The graded written paper will help the Admission Office assess the student’s written expression in an academic setting. This will further the holistic understanding of the student’s application and help admission officers evaluate the student’s potential contributions and ability to thrive in the University’s rigorous academic environment.

Guidelines

We ask all students to submit a graded written paper for consideration as part of their application to Princeton.

When selecting a paper to submit, please keep in mind the following guidelines:

  • The paper should be from an academic course in English, social studies or history, from the last three years of secondary school, including senior year. You may send a paper, essay, research paper or in-class essay exam. Note that we are most interested in seeing expository, thesis-driven analytical writing rather than science research, creative writing, personal narratives or papers mostly focused on data analysis.

  • Papers should be at least one page in length.

  • Please include the entire paper as well as the prompt, the grade you received and any available comments.

  • The paper should be originally written in English (no translations).

For Transfer Applicants

For transfer applicants, a graded paper may come from a course taken within the last two to three years of schooling. While we prefer that it be in the subjects of either English or history, we will also consider papers from courses in the humanities and social sciences for our transfer applicants, provided they meet all other requirements listed.

How to Submit the Graded Written Paper

To submit your graded written paper, choose one of the following options:

  • Option 1: Upload the graded written paper alongside your application materials when submitting the Common Application or QuestBridge Application.

  • Option 2: Mail, email or upload the graded written paper to your applicant portal.

The grade and the teacher comments should appear on the paper. If a grading rubric was used, please include this information along with your paper. The Admission Office is more interested in the quality of the writing than the grade it received and encourages you to submit a graded written paper that shows your best efforts, regardless of the grade.

If your school does not offer grades for student work, please submit teacher comments and a rubric. 

If you have already graduated and are taking a year off, you may contact your secondary school to obtain a graded written paper.

Please see additional information about the graded written paper on the pages that offer further details for:

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