火爆社区

As a member of the grand old Ivy League, Princeton University has long maintained a 鈥渟terling reputation鈥� for quality academics; however, students say Princeton鈥檚 鈥渦nique focus on the undergraduate experience鈥� is what makes their school stand out among institutions. It attracts 鈥渞eally experienced and big-name professors, who actually want to teach undergraduates.鈥� Introductory lecture classes can be rather large, but 鈥渙nce you take upper-level courses, you鈥檒l have a lot of chances to work closely with professors and study what you are most interested in.鈥� A current undergrad enthuses, 鈥淭he discussions I have in seminar are the reason I get out of bed in the morning; after a great class, I feel incredibly invigorated.鈥� Though all Princeton professors are 鈥渓eading scholars in their field,鈥� students admit that some classes can be 鈥渄ry.鈥� Fortunately, 鈥渢he overwhelming majority of professors are wonderful, captivating lecturers鈥� who are 鈥渄edicated to their students.鈥� While you may be taking a class from a Nobel laureate, 鈥渢he humility and accessibility of world-famous researchers and public figures is always remarkable.鈥� At Princeton, 鈥渢here are so many chances to meet writers, performers, and professionals you admire.鈥� A student details, 鈥淭he two years I鈥檝e been here, I鈥檝e been in discussions with Frank Gehry, David Sedaris, Peter Hessler, John McPhee, Jeff Koons, Chang-rae Lee, Joyce Carol Oates, W.S. Merwin, and on and on.鈥� No matter what you study, Princeton is an 鈥渋ntellectually challenging place,鈥� and the student experience is 鈥渋ntense in almost every way.鈥� Hard work pays off, though 鈥渢he academic caliber of the school is unparalleled,鈥� and a Princeton education is 鈥渕agnificently rewarding.鈥�

It鈥檚 not surprising that most undergraduates are 鈥渄riven, competitive, and obsessed with perfection.鈥� That鈥檚 because Princeton students emphasize that 鈥淎cademics come first,鈥� which is typified by 鈥渁 tendency to overwork鈥� and dedication to studying. 鈥淎lmost everyone at Princeton is involved with something other than school about which they are extremely passionate,鈥� and most have 鈥渁t least one distinct, remarkable talent.鈥� This variety means that it鈥檚 actually 鈥渇airly easy for most people to find a good group of friends with whom they have something in common,鈥� and many students get involved in one of the 鈥渋nfinite number of clubs鈥� on campus. Superficially, 鈥渢he preppy Ivy League stereotype鈥� is reflected in the student population, and many students are 鈥渨ell-spoken,鈥� 鈥渄ress nicely,鈥� and stay in shape. A student jokes, 鈥淕oing to Princeton is like being in a contest to see who can be the biggest nerd while simultaneously appearing least nerdy.鈥�

Princeton students 鈥渢end to participate in a lot of different activities, from varsity sports (recruits), intramural sports (high school athletes), and more academically restricted activities like autonomous vehicle design club, Engineers Without Borders, and the literary magazine.鈥� In and out of the classroom, there are a 鈥渂illion opportunities to do what you know you love鈥� on the Princeton campus, from performance to sports to research. 鈥淧rinceton offers a lot of different opportunities to relax and de-stress,鈥� including 鈥渟porting events, concerts, recreational facilities,鈥� 鈥渁 movie theater that frequently screens current films for free,鈥� and 鈥渁rts and crafts at the student center.鈥� For some, social life is centered along Prospect Avenue, where 鈥淧rinceton鈥檚 eating clubs are lined up like ten...ducklings in a row.鈥� These eating clubs鈥攑rivate houses that serve as social clubs and cafeterias for upperclassmen鈥斺�減lay a large role in the social scene at the university.鈥� On the weekends, 鈥渢he eating clubs are extremely popular for partying, chatting, drinking, and dancing鈥濃�� not to mention, 鈥渇ree beer.鈥� Though students gush that 鈥渢he campus is gorgeous year round,鈥� when students need a break from the college atmosphere, 鈥渢here鈥檚 NJ Transit if you want to go to New York, Philly, or even just the local mall.鈥�

As one student tells us, 鈥淧rinceton is a place that prepares you for anything and everything, providing you with a strong network every step of the way.鈥� The Center for Career Development lends a hand the moment students arrive on campus by guiding undergrads through self-assessments, educating about majors and careers, and, of course, helping with resumes, cover letters, and online profiles. 鈥淧rinceternships鈥� allow students to experience 鈥渁 day in the life鈥� by shadowing an alumnus at their workplace for a few days. Single-organization site visits and multiple-organization City Treks are also used to acquaint students with the ins and outs of various industries (not to mention the alumni and recruiters working there). Beyond the center鈥檚 advising services, all students can schedule an informal 30-minute Career Chat with an alum in their area of interest. Students can also take part in the center鈥檚 robust Princeton in Washington and Arts at Work programs, which provide full summers of alumni networking events, panels, and social events. According to PayScale.com, the median starting salary for recent grads is $89,400, and 51 percent derive a high level of meaning from their job.