standardized testing requirement in 2020-21 and will once again pause it in 2021-22 due to the disruption caused by COVID-19. If possible, CollegeVine recommends that students take a standardized test if they can do so safely—students who submit test scores are accepted at higher rates than those who don’t. 

Princeton allows applicants to use the score choice feature of the SAT and will only accept an applicant’s highest composite ACT score. CollegeVine suggests students with a score at or above the 25th percentile of admitted applicants (1460 SAT/32 ACT at Princeton) submit their score. Students can get recommendations on whether or not they should apply test-optional using our free chancing engine . 

To improve your SAT/ACT score, Academic Index, and odds of acceptance, check out these free CollegeVine resources:

• How to Get a Perfect 1600 Score on the SAT
• How to Get a Perfect 36 Score on the ACT
• More SAT Info and Tips
• More ACT Info and Tips

Discover your chances at hundreds of schools

Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admission—and how to improve them.

3. Cultivate at least one or two Tier 1-2 extracurriculars (find your “spike”)

Extracurricular activities are an excellent way for Princeton applicants to set themselves apart; however, not all extracurriculars are created equal. The 4 four tiers of extracurricular activities are useful for understanding the value colleges place on particular undertakings. 

• Tier 1 activities are rare and demonstrate exceptional achievement or leadership at a national level. These include being selected as a McDonald’s All-American basketball player, winning a prestigious award like the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest , or starting a nationally-recognized organization.
• Tier 2 extracurriculars show high levels of achievement and leadership but aren’t quite as rare as activities found in Tier 1 (they’re more of state-level achievements). These include making an all-state selection in athletics, serving as student body president, or being selected for a prestigious state-wide summer program like governor’s school.
• Tier 3 activities are smaller leadership roles and achievements that often appear on applications. These include being captain of a sports team or holding a lesser officer position in a club. 
• Tier 4 extracurriculars are the most common activities seen by admissions officers. Although not impressive to college admissions officers, they allow students to show who they are outside of the classroom. These activities include playing a sport or instrument, participating in a club but not holding a leadership position, and volunteering. 

A strong extracurricular profile can make a candidate more competitive at a selective school like Princeton, where most applicants have outstanding academics and test scores. Princeton considers talent and ability “very important” when making admissions decisions and a strong resume of extracurricular activities is a great way to demonstrate you have what it takes. 

To get into a top 20 school, an applicant should aim to have at least one or two Tier 1 to Tier 2 activities. As for the belief that extracurriculars should demonstrate being well-rounded, it’s a myth. One or two well-developed interests, or a highly developed interest (known as a “ spike ”), is more compelling and memorable than an applicant with a bunch of unrelated interests. Princeton wants to admit students who will be highly-successful in their fields; demonstrating great achievements in a particular domain is evidence that you’ll go on to become a graduate Princeton will be proud of.

4. Write engaging essays

Along with clearing academic thresholds and filling out your profile with compelling extracurricular activities, essays are the best way to distinguish yourself from other applicants. Princeton requires all applicants to submit three essays and three short responses, and applicants applying for a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree are also required to submit an essay about why they’ve chosen the major. Princeton also requires the submission of a graded academic paper .

No matter what college you’re applying to, it’s important to write in your voice and demonstrate why you belong at that school. Princeton considers character/personal qualities “very important” and the essay is an ideal place to spotlight your best character traits and qualities and how the university will benefit from having you on campus. For more Princeton-specific essay advice, check out our article, “ How to Write the Princeton University Essays 2021-2022 .”

5. Apply Early Action 

Princeton canceled its single-choice early action process for the class of 2025, therefore every applicant into the was admitted through regular decision, but it’s back for the class of 2026. Princeton does not report its early acceptance rate, but in general, students who apply early have higher acceptance rates than those students who apply regular decision. 

Single-choice early action is non-binding—meaning you’re not required to attend if admitted—however, it is limiting. Applicants who apply for single-choice early action at Princeton are restricted from applying to an early program at any other private college or university. 

6. Recommendation Letters 

Princeton considers recommendations “very important” and requires three of them—one from a school counselor or academic advisor and two from your teachers. Teachers providing recommendations should teach high-level courses—such as AP, IB Higher/Standard Level, or A-levels—in core academic areas like English, foreign language, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, or math. 

