The college admissions process is admittedly terrifying. Never again will you have to put yourself up to such objectification. That’s not true; many of you will have to do it in another four years. But for now—woo! You have the power now! You will travel to all the schools that sent you an acceptance letter.
Princeton Preview! In which you meet thousands of potential peers. In which you look at campus, slack-jawed, wondering how so much beauty can be situated in New Jersey. In which you try and ditch your parents so you look like an actual student. Based on my own preview experience, here are three things you don’t want to miss.
1. Spontaneous conversations. Try to avoid the following topics: SAT scores, AP tests, other schools you got into—pretty much anything involving high school achievement. But I remember meeting a lot of future Princeton students through preview. It’s a good way to test whether you’ll like a place or not. More so than buildings, classes, sports, you’ll be interacting with the people.
2. This Side of Princeton. There is some crazy artistic talent here. After dinner, there will be a show at Richardson Auditorium showing off various vocal, dance and theater groups. Whether you’re interested in the arts or not, this event is incredibly entertaining.
3. Wander the campus. When I recollect my own preview experience, no factor stands out more than the sheer beauty of campus. It’s beautiful in the spring, flowers are blooming, green overcomes brown, attractive people are wearing shorts. Try to wander without a map. If you aren’t moved, maybe you should consider another school.