For Princeton, I had the opportunity to interview Caroline! She is so enthusiastic and gives great advice! In addition, she is the most school spirited person I've ever talked to! Thank you so much Caroline!
How would you describe the weather at Princeton? Does it frequently snow? What clothes would advise students to bring when arriving?
"Weather in NJ varies; it’s a pretty typical all-4-seasons place. Summer, spring and fall are moderate. In the winter, it tends to snow a couple times, but not too much - you definitely need a winter coat of some sort, but nothing crazy or expensive. Our residential colleges each give out a res-college branded coat to every freshman, and often that is even warm enough if you layer throughout the winter. It does rain fairly frequently, so definitely bring a rain coat! Be sure to bring layers, a winter coat, and a raincoat."
What kind of classes would you highly recommend students to take in high school before going off to college?
"There is no specific set of classes to take to be prepared for Princeton. Our admissions office lists some courses they recommend, which can be easily found on their website. The best advice is to take whatever interests you, what you are actively engaged in, and where you can excel. Princeton in particular is a writing-heavy school, so any practice you can get before college is great; however, all freshmen take our writing seminar program. That ensures everyone is taught strong writing skills before heading to upper level classes - so no worries if there aren’t many options for writing instruction in your high school!"
What makes Princeton so special to you? Was it your first choice and your dream school?
"Princeton is and always has been my dream school, and consistently lives up to or exceeds all my expectations. Beyond its unparalleled academic reputation (#1 ranked 9 years in a row, US News & World Reports), there are hundreds of things that make Princeton special." The big ones for me:
-
"The focus on the undergraduates. We don’t have any pre-professional schools, so all of the research/funding opportunities and attention from professors are automatically directed to you, even as a freshman. We never compete with grad students for any opportunities, and with the lowest student/faculty ratio in the Ivy League at 5:1, every professor is available to you for help, advice, or just to chat. All courses are taught by full professors at the top of their fields, never by any grad student."
-
"The size and location. Princeton is fairly small for an Ivy, about 5,200 undergrads. I meet new people every day, but I still see people I know constantly walking around. It feels both adventurous and homey. And Princeton’s campus is gorgeous - it’s extremely safe and right near town, so we can pop in to grab coffee or a meal anytime without having to drive. And the proximity to NYC and Philly allows for trips anytime to go shopping, see a play or sports game, or just walk around. We have our own train station right here on campus that makes it super easy to pop into the city anytime."
-
"The most important aspect to me was the community - absolutely everyone here is so friendly and excited to be at Princeton. With our residential college system, you have friends the second you get on to campus, and you never stop making them. Small class sizes, hundreds of clubs, and constant activities mean that you’ll constantly meet new people. It’s really the best place in the world - I feel extremely lucky to be a Princetonian, which is an identity that you hold for the rest of your life. Go Tigers!!"