Teachers are busy and don’t get paid to write recommendation letters, so make the process as painless as possible for them by following the nine rules for requesting letters of recommendation from teachers :

• Ask nicely 
• Ask what type of letter you might get
• Be professional 
• Include relevant details 
• Make it easy 
• Send a reminder 
• Say thank you 

How to Apply to Princeton University 

Application requirements.

Princeton University accepts both the Common Application and the Coalition Application—both applications also require the applicant to submit Princeton’s Supplement. Other requirements include:

• Transcript 
• School report 
• Counselor recommendation 
• Teacher Recommendations (2) 
• Mid-year school report 

Other optional materials include: 

• SAT Subject Tests 
• Art supplement 

Learn more about Princeton University 

Interested in learning more about Princeton? Check out these other informative articles: 

• What is Princeton University Known For?
• Princeton Diversity Statistics: An In-Depth Look
• A Guide to Princeton’s Eating Clubs

Want to know your chances at Princeton? Calculate your chances for free right now .

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

• Princeton University Doctoral Dissertations, 2011-2024

Items in Dataspace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Saturday, May 18

Previous issues, submit a tip.

Men’s and women’s lacrosse seasons come to an end after NCAA losses

The opening-round win against Drexel was the first NCAA win of Jenn Cook’s career.

Photo courtesy of @princetonwlax / x ..

This past weekend, both the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams ended their seasons in the NCAA tournament. The men’s team (11–5 overall, 4–2 Ivy League) lost their opener to the No.7-seeded Maryland Terrapins (9–5, 3–2 Big Ten). 

Meanwhile, the women’s team (11–7, 6–1 Ivy League) won an opening-round game against the Drexel Dragons (13–6, 7–1 Coastal Athletic Association) before bowing out of the tournament against No.2-seeded Boston College (18–3, 7–2 Atlantic Coast Conference).

Head Coach Jenn Cook earns first NCAA Tournament win 

In their opening round game on Friday afternoon, women’s lacrosse came away with a big 14–9 victory over the Drexel Dragons. Facing an early deficit and a tie game at the half, the Tiger defense dominated the third quarter en route to a comfortable win in the final period. 

Junior attacker McKenzie Blake led the Tigers with five goals while sophomore attacker Haven Dora had a staggering five assists to go alongside two goals. On the other end of the field, sophomore midfielder Abigail Roberts had a career day, causing six turnovers and winning five draw controls. 

In the first quarter, the Tigers trailed 4–0 with work to do. The Dragons refused to miss, converting on their first four shots of the night. However, three quick goals in the final 3:37 of the opening period cut the deficit to just one heading into the second quarter.

After the Tigers tied the game courtesy of senior midfielder Kari Buonanno, the Dragons finally scored with six minutes left in the first half. That ended a 17-minute goal drought from Drexel, who was feeling overwhelmed by the defense from Head Coach Jenn Cook’s squad. The first half ended with both sides tied at six.

Dora and Blake dominated the third quarter. Blake scored a hat trick in the period while Dora had a goal and two assists to give the Tigers a strong 12–6 lead.

Them: “No One's Going To Stop Her 1v1” McKenzie Blake: “Yup!” She puts her defender on skates and spins for a two-goal lead! pic.twitter.com/C3m7HpKEcW — Princeton Women's Lax (@princetonwlax) May 10, 2024

From here on out, the Tigers never looked back, holding on for a 14–9 win. The win marked the first NCAA Tournament win of Cook’s young career. Cook took over as head coach of the program in 2023 after being on former Head Coach Chris Sailer’s staff since 2013.

Tigers fall short against No.2-seeded Eagles 

Despite going punch for punch with one of the best teams in the nation in their second round game against No.2 seed Boston College, the Tigers could not hold on. Senior captain and attacker Grace Tauckus had a career night with six of the 16 Tiger goals. Blake had four, while Dora added another two. 

The 16 goals conceded by the Eagles were the most goals they had conceded all year. The Eagles are a lacrosse powerhouse, having won the 2021 national championship and making the Final Four every year since 2017. 

In the first period, Boston College got off to a strong 6–3 start. However, the Tigers quickly responded, scoring three goals in 72 seconds in what proved to be a thrilling first quarter. 

