Unveiling Princeton: The Insider’s View on What Makes Princeton University Unique

Written by Sienna, Princeton University

Most people know Princeton University from its consistent ranking as the #1 school in America according to the U.S. News Rankings (13 years in a row and counting). There are a number of factors that are considered in the award of this prestigious title, but today we are diving into what makes Princeton a standout school beyond just the numbers. Written by a Princeton university graduate, this article includes first hand insights that you won’t get anywhere else… 

All-expenses paid summer research in Italy? No problem! 

Princeton University has a remarkable endowment - standing at over 34 billion dollars at the end of 2023, but what's more relevant to students is the fact that Princeton has the highest endowment per student of any university.  This means that Princeton University students have unparalleled access to resources, and this is readily apparent in the number of fully-funded opportunities for students in both academic and extracurricular pursuits. 

For example, funding is available for extensive student club activities including off-campus trips and retreats, bringing interesting speakers to campus, and planning events for the undergraduate student body. 

Not only are there tons of on-campus research opportunities and enough extracurricular activities to satisfy any student, but if you are someone who likes to travel, you will be excited by Princeton's unparalleled funding of internships, academic programs, and research opportunities abroad. 

For example, through Princeton’s International Internship Program (IIP), students can apply to spend their summer at a variety of interesting internships in places as far ranging as Vienna, Austria and Bogota, Colombia.  

Additionally, any student can apply for funding for independent research in just a few easy steps through a school-wide portal as well as through their academic department. One of my good friends at Princeton ended up spending nearly her entire summer before senior year doing independent research in Italy on the cultural significance of olive oil production - a trip fully paid for by Princeton. This leads to another unique aspect of the Princeton University Experience….

The Infamous Senior Thesis 

Princeton University is one of the only schools in the country to require nearly every student to write a senior thesis. The thesis is basically a long research paper on a topic of the student’s choosing relevant to their field of study. The length varies by major, but generally theses are between 75-100 pages (though some are much longer or shorter). 

Writing the senior thesis is one of the hallmark experiences of the Princeton undergraduate career for a number of reasons. Unlike a research paper for a class, students are not presented with a set number of topics of contrasts for research - they can design basically any research study or choose any topic that holds relevance to their academic field.  The Princeton senior thesis also offers the opportunity to work directly with a Princeton University professor in your field of study who serves as an advisor for your research and writing process. 

Some students have even turned their senior theses into much larger, and more impactful projects. For example, Teach For America was created by Wendy Kopp based on the research and program design laid out in her senior thesis at Princeton.  

The Eating Clubs

With a long-standing history at Princeton, eating clubs are social clubs that reside within historic mini mansions located along Prospect Ave. directly bordering the University's campus. As the name suggests, members of eating clubs eat their meals at the eating club’s house and take part in exclusive social events at their club. 

Eating clubs are the source of the majority of Princeon’s party and social scene. Members of eating clubs can exchange meals with members of other eating clubs and can invite friends to eating club events, though invitations are usually limited to 1-2 guests per member. 

In order to join an eating club, students take part in an interactive interview process known as “bicker” during the spring of their sophomore year. Throughout the years the eating clubs have faced criticism for fostering what some have called an elitist environment given the fact that not everyone who bikers a particular eating club will get in. Conversely though, the tight controls on who may join an eating club as well as who may enter the eating club m=premises (they all have security at night) may make them a much safer alternative to other typical college parties.  

Where We Live Matters… 

No, this is not some classist statement about a person’s post address… rather, the unique culture surrounding student housing at Princeton. Given the expensive pricing of off-campus housing and the lack of housing supply in the small town of Princeton, most students live on campus for all 4 years. This contributes to an unusually vibrant social life for students of all class years, where the center of activity remains right on campus. 

The housing system at Princeton is separated into various “residential Colleges,” which provide students with a residential college staff that serves as a student’s direct point of contact for academic and personal advising as well as activities. students are required to live in the housing buildings associated with their respective residential college for the first two years. Upperclassmen are given the option to move to housing accommodations associated with other residential colleges or move into buildings designated as upperclassmen housing. One of the most popular upperclassmen housing areas known as “the slums” overlooks Henry courtyard which turns into a beautiful scene of pink cherry blossoms every spring.  

Step Aside Grad Students

Unlike Harvard or Yale, Princeton does not have a business school, medical school, or law school. This means that the teaching focus is instead on undergraduates! Instead of having to compete for research opportunities with much better-qualified graduate students or beg for time with a professor, at Princeton you will have these opportunities at your fingertips from day 1. Since the faculty is largely focused on teaching undergraduates, unlike at other large schools that boast famous faculty members, at Princeton, you will likely be learning directly from these professors themselves. For example, my introductory ethics class was with philosopher Peter Singer, who personally hosted a weekly discussion group or “precept”, as they are called at Princeton. 

An Alumni Network to Rival All Others

While other Ivy League schools boast an incredible roster of alumni as well, Princeton University students have the opportunity to interact with notable alumni more than at other institutions thanks, among other things,  to an annual in-person event called “reunions”...which, as you may have guessed, serves as an opportunity for alumni to come back to Princeont’s campus for four days to see one another again and relive their glory days. 

What you might not know though, is that reunions are not for a specific graduated class year, rather, they are for ALL graduates and organized under tents by class year, but attendees are free to mingle wherever they want. Each tent usually has a different atmosphere, with tents for older classes offering a more laid back selection of wine, appetizers, and live music, while younger classes are provided with open-bars, DJs, and a dancing that usually lasts until the early hours of the morning (a couple of years ago the main attraction was a massive ABBA themed karaoke and dancing tent that could be heard from across campus). 

It is difficult to convey in words the atmosphere of excitement and comradery that transcends/transpires on campus for these four days at the end of every May, but hopefully the photo below gives you an idea. 

However, more than just a party where students and alumni of all class years can rub shoulders, this serves as a uniting experience for alumni that ensure Princeton’s alumni are always eager to help students and remain responsive to student outreach. 

Aside from reunions, Princeton’s well-organized alumni tracking system called tiger-net provides student with the direct contact information of thousands of alumni - an invaluable advantage when it comes to internship and job searches.  

Additionally, while it cannot be quantified, numerous students have shared that they believe the remarkably rigorous academics of Princeton, even compared with many other Ivy league schools, creates a bonding affect among students and alumni who know how difficult it is to obtain a princeton degree - making alumni particularly likely to want to help current students whenever possible. 

From Nassau Street to NYC in an Hour

Last but not least, Princeton’s ideal location is another factor that sets it apart from other Ivy league schools. Princeton is located in an incredibly safe and idyllic college town just an hour train away from the hustle and bustle of New York City. While most students spend all of their time on campus due to the variety of options for extracurricular activities as well as competitive sports, the close proximity to NYC provides students with access to everything the city has to offer.