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Important Alerts

Decision Release Date for 2020-21 Cycle

The joint notification date for the Ivy League this year will be Tuesday, April 6 at 7 p.m. Eastern time. Our candidate response deadline will be extended to Monday, May 3. The change in date is a result of increased applications across the League and our commitment to thoughtful review of all candidates. Students and families can be assured that, as always, we will consider any requests for additional extensions that may be necessitated by financial aid determinations. The Ivy moratorium will begin on Sunday, April 4 at 7 p.m. and conclude Wednesday, April 7 at 8 a.m., the day following the notification date.

More Information
Academics
  • What Does Liberal Arts Mean?
  • Quick Facts About Princeton
  • Faculty Profiles
  • Degrees & Departments
  • Certificate Programs
  • The Senior Thesis
  • Freshman Seminars
  • The Precept System
    • Intern & Study Abroad
    • Advising and Mentoring

    The Precept System

    Most classes at Princeton are small. The ratio of students to faculty is 5 to 1, and even lecture courses average just 30 to 40 students. This means that at Princeton, no one gets lost in the crowd.

    Students have the opportunity to engage their classmates and course materials even more closely in precepts, which are small discussion groups that meet weekly to further explore the readings and topics of a particular course. The precept provides an open forum in which students are encouraged to voice their opinions and challenge those of their peers.

    The precept is a defining component of a Princeton education. Loosely based on the tutorial systems of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, it was introduced by Princeton University President Woodrow Wilson in 1905 as a way for students to engage actively in their learning process.

    Precepts may be led by the professor who teaches the course, by other faculty members or by advanced graduate students. Students have the opportunity to meet with a professor during regular office hours to bring up questions and ideas one-on-one.

    Undergraduate Blog

    How to Get Through Problem Sets for the First Time

    By Naomi Hess
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    Students having a study session in McGraw Center
    Full content of /blogs/how-get-through-problem-sets-first-time
    Faculty Profile

    Cecilia Rouse

    Princeton School of Public and International Affairs
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    Cecilia Rouse on Woodrow Wilson School fountain steps
    Full content of /academics/faculty-profiles/cecilia-rouse
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