Princeton University

Princeton University is a world-famous research university that is part of the prestigious Ivy League Association , whose educational institutions are distinguished by high standards of education and special selectivity in relation to applicants.

Infrastructure at Princeton University

The main campus is located on 500 acres of land, where there are 180 university buildings, among which there was a place for both classrooms and research laboratories, sports complexes and dormitories. The Princeton University campus has an unusual architecture: buildings in the colonial, Romanesque, Gothic, as well as in the English Empire and Art Nouveau styles are concentrated on a relatively small plot of land. There are legends about university buildings.

The campus of Princeton University is open to visitors, tourists often come here. In addition to the most beautiful buildings, the infrastructure of the university is rich in parking lots, bicycle routes, hiking trails, parks, cozy squares, forests and even a picturesque lake.

Princeton is home to the Lewis Arts Center, where students of creative (and other) specialties can try their hand at dancing, painting, film art, and also take part in theatrical productions. In addition, on the campus of Princeton University there are theaters, galleries, cafes, restaurants, shops and gyms. The local museum has rich collections dedicated to Byzantine, Asian, African and European cultures.

The University Art Gallery features works by Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol and other prominent artists. Princeton even has its own publishing house, which publishes the university newspaper, scientific almanacs, and other literature that is popular among university students.

Scientific achievements of Princeton University

• There are 75 research institutes and two large national research laboratories of geophysical hydrodynamics and plasma physics on the territory of the university.
• It was Princeton staff and faculty who created the famous TOEFL language proficiency test.
• Within the walls of the university found a mistake in the original Declaration of Independence of the United States.
• New methods for capturing and converting carbon dioxide were discovered here.
• Individuals, foundations and government agencies are actively investing in Princeton’s research. FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2014, 1,373 SCIENTIFIC PROJECTS WERE FUNDED BY EXTERNAL SOURCES, WITH A TOTAL EXPENDITURE OF USD 1,998 million. The above figures do not include research funds for the Plasma Physics Laboratory: its separate budget was about USD 98 million.

Why choose Princeton University?

• The campus of the university is conveniently located in the picturesque quiet town of Princeton, an hour’s drive from New York and Philadelphia. Students often travel to New York for various performances, tours and concerts. Any of the nearby major cities can be reached by train, bus or car.
• There are about 300 student interest clubs at Princeton University. The educational institution takes club traditions seriously, many societies trace their history back to the 19th century. Dining clubs are especially popular – places where people like to eat delicious food and discuss the scientific achievements of the university.
• There is one faculty member for every six Princeton undergraduate students, one of the highest rates among US universities .
• Princeton University has the largest endowment per student in the world. In 2015, the savings of the university amounted to 227 USD billion.
• The activities of Princeton University are associated with 37 Nobel laureates.

Faculties at Princeton University

Princeton University consists of many departments – colleges and schools, some of them are engaged in teaching bachelors , while others accept only future masters and graduate students into their lavas. The structure of Princeton University includes:

• Undergraduate College , where students of bachelor’s programs study. Here you can get a bachelor’s degree in applied or liberal arts.
• 6 dormitory colleges where undergraduate students live. Residences are located directly on the territory of the university. Princeton adopted the idea of ​​collegiality from eminent British universities – Oxford and Cambridge .
• Graduate School (Higher School), in which students study in postgraduate programs leading to a doctoral degree, but there are also programs for master’s students at the Higher School. Here, training is possible in 4 main areas: natural sciences , applied sciences , humanities and social sciences .
• School of Engineering & Applied Science (School of Engineering and Applied Sciences), where there are programs for undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students. The school combines a classical approach to the study of disciplines and practical training in research centers.
• School of Architecture (Architectural School) is focused on teaching undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students. Offers a choice of the following areas: design , architecture and urbanism . Students have the opportunity to get acquainted with the history of the development of architectural art, to study modern methods of building buildings and architectural complexes.
• School of Public and International Relations. Woodrow Wilson offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs to students who wish to build a successful career in international diplomacy .

Features of admission to Princeton University

Princeton University has a democratic approach to exam results and final school scores: there is no minimum threshold for applicants. But still, it should be borne in mind that this is one of the most prestigious universities in the world, and it is unlikely that you will be able to enter Princeton University with poor grades. The statistics speak for themselves: out of the total number of applicants, no more than 10% of applicants are enrolled.

• For admission to undergraduate programs, a certificate of completion of school and an extract with school grades for 6 months are required. Applicants need to take the SAT or ACT General Tests and two Subject Academic Assessment Tests ( SAT Subject ). Applicants should provide two references from former teachers and TOEFL or IELTS scores. In some cases, applicants are scheduled for an interview. For admission to creative specialties, you must prepare a portfolio.
• For admission to the magistracy, you need to provide a bachelor’s degree along with a scale of points, a motivation letter , TOEFL ibt or IELTS results, GRE or GMAT certificates, depending on the chosen specialty. Princeton also requires applicants for master’s programs documentary evidence of funds, three references from faculty members of an academic nature, and a detailed resume . The deadlines for submitting applications and documents differ from the bachelor’s and depend on the specialty.