Timing was key for the Eagles, who always managed to score and halt any Tiger momentum. With 17 seconds left in the first quarter, they scored to take a 7–6 lead into the second quarter. Despite being tied 9–9 early in the second quarter, the Eagles closed the half on a 4–0 run to take a 13–9 lead in the locker room. The one-goal deficit from the first quarter quickly turned into four in the final minute of the second quarter, killing any Tiger momentum in the first half.

Similarly, the Eagles started the second half on a tear, scoring three straight in the opening minutes of the half to take a commanding 16–9 lead. At this point, the game was all but over, but Cook’s squad continued to rally. Scoring four in a row, the Tigers snatched the opportunity to cut the deficit to three goals heading into the final period. Tauckus was the catalyst during the run, scoring three straight goals. 

Despite this, the experience and home crowd propelled the Eagles to close out the win. A strong fourth-quarter start highlighted by four straight goals allowed the Eagles to pull away for a 21–16 victory.

Boston College advanced to the quarter-finals where they beat the University of Michigan earlier today 14–9 to advance to a seventh consecutive Final Four appearance. 

For Princeton, a successful season comes to an end. They will have one more year with star attacker McKenzie Blake. With other key contributors returning, the future seems to be bright for at least another year in Old Nassau.

The Terps make it eight in a row

Historically, the Tigers have struggled against the Terrapins. The last win for men’s lacrosse against Maryland came nearly 20 years ago on May 22, 2004. Head Coach Matt Madalon has been with the program since 2013 — spending four years as an offensive coordinator before being named the head coach in 2017 — and has lost to Maryland seven times since 2015. Most notably, the historic 2022 Tigers squad lost to Maryland in the Final Four.

Before this matchup, the two sides had played four times in the last three seasons, including a matchup earlier this season. All four times, the script has been nearly identical. The Terrapins have gotten off to a strong lead and cruised the rest of the way.

Still hoping to avenge the 2022 Final Four loss, many fans thought the Tigers could do just that. A pregame fan poll by InsideLacrosse had an overwhelming majority of the participants picking Princeton to advance. 

However, the Terrapins had other plans on a rainy Saturday night in College Park. It took only nine seconds for Maryland to get in the offensive end and beat senior goalie Michael Gianforcaro. They held that lead for the rest of the game and never looked back.

It took @TerpsMLax less than TEN SECONDS to take the lead 💨💨 (via ESPNU) pic.twitter.com/hl9jkpfQbk — TLN 🥍 (@LacrosseNetwork) May 11, 2024

At the end of the first quarter, the Tigers trailed 4–1 with the lone goal coming courtesy of first-year attacker Nate Kabiri. The only notable highlight of the first quarter was sophomore face-off Andrew McMeekin breaking the program record for ground balls in a season (132). 

Kabiri would go on to score two more goals, finishing his rookie season with 32 goals and 25 assists. His 25 assists were second in the country amongst first-year players. 

At half, the Tigers trailed 11–3. Walking to the locker room, the atmosphere was loud at College Park with many Tigers stunned at the score. Coming into the game, the Tigers were hot and coming off an Ivy League championship. Meanwhile, Maryland’s last win was on April 13, and the team suffered a disastrous loss in the Big Ten semifinals against Penn State, the same game where leading goal-scorer Braden Erksa was stretchered off the field. 

While the Tigers outscored the Terrapins 3–1 in the third quarter, highlighted by a goal and an assist from junior star attacker Coulter Mackey, it was too little and too late. With one season left for the Tigers, Mackesy is 40 goals away from tying the program record of goals in a career (163).

The fourth quarter was quite uneventful, with the game ending 16–8. The Tigers’ season ended in the first round of the tournament for the second year in a row, while Maryland advanced to the second round where they will meet No.2-seeded Duke (13–5, 1–3 Atlantic Coast Conference) on Saturday. 

The Maryland defense, led by defenseman Ajax Zappitello, caused nine turnovers and allowed just 31 shots from a Princeton team that came into the match averaging over 46 per game. Zappitello was recently picked third in the Premier Lacrosse League draft.

Maryland graduate student face-off specialist Luke Wierman is one of the best in the country. Also picked in the draft (25th pick), Wierman has the most faceoffs in Terrapins history with over 800 to his name. On Saturday, he won 20 out of 26 face-offs, giving his side multiple opportunities to capitalize and score. 

