Princeton is really the best of many worlds - it's a liberal arts college with the resources of a big research powerhouse; it's close to the city but is surrounded by a quaint town; it's 'academic' and Ivy-like, but also knows how to have fun. This is a place that will stretch your mind and challenge you like never before, in a way that's surprisingly exciting. The beautiful campus and storied history also make it impossible not feel proud about being a Princetonian.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
Rigor is really dependent on your degree program (AB - arts/sciences; BSE - engineering), as well as your department. As an AB student, most of my workload is reading-related, but you of course will have times in the semester when there is lots of written work due, and perhaps some traditional exams as well. Each week you'll also have discussion sections (what we call precepts) that allow you to discuss what you've been learning on your own or during lectures. Some don't take them too seriously, and you'll often find yourself less than enthused too, but they can be interesting if you have a good preceptor and classmates. Overall, I've really grown intellectually here, and have learned to love learning all over again.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
The fact that pretty much everyone lives on campus means that activities and student events are always within walking distance of your room. Since you start your first two years in a residential college, a lot of fun stuff will happen with those living within closest proximity to you, allowing for a nice sense of community if you really embrace it. However, because of the somewhat fragmented social and living scene in the upperclass years (when students have the option to join eating clubs and live in upperclass housing), dorm life is much more focused on freshmen and sophomores, making it harder to socialize and connect with older students. Also, because the dorms can often be perceived as lame, many activities sponsored by the colleges themselves won't be super-attended or exciting. It could certainly be better, but there are plenty of places where dorm life is much worse so don't let this detract from your decision!
Describe the food and dining at your college.
Personally, I think the food is pretty great, particularly because there are 4 dining halls you can access, so if you have an unlimited plan you can just walk somewhere else if your first choice doesn't have great options. It's all-you-can-eat, and there tend to be diverse options depending on which hall you choose. Also, the campus center offers 'late meal,' in which you can swipe an additional time after lunch and dinner (if you're on an unlimited plan), and basically eat 'free.' I can't speak to the eating club dining experience just yet, but most claim to have the best food among the clubs, so they must be pretty decent. Off-campus, the town is a little pricey so students don't tend to eat at many of the restaurants, although there are some more reasonable options that appeal to college kids. You'll have most of what you need on campus, though, so there often isn't a need to cross the street into town.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Princeton is full of traditions that I personally love. When you get to campus you walk through the front gates, and aren't supposed to walk back out before graduation, or else it's said that you'll jeopardize your chance to finish in 4 years. I think about 3/4 of students play along with that particular tradition, which I think is pretty nice, even if the superstition is of course not much more than urban legend. Another fun tradition is the 'arch sings,' in which the a cappella groups meet under archways and entertain whoever passes by on their way to pregames or the eating clubs on Thursday and Saturday nights. There's lots of other great traditions like the bonfire (if we beat both Harvard and Yale in the same season), Reunions (the largest reunion event in the country that tons of current students stick around for in May), and Opening Exercises (freshman convocation that's held in the chapel and feels like your first day at Hogwarts).
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
There's pretty much always something going on around campus, from dance performances to workshops, seminars, study breaks, concerts, and more. You have a huge selection of groups to choose from, whether you're interested in politics, professional development, the arts, or even something extremely random like chocolate-making. It can be a bit difficult to find your niche at first if you just aim at selective groups (especially dance teams or a cappella groups, for example), but there's also a lot that doesn't involve auditions or applications, if you want to maybe develop new interests or skills at first before trying again later. Just don't let that potential rejection discourage you, and don't trust the image of 'effortless perfection' that you may see in your peers, everyone's trying their best and has their own story they may not tell!
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
Every year, the 'Triangle Club' (our musical comedy troupe) performs a show for the freshmen and literally features an entire song called Nothing Ever Happens in Princeton, because it's about as safe and calm as you can get. There are occasional small blips, but I've never heard of any true emergencies to be worried about. The town itself is super-suburban and pretty affluent, and the campus is relatively insular, so there's essentially nothing to ever worry about.
