FAQs

We ask for a paper written in English because all Princeton courses (with the exception of foreign language courses) are taught in English. If you are unable to provide a graded written paper, we will still review your application, but we will have less information with which to review your file.

No. Students have enrolled at Princeton without completion of traditional high school programs. The most important factors for academic review include strong recent academic success, such as rigorous college coursework aligned with your intended areas of study, and the courses taught for credit at Princeton.

Citizenship has no impact on our determination of an applicant’s status as either domestic or international. Students are considered domestic applicants if they are attending a secondary school in the United States; likewise, students attending a secondary school abroad are considered international applicants. The Office of Admission does not evaluate or advantage applicants differently based on their status as either domestic or international students.

We encourage all students to create an application that will help us contextualize their achievements in and out of the classroom. Some students feel that certain aspects of their identity can best illustrate this context and dedicate their essays accordingly. Ultimately, it is up to each student to determine how to best represent themselves in their applications. We encourage students to write on any topic, and per office policy, we do not make individual recommendations.

No. We consider all applications in the same way, regardless of citizenship or high school location. We also make no distinctions between international and domestic students when considering financial need.

Yes. International students are eligible for application fee waivers. You may request a fee waiver if you are from a lower-income background, or if the application fee is a hardship for your family, and you are applying for financial aid. Please note that applying for a fee waiver will not disadvantage your application in any way. You can learn more about fee waivers on the Application Checklist.

Yes. Our policy of meeting financial need in full for admitted students applies to all admitted students, regardless of citizenship.

No. We consider all of these measures, but only within the context of each applicant’s school and situation. In general, our most promising candidates tend to earn high grades and have comparatively high scores on standardized tests. These criteria, while important, do not by themselves provide a complete picture of each student’s academic accomplishment or potential. We evaluate all aspects of a student’s academic preparation.

No. Though we encourage regular decision applicants to submit their portion of the application by Dec. 15, if possible, there is no advantage to doing so.  

While the application process is the same for all candidates, in recognition of the special bond that Princeton has with its alumni, having a mother, father, stepmother or stepfather who attended Princeton can act as a plus factor amongst similarly qualified applicants in our holistic review process.

No. We offer interviews off-campus by the Princeton Schools Committee. If there are enough volunteers in your area, you will be contacted by an interviewer after you submit your application. If you do choose to visit campus, you will have the opportunity to attend an admission information session, a campus tour or an engineering school tour.

Your counselor is asked to send us your first semester or first trimester grades with the midyear Report. It is important that you continue to excel in your classes during your final year of high school. If you are admitted, your counselor is asked to send us your final grades for the senior year with the final report. Admission is conditional upon your successful completion of the senior year. Princeton reserves the right to withdraw an offer of admission if there is a significant drop in your academic performance between January and June of your senior year.

We will not require the submission of standardized test scores for falls 2024 and 2025 application cycles; this includes transfer applicants. As always, our review process will be a holistic one, focused not just on an applicant’s academic strengths, but also on the talents and perspectives that they will bring to the Princeton campus.

No. We do not require Subject Tests. If you chose to sit for a Subject Test (prior to January 2021 for domestic students and prior to June 2021 for international students) and wish to submit the score, you may do so. Please note: The College Board eliminated SAT Subject Tests in January 2021 for domestic students and in June 2021 for international students.

Yes, we are familiar with the educational systems and academic credentials of most countries around the world. You are welcome to provide additional information about the educational system in your country.

Yes. You should maintain a full academic course load for your senior year of high school. You will need to ask your school to send us your grades for the first semester or trimester of your senior year, along with the midyear report form. If you are admitted, we will ask for your final grades at the end of the school year.

Yes. We do our best to make accommodations for any guests who may require Americans with Disabilities accessible spaces. In order to ensure we make accommodations, please register in advance for our information sessions and tours, and detail your specific requests.

Learn more about our accessibility offerings.

Yes, there are some limited circumstances in which certain information about a student may be available to the general public and/or the government.

First, unless a student submits a written request to the Registrar asking for confidentiality, the University may share the student’s “Directory Information”: the student’s name; telephone number; email address; photo; dates of attendance; major field of study; degrees and awards; school(s) attended prior to Princeton; participation in officially recognized activities, organizations and athletic teams; and weight and height of members of athletic teams. Princeton’s policy is to keep student addresses, dates of birth and places of birth confidential, even though the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act identifies that information as available for public disclosure. All directory information can, however, be kept confidential if the affected student makes a written request to the Registrar.

Second, Princeton may be legally required to provide a student’s records to government officials or law enforcement officers if presented with a valid, lawful subpoena or comparably binding requirement (for example, a court order). In that case, Princeton will ordinarily provide notice to the student whose records are requested before complying with the request.

Additional details are available in Rights, Rules, Responsibilities Section 2.7.

While available college coursework is often the ideal choice, some programs that may not grant credit or even provide grades can assist with this preparation. An example would include the Warrior-Scholar Project for active duty/military applicants, which can still provide valuable academic skills to prepare for the rigor of our curriculum.

No. The Admission Office does not use quotas of any kind.  

No. The Admission Office does not use quotas of any kind.

Princeton requires all first-year students to take a writing seminar, either during the fall or spring semester of their first year. However, you may select the topic of the course based on your interests. Otherwise, you may enroll in any Princeton courses in which you are interested and for which you are prepared with the appropriate prerequisites if applicable.  

All students conduct independent research in their home department. This culminates in the senior thesis, where each student works one-on-one with a faculty mentor. Some students conduct their research in the library or the lab. Others travel to do field research or undertake a creative project such as a novel or a series of paintings. To get a better sense of the tremendous resources provided for undergraduate research, please visit the Office of Undergraduate Research.

If English is not the primary language spoken in your home and you attend a school where English is not the language of instruction, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System Academic (IELTS Academic) or the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic). Otherwise, there are no additional admission requirements for international students or U.S. citizens attending high schools abroad.

Yes. Princeton admits students without regard to citizenship status and meets 100% of demonstrated need each year a student is enrolled. Undocumented students, including students who have received deferred action under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals process, should apply for financial aid by completing the Princeton Financial Aid Application. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid  (FAFSA) is not required. Princeton is one of only a handful of schools nationwide that do not limit the financial aid available, regardless of citizenship status. Admission is offered to students regardless of their ability to pay, and the full need of every admitted undocumented student is met just as it is for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. While undocumented students are ineligible for federal financial aid, students can still receive aid from Princeton. 

International programs are not available to undocumented or DACA students at this time; however, you still have options to pursue programs in the United States through the Office of International Programs (OIP).

All currently enrolled Princeton students, including undocumented and DACA students, are eligible for the Student Health Plan (SHP). We do not require a social security number for the SHP. 

Yes. Just enter your financial information into the Princeton financial aid estimator to get an estimate of how much aid you may be qualified to receive. The Princeton financial aid estimator is completely confidential and in no way affects your application for admission or financial aid.

Students are not eligible for credit for college courses taken before they enter Princeton. Many academic departments at Princeton offer advanced placement