Similar to the women’s program, Princeton will return key players: Mackesy, McMeekin, Kabiri, and first-year attacker Colin Burns, among other contributors. Madalon and his staff will now look to capitalize on Mackesy’s final year for the program. Though the curtain has closed on this year’s version of Princeton lacrosse, the future remains bright as the returning stars look to extend deeper tournament runs next spring.

Hayk Yengibaryan is an associate Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.

From lab to leadership: Shirley Tilghman reflects on her journey as University president

Shirley Tilghman reflects on the current landscape of higher education and her service as the University president from 2001 to 2013. She oversaw the expansion of programming in the arts and sciences, financial aid, and gender equality. 

Leading with ‘humor, humility, and humanity’: Dolan reflects on nine years as Dean of the College

The Daily Princetonian sat down with Dean Dolan and several of her closest colleagues to discuss her trailblazing work as an academic, transformation into an administrator, and responses to the hot-button issues that have defined her tenure.

‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ quietly closes after three weeks

After nearly three weeks, the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” has ended, though organizers hinted that they will return.

Most Popular

Hunger strikers trade off with new participants after nine days, live updates: protesters issued warning to clear camp on monday, no timeline set, eisgruber says protesters must clear encampment, divestment to be formally considered, faculty call on the board of trustees to act in face of hunger strike, graduate student union vote fails, 391–652.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Guest Essay

Let’s All Take a Deep Breath About China

By Rory Truex

Dr. Truex is an associate professor at Princeton University whose research focuses on Chinese authoritarianism.

The amygdala is a pair of neural clusters near the base of the brain that assesses danger and can help prompt a fight-or-flight response . A prolonged stress response may contribute to anxiety, which can cause people to perceive danger where there is none and obsess about worst-case scenarios.

America’s collective national body is suffering from a chronic case of China anxiety. Nearly anything with the word “Chinese” in front of it now triggers a fear response in our political system, muddling our ability to properly gauge and contextualize threats. This has led the U.S. government and American politicians to pursue policies grounded in repression and exclusion, mirroring the authoritarian system that they seek to combat.

Congress has moved to force the sale of TikTok , the Chinese-owned social media application; some states have sought restrictions on Chinese individuals or entities owning U.S. land and on Chinese researchers working in American universities ; and the federal government has barred certain Chinese technology firms from competing in our markets. These measures all have a national security rationale, and it is not my intention here to weigh the merits of every one. But collectively they are yielding a United States that is fundamentally more closed — and more like China in meaningful ways.

When you are constantly anxious, no threat is too small. In January, Rick Scott, a senator from Florida, introduced legislation that would ban imports of Chinese garlic, which he suggested could be a threat to U.S. national security , citing reports that it is fertilized with human sewage. In 2017, scientists at McGill University wrote there is no evidence that this is the case. Even if it was, it’s common practice to use human waste, known as “biosolids,” as fertilizer in many countries, including the United States.

More recently, Senator Tom Cotton and Representative Elise Stefanik introduced legislation that would bar the Department of Defense from contracting with Tutor.com, a U.S.-based tutoring company, on the grounds that it poses a threat to national security because it was purchased by Primavera Capital Group, an investment firm based in Hong Kong. Their argument is that this could give the Chinese government backdoor access to the tutoring sessions and personal information of American military personnel who use the firm’s service.

The legislation does not mention that Tutor.com’s student data is housed in the United States , that it volunteered for a security review by the federal Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and that it created additional levels of data security protection in coordination with the U.S. government. The bill also does not specify how exactly the Chinese government would get access to Tutor.com’s data or what use it would actually have for information on the tutoring sessions of U.S. military personnel.

Last summer, several Republican lawmakers cried foul over the “Barbie” movie because a world map briefly shown in the background of one scene included a dashed line. They took this as a reference to China’s “nine-dashed line,” which Beijing uses to buttress its disputed territorial claims in the South China Sea. According to Representative Jim Banks, this is “endangering our national security.” The map in the movie is clearly fantastical, had only eight dashes and bore no resemblance to China’s line. Even the Philippine government, which has for years been embroiled in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea, dismissed the controversy and approved the movie’s domestic release.