Princeton is really the best of many worlds - it's a liberal arts college with the resources of a big research powerhouse; it's close to the city but is surrounded by a quaint town; it's 'academic' and Ivy-like, but also knows how to have fun. This is a place that will stretch your mind and challenge you like never before, in a way that's surprisingly exciting. The beautiful campus and storied history also make it impossible not feel proud about being a Princetonian.
Rigor is really dependent on your degree program (AB - arts/sciences; BSE - engineering), as well as your department. As an AB student, most of my workload is reading-related, but you of course will have times in the semester when there is lots of written work due, and perhaps some traditional exams as well. Each week you'll also have discussion sections (what we call precepts) that allow you to discuss what you've been learning on your own or during lectures. Some don't take them too seriously, and you'll often find yourself less than enthused too, but they can be interesting if you have a good preceptor and classmates. Overall, I've really grown intellectually here, and have learned to love learning all over again.
The fact that pretty much everyone lives on campus means that activities and student events are always within walking distance of your room. Since you start your first two years in a residential college, a lot of fun stuff will happen with those living within closest proximity to you, allowing for a nice sense of community if you really embrace it. However, because of the somewhat fragmented social and living scene in the upperclass years (when students have the option to join eating clubs and live in upperclass housing), dorm life is much more focused on freshmen and sophomores, making it harder to socialize and connect with older students. Also, because the dorms can often be perceived as lame, many activities sponsored by the colleges themselves won't be super-attended or exciting. It could certainly be better, but there are plenty of places where dorm life is much worse so don't let this detract from your decision!
Personally, I think the food is pretty great, particularly because there are 4 dining halls you can access, so if you have an unlimited plan you can just walk somewhere else if your first choice doesn't have great options. It's all-you-can-eat, and there tend to be diverse options depending on which hall you choose. Also, the campus center offers 'late meal,' in which you can swipe an additional time after lunch and dinner (if you're on an unlimited plan), and basically eat 'free.' I can't speak to the eating club dining experience just yet, but most claim to have the best food among the clubs, so they must be pretty decent. Off-campus, the town is a little pricey so students don't tend to eat at many of the restaurants, although there are some more reasonable options that appeal to college kids. You'll have most of what you need on campus, though, so there often isn't a need to cross the street into town.
Princeton is full of traditions that I personally love. When you get to campus you walk through the front gates, and aren't supposed to walk back out before graduation, or else it's said that you'll jeopardize your chance to finish in 4 years. I think about 3/4 of students play along with that particular tradition, which I think is pretty nice, even if the superstition is of course not much more than urban legend. Another fun tradition is the 'arch sings,' in which the a cappella groups meet under archways and entertain whoever passes by on their way to pregames or the eating clubs on Thursday and Saturday nights. There's lots of other great traditions like the bonfire (if we beat both Harvard and Yale in the same season), Reunions (the largest reunion event in the country that tons of current students stick around for in May), and Opening Exercises (freshman convocation that's held in the chapel and feels like your first day at Hogwarts).
There's pretty much always something going on around campus, from dance performances to workshops, seminars, study breaks, concerts, and more. You have a huge selection of groups to choose from, whether you're interested in politics, professional development, the arts, or even something extremely random like chocolate-making. It can be a bit difficult to find your niche at first if you just aim at selective groups (especially dance teams or a cappella groups, for example), but there's also a lot that doesn't involve auditions or applications, if you want to maybe develop new interests or skills at first before trying again later. Just don't let that potential rejection discourage you, and don't trust the image of 'effortless perfection' that you may see in your peers, everyone's trying their best and has their own story they may not tell!
Every year, the 'Triangle Club' (our musical comedy troupe) performs a show for the freshmen and literally features an entire song called Nothing Ever Happens in Princeton, because it's about as safe and calm as you can get. There are occasional small blips, but I've never heard of any true emergencies to be worried about. The town itself is super-suburban and pretty affluent, and the campus is relatively insular, so there's essentially nothing to ever worry about.