r/princeton

I was super commited to Brown for their APMA/Econ program on a pre-PhD route for economics (for context I rejected UChicago for them despite UChicago being the place to be for econ). Just got off of the Princeton waitlist and ngl im still really in love with Brown, but I just wanted to hear other opinions. Price is negligible.

Brown (APMA/ECON + potential double in Cog Sci)

Pros:

• OPEN CURRICULUM (I love exploring different subjects like linguists/neuro/music etc)
• Campus culture/General Happiness (I LOVED ADOCH all the current/former students/profs were amazing people)
• PhD placements are literally the exact same as Princeton/UChicago/Harvard etc to top programs so im in a good position regardless.
• Seemed easier to have connections with professors (on average like 1/2 grad students per professor for my department)
• Stronger alumni network??? Tho this might be biased from my experience
• APMA/ECON at Brown is like the dream major for me so I can do math and economics at the same time
• EXTREMELY reputable APMA program
• Providence RI

Cons:

• Amenities (the dorms are meh and there are like no libraries)
• Brown has the smallest endowment in the ivies so it feels like they budget a lot and arent spending on their students as much as they should be for their status as an Ivy. So less funding for travel, research, you name it
• Worse placements if I decide that I dont want to go to grad school?
• Less reputable in econ/most other subjects?

Princeton (Econ with minor in APMA)

Pros:

• Prestige/Name Brand
• Marginally better music program (could minor easily)
• Research focused ethos
• Better study abroad/language learning institute

Cons:

• Cant double major (have to choose between math/econ)
• I dont mess with the "rumored" pre professional vibes (less finance bros the better). I want to go to a school where learning/following ur passion > future earnings
• Harder need to maintain a high GPA to pursue grad school (big reason why I rejected UChicago)
• Pure Math focus = poorer APMA program
• Idk if I would fit as well with the campus culture?!

In short: I feel I might be overly biased towards Brown so is it valid to choose Brown over Princeton

Can anyone comment on living on campus vs off?
We would want a two bedroom apartment/townhouse and I’m not sure with the additional fees if it makes sense to stay on campus long term. (Also I’m not sure if we would’ve approved for lakeside or meadows without children) For context I am an incoming undergrad and we are downsizing from a 3 bedroom single family home with a 2 car garage so this will be an adjustment. We are both used to having our own office as my partner works from home.
We currently live in a very low cost of living area so almost 2k square feet costs us around 2,000 a month. We saw some off campus options that are within our budget if we were to be careful, but I wanted to get some insight from others first.

Hi everyone! I’m an incoming freshman and I am hoping to go down the BSE track either for CEE or CBE. I come from a moderately rigorous STEM school, but the highest math class students are allowed to take is calc 1 (which I am currently taking). My school also does not offer any AP classes. Because of this, I will likely have to take MAT103 in the fall. How big of a setback is this if I plan to study engineering?

Hey, I just got off the WL for Princeton chemical/bioengineering! I am currently committed to Duke for Biomedical Engineering and I don’t know which to choose. I feel so lost (I mean I’m posting this at 12:00 am on a Wednesday lol).

I am full pay at both. I am planning to go into a biotech hub (Boston, SF, RTP, or SD) or get my PhD. I am pretty set on this plan and don’t see myself changing.

Here are my thoughts

• I haven’t heard the best things about Princeton’s chemical/bioengineering department from the few alumni I’ve talked to. I have heard there is a new building coming and some new investments. I have heard great things about Duke’s BME and how it is one of the best in the country. It looks like I would be taught by leaders in the field at Duke with more specialized classes. They also have a lot of groundbreaking research that I could be part of in comparison to Princeto. It is also in a biotech hub (RTP), which I’ve heard can help with internships.
• At Princeton you cannot double major, which is very different from Duke’s interdisciplinary culture. Although I understand both approaches, the interdisciplinary one seems better for my interests.
• Princeton is more prestigious, especially outside the country. Duke isn’t too far behind in the US. From what I’ve been told, biotech is less about prestige, and employers will be equally impressed by either school. I don’t know how much this difference will actually help me, if at all. I’ve looked at LinkedIn and talked to a couple alumni, and it seems like both schools lead to similar placements for jobs and PhD programs. It does look like more Princeton CBE students go into finance or business, while more Duke students stay in the field or go to med school. Both also seem equal in terms of alumni helpfulness, based on what my parents have said.
• Princeton has a greater endowment per student, which might mean more opportunities to do cool projects. Because it has fewer grad programs, it is also more undergraduate focused. Both of these probably contribute to the perception that Princeton is a strong PhD feeder.
• Living in the northeast, I’ve seen how much weather affects my mental health. I know neither place is perfect, but NC is sunnier and has less snow. I know this shouldn’t be a deciding factor, but it still matters to me.
• If academics or prestige weren’t factors (which they obviously are), I think I would pick Duke. It seems like a very balanced environment where school spirit, Greek life, and career success are part of the culture. I have visited Princeton quite a few times, and it felt more grindy, with the eating clubs acting like a quirky version of Greek life. That said, I’m sure I would be happy at either school.

It’s funny because my mom went to Princeton and my dad went to Duke. My parents believe I can’t make a wrong choice, but they did say they saw me light up when I visited Duke, which I definitely did. I just feel like this is a life changing decision and I don’t want to make the wrong one. I understand this might be a biased audience too haha! Thank you so much.

edit: thanks for your perspective! I picked Duke!

I just live in Princeton (not a Princeton student or anything), and sometimes it genuinely blows my mind that people like Einstein, John von Neumann, Gödel, Oppenheimer, and so many other legendary scientists actually lived and worked here. They literally walked the same streets, gave lectures here, had conversations here, etc.