Application Deadlines for Admission to Princeton University

The university offers two schemes for submitting application applications:

• Early applications – until November 1, you can find out about the commission’s decision as early as mid-December, which is very convenient for students who have chosen Princeton and are no longer going to apply to other universities.
• Applications in the general flow – until January 1 , an answer on enrollment from the university will have to wait until March 31. An excellent solution for those who apply to several universities at once.

Statistics of enrolled students at Princeton University

Tuition at Princeton University

Grants, scholarships and fellowships from Princeton University

Princeton University has a financial aid program (Financial Aid Program), in which everyone can participate. Scholarships are awarded to students who do not have the financial means to pay full tuition fees. As a rule, documents for participation in the assistance program are submitted along with the application for admission during the admission campaign. Annually, more than 60% of students receive financial assistance in the form of scholarships. Sometimes these scholarships cover up to 95% of tuition fees.

Princeton University offers dozens of institutional grants in a wide variety of fields. They are designed for both undergraduate and graduate students and doctoral researchers. The university has multimillion-dollar investments that are spent on promising research of students and university staff.

Princeton provides the following sources of funding for young professionals:

• The Boren Scholarship is available to undergraduate students who are conducting their own security research.
• Students who love to travel can try the Laura W. Bush Traveling Fellowship . This program provides for the cooperation of universities with the UNESCO Foundation, students of various specialties aged 19 to 25 can take part in it. The program includes trips to different countries of the world.
• The German Academic Exchange Service ( DAAD Undergraduate Scholarship ) program provides Princeton students with the opportunity to study for a summer, semester or year in a German master’s program and conduct research in various fields of science.
• The Martin A. Dale ’53 Summer Award is for Princeton sophomores who want to excel in a particular field of study, and a personal project is required to participate in the program.
• The Dean’s Fund for Scholarly Travel provides financial assistance to Master’s students while traveling to conferences around the world.
• Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowships are available to undergraduate students with high academic performance to help cover university tuition fees.

Dual Degree Studies at Princeton University

Princeton students have the opportunity to study in double degree programs, combining a major with an additional one. Similar programs are available to graduate students. Obtaining double degrees is possible in the following areas: materials science and engineering , social policy , neuroscience (neurobiology) , public law and demography .

Princeton University offers a second degree from one of its partner universities, including Columbia University , New York University , Stanford University , UC Berkeley , Cornell University , University of Chicago , Northwestern University , Yale University , University of Pennsylvania , University of North Carolina .

Since Princeton does not have its own business school, the university signed an agreement with Harvard University . Princeton University students can earn an MBA from Harvard Business School, a two-year program.

Possibility and conditions of living in the dormitories of Princeton University

In total, Princeton owns 6 dormitories, in which students of bachelor’s and master’s programs live. According to statistics, more than 80% of Princeton University students live on campus. The university management believes that living in Princeton is one of the important components of the university’s educational policy. In student residences, students are offered comprehensive support and numerous opportunities for organizing scientific activities and leisure.

Residences at Princeton University provide housing for 4 years, but some senior students prefer to continue to rent a room in one of the hostels, since renting an apartment in the city is much more expensive. The cost of living in a standard student apartment is about 300 USD -400 per month.

Student Life at Princeton University

The university offers a lot of services for students, including a free medical examination, since the Health Center operates on the territory of the university. Princeton has a language center where you can learn one or more additional foreign languages ​​(more than 20 languages ​​are offered).

The university provides a lot of opportunities for the development of sports skills, as evidenced by the on-campus gyms, various sports sections (martial arts, weightlifting, gymnastics, and much more), as well as American football, basketball, lacrosse, etc. d.

The Student Council regularly organizes student leisure activities – celebrations, parties, theater performances and music festivals, so Princeton students have no time to be bored.

Notable Princeton University alumni and faculty

• James Madison – 4th President of the United States of America, is one of the key authors of the US Constitution.
• Haruki Murakami is a famous Japanese prose writer, essayist and translator, winner of the Franz Kafka Prize. He is the author of the works “Hunting for sheep” and “Listen to the song of the wind.”
• Michelle Obama is the 44th First Lady of the United States, American lawyer and wife of US President Barack Obama.
• Francis Scott Fitzgerald also studied here but failed to graduate with a degree. Interestingly, in the funds of the library of Princeton University you can find a manuscript of the novel “The Great Gatsby” by Fitzgerald.
• Albert Einstein taught at one of Princeton’s research institutes. In 1933, the famous professor of physics became a lifelong member of the institute at the university, and his office is also located here.

Interesting facts about Princeton University

• On November 6, 1869, the teams from Princeton and Rutgers Universities played American football for the first time. This date was the birthday of this sport.
• Musician Bob Dylan wrote the song “Day of the Locusts” about Princeton University.
• The mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. once studied at Princeton. The story of the life of a scientist formed the basis of the drama-biography of Ron Howard “A Beautiful Mind” (A Beautiful Mind).
• The Frist Center is located on the grounds of Princeton University. It is he who is shown in the TV series “Dr. House” (House, MD) as the hospital of Princeton-Plainsboro. By the way, Einstein taught in room 302 of the center.
• There is a belief that Princeton University students must pass through the FitzRandolph Gate on the first and last day of school. According to legend, if you go through them at least once during your studies, you will not be able to graduate from Princeton.
• In the first year of study, university students swear to follow the Code of Honor. This set of rules, for example, prohibits cheating. It happens that teachers are not present at exams, and rarely any student will dare to break the code.