Of course, the United States should actively confront President Xi Jinping of China about his repression at home and aggression abroad. As a scholar of China’s political system, I worry about how Mr. Xi has made his country even more authoritarian; about increasing human rights abuses in China, particularly those directed at the Uyghur population in Xinjiang ; about Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong, its threats toward Taiwan, its increasingly cozy relationship with Russia and its support for the war in Ukraine . America must remain alert to legitimate concerns about well-documented Chinese activities such as espionage and cyberattacks.

But should our policymakers really be focusing on Tutor.com, Chinese garlic or “Barbie”? Or should they concentrate on the more serious threats posed by China’s authoritarian system, or the many other issues that meaningfully affect the day-to-day lives of Americans?

Perhaps the most worrisome effect is that China anxiety is slowly creeping toward discrimination against Chinese Americans, a new “yellow peril.” We’ve already seen how an initiative begun during the Trump administration to target Chinese espionage led to unfair scrutiny of Chinese researchers and even Asian American government employees, leading to the program being terminated in 2022. And we saw how xenophobia during the pandemic triggered threats and attacks against Asian Americans. There also have been numerous reports of law enforcement officials interrogating Chinese students and researchers traveling to and from China on the grounds that they may be agents of the Chinese state. Again, this treatment — being brought in for questioning by the police or government officials — is something foreign scholars experience in China , where it is euphemistically referred to as “being invited for tea.”

Last year, state legislators in Texas proposed a bill that initially sought to prevent Chinese (as well as Iranian, North Korean and Russian) citizens and entities from buying land, homes or other real estate, citing concerns about the security of the food supply. Putting aside the fact that Chinese citizens are not the Chinese government, the actual amount of American farmland owned by Chinese entities is negligible — never exceeding 1 percent of farmland in any given American state as of 2021. The bill ultimately failed , but only after substantial pushback from the Chinese American community.

This China panic, also stirred up by both liberal and conservative U.S. media, may be influencing how average people perceive their fellow Americans of Chinese heritage. Michael Cerny, a fellow China researcher, and I recently surveyed over 2,500 Americans on the question of whether Chinese Americans who were born in the United States should be allowed to serve in the U.S. intelligence community. Roughly 27 percent said Chinese Americans’ access to classified information should be more limited than for other U.S. citizens, and 14 percent said they should be allowed no access at all.

This is overt racism, and while not the majority opinion, it is concerning that so many Americans are blurring the line between the Chinese government and people of Chinese ethnicity, mirroring the language of our politicians.

China is a formidable geopolitical rival. But there is no world in which garlic, “Barbie” or a tutoring site poses meaningful threats to American national security. Labeling them as such reveals a certain lack of seriousness in our policy discourse.

If the United States is to properly compete with China, it’s going to require healthy, balanced policymaking that protects U.S. national security without compromising core American values.

Let’s take a deep breath.

Rory Truex (@rorytruex) is an associate professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University, where he teaches courses on Chinese politics and authoritarian rule.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , WhatsApp , X and Threads .

Princeton University

New initiatives bring princeton to the fore of ai innovation.

By the Office of Engineering Communications

May 10, 2024

This article is from the Accelerating Innovation with AI issue of EQuad News magazine.

Mengdi Wang, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and co-director of one of several new AI initiatives, spoke at Princeton's recent AI Summit. Photo by Sameer A. Khan/Fotobuddy

Princeton is a key partner in a New Jersey state AI hub, and the University has launched initiatives on precision health, language and intelligence, and accelerated innovation, bringing together experts to tackle emerging challenges and opportunities in AI. At the same time, the Department of Computer Science is meeting the students' booming interest in AI through courses that delve into the underlying technologies as well as their societal impacts.

New Jersey AI hub

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and University President Christopher L. Eisgruber unveiled a plan last December to create an artificial intelligence innovation hub for the state in collaboration with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

The initiative will bring together AI researchers, industry leaders, startup companies, and other collaborators to advance research and development. Priorities include advancing the use of ethical AI and promoting workforce development in collaboration with other New Jersey universities, community colleges, and vocational schools.

“We have the potential to pioneer technologies that could unlock new cures for debilitating diseases, or new solutions for combating climate change, or new methods for educating our students so that every child can receive the personalized attention they deserve and need to reach their full potential,” Murphy said. “With AI, we have a chance to confront — and perhaps overcome — some of the greatest challenges facing our world.”

Princeton Precision Health

Princeton researchers are working to make health care more precise and effective. But they’re not working with patients, they’re working with data .

Created in 2022, Princeton Precision Health is an interdisciplinary initiative for AI and data-driven approaches to health care challenges. The initiative uses advanced AI methods on large, complex data sets to make health care policy and delivery more precise, effective, and unbiased .

Led by Olga Troyanskaya , a professor of computer science and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics , PPH focuses on four areas: kidney disease and diabetes; the immune system and inflammation; neurodevelopment, neurodegeneration, and mental health; and technology and mental health. The organization has hosted symposia, lectures, and discussion groups, and provided research grants to faculty. The initiative aims to convene experts from many fields — including computer science, biology, environmental science, social science, economics, policy, psychology, ethics, and medicine — to collaborate on interdisciplinary AI-based approaches to improve health outcomes.

“We can address very hard health challenges involving researchers across domains, from computational biology to epidemiology to social science and ethics,” Troyanskaya said .

Language and Intelligence initiative

The Princeton Language and Intelligence initiative is deploying the University’s resources and academic strengths to enhance understanding of artificial intelligence; examine its safety, policy, and ethical implications; and enable its use across disciplines.

Announced in September 2023, the initiative is led by Sanjeev Arora , Princeton’s Charles C. Fitzmorris Professor in Computer Science, who has conducted research at the intersection of language and AI for many years. The initiative will support a group of postdoctoral research fellows, research scientists, and engineers exploring key questions about the technology. It also has enabled the purchase a large computational cluster to give Princeton researchers access to the resources needed to work with large language models.

“AI is in danger of developing primarily inside private labs, with little opportunity for the rest of the world to know how it works or be assured that it is responsibly deployed with full safeguards,” said Jennifer Rexford , Princeton University provost and Gordon Y.S. Wu Professor in Engineering. “We are committed to keeping AI expertise and know-how in the public sphere. We are eager to work with institutional partners and companies who share our commitment to open research. Initiatives such as PLI can democratize AI knowledge, enhance transparency and accountability, and help ensure that benefits of AI accrue to all of humanity.”

This article was adapted from a previously published story .

AI Accelerated Innovation

Reflecting rapid advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s new AI Initiative will help accelerate innovation across engineering disciplines.

Led by Mengdi Wang , associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and the Center for Statistics and Machine Learning , and Ryan Adams , professor of computer science, the initiative, called AI Accelerated Innovation, aims to develop techniques to apply artificial intelligence to each step of technological innovation: design, simulation, fabrication, and control. The initiative builds on much work already underway at Princeton, such as using AI to design new energy technologies, medicines, computer chips, and construction techniques.

Such uses do not replace human intelligence, but extend it, Adams said. “How can we build systems that can do things for us that we cannot do for ourselves?”

The initiative will support new research through seed grants, postdoctoral positions, and computing resources, while providing internships, seminars, and other professional development.

The initiative will take advantage of Princeton’s “tight-knit community of exceptionally high-quality researchers,” the organizers said. “The goal is to create a collaborative, welcoming, resource-rich environment in which new research partner-ships across disciplines can emerge and change the way engineering is done.”

Students delve into AI and its impacts

With nearly half of computer science undergraduates studying artificial intelligence, demand for AI-related courses, independent work, and senior theses is booming. Out of 10 faculty members hired since 2022, half have expertise that adds to longstanding department strengths in computer vision, machine learning, natural language processing, and the ethical implications of AI. Teaching students to think about the social impact of AI, department chair Szymon Rusinkiewicz said, is as critical as teaching them how to build the technology. “Our goal is to make sure the computer science department at Princeton is well positioned to do both,” he said.

Related News

How do you make a robot smarter?

Researchers harness large language models to accelerate materials discovery

At NextG symposium, tech leaders stress collaboration between industry, academia and government

Diversifying AI through data collection and career development

Using AI to wrangle fusion energy

Science has an AI problem. This group says they can fix it.

Jennifer Rexford

Olga Troyanskaya

Sanjeev Arora

Ryan P. Adams

Mengdi Wang

Bioengineering and Health

Data Science

Public Policy

Security and Privacy

Related departments.

Computer Science

Electrical and Computer Engineering