I know Princeton is still full of extremely smart and accomplished people today too. professors, researchers, scientists, maybe future Nobel Prize winners.

For people who live here or went to Princeton: how do regular people actually meet or interact with these kinds of people? Do you just attend lectures/events, or is it more closed-off than it seems?

Princeton ‘2030! Any gc! Would love to connect with fellow princetonians!

Committed recently and trying to understand the Greek scene before fall. I know it's unrecognized and rush is spring of sophomore year, so I'm not in any rush to decide, but I want to ask people who've been through it:

1. How selective is rush actually? Are some houses harder to get than others, and what makes someone stand out vs cut?
2. Are there activities, dorms, or friend groups that consistently feed into specific sororities? I keep hearing Kappa, Theta, Pi Phi each have a vibe but I don't know what's real and what's stereotype.
3. How different are the sororities from each other in practice? Or is it more "your friends are in X so you go X"?
4. Is the toxic stuff people post online (cuts based on looks, sororities ranked by how pretty the girls are, cliquey behavior, etc) real at Princeton or is that an SEC import that didn't take root here?
5. How much does being in a sorority actually help with bicker into clubs like Ivy, Cottage, Cap, TI? Is it a real pipeline or overstated?
6. Do people who join sororities get a rep on campus, good or bad?

Trying to figure out if it's worth the time and energy or if eating clubs + activities are the real game. Thanks.

I am interested in taking the introductory chinese language class being offered in Fall 2026.

https://registrar.princeton.edu/course-offerings/course-details?term=1272&courseid=001066

The course detail suggests "Chinese 103 is designed for students who already have some familiarity with spoken Mandarin or any Chinese dialect."

Since I am an absolute beginner with zero knowledge of Chinese, what would one suggest I should do in Summer, to get some familiarity with Chinese language?

Thanks!!!

Howdy! I’m driving up from the DMV in my 2017 Chevy Bolt (super cool, I know) and was curious if folks had suggestions on good EV charging options on/near campus during Reunions. I probably need ~6 hours of charge to make it back home (depending on the charger). Any suggestions/context would be great. Thank you!

Around what date do FSI invitations roll out? Or have they already been sent out?

I'm an incoming first year to Princeton and I've been teaching philosophy on the side for about 2 years now and I love it. I know my experience hasn't included the more annoying bits involved in a real professorial career, but I'm definitely weighing that path as an option of mine. I feel particularly pulled towards the developments envisioned in neuroscience/cognitive science right now

Arriving on campus I'd like to take advantage of the fact that there are hundreds of the most successful academics in the country right there, and whatever resources may exist for students interesting in pursuing academia.

Can anyone who's doing/done the same from Princeton tell me how it was like entering the field coming from undergrad there? What resources should I consult? Am mostly just curious if there's anything useful you can share to me about this

"All in-person examinations at Princeton will be proctored starting July 1, representing the most significant change to the honor system since it was established in 1893. The faculty passed a proposal requiring instructor supervision at Monday’s faculty meeting, with one opposing vote.

The historic vote was the culmination of months of deliberation within the administration and student governing bodies about how to address increasing concerns over academic integrity violations, including the proliferation of AI usage.

Additional details, including proctor-to-student ratios and guidelines regarding monitoring practices, will be finalized before the policy takes effect."

https://www.instagram.com/p/DYNzOoHk66j/?img_index=1

In my opinion, I hope other top colleges start doing this!

might be a veryy stupid question.... buttttt i recently committed to pton over a diff school known for engineering job/internship placement and have been struck with the somewhat illogical fear that i'm going to struggle to find a job or internship in the future. 🤷🏼‍♂️ i understand that the alumni network isn't very helpful for engineering majors and the hiring processes are a lot more meritocratic. if any of you guys have tips or convincing statements please do share lol 😆 i'm going to be ECE or (maybe) CBE probably

Committed to Princeton recently and starting to think about social fit on top of academics. I know bicker isn't until sophomore spring but I keep reading that the roadmap starts freshman year through the activities you join and the people you meet.

For current members or recent grads of Ivy, TI, Cottage, Cap, Tower, etc:

1. What activities or teams actually feed into your club? I've seen acapella groups/dance troupes, Coffee Club, and certain sports(e.g. rowing, squash)/majors come up a lot but want to hear it from the inside. 
2. Looking back, what would you tell a freshman who wants to bicker successfully? What did you do early that mattered, and what was wasted effort? 
3. How much of bicker is who you know vs how you present in the actual conversations? 
4. Anything you wish you hadn't done freshman/sophomore year because it hurt your chances or boxed you in socially? 
5. For people who didn't get into their first choice, what would you do differently?

Not trying to game it, but I want to understand the social landscape before I get there. Thanks.

I've been checking out some of the Tiger Apps, but I'm guessing there's much more I don't yet know about. Do any of you have recommendations for what online resources I should check out / would be useful to peruse?

Hi! Incoming MAT/PHY/ORFE student here trying to decide on a laptop setup for college. I’m currently leaning towards a MacBook Air, but I’m unsure whether 24GB unified memory and 512GB storage would be sufficient for the kind of coursework and coding involved (I’m planning to take a few COS courses too!)

I’m also debating between the 13-inch and 15-inch models, not sure how much the size difference matters for portability, multitasking, note-taking, and day-to-day student life

Would really appreciate any advice or experiences from current students. Thanks!

Hey all, current first year graduate student looking for a few people or a larger group to play tennis with on campus. If you are interested in playing matches or just casually let me know! Also, if there is any club tennis that would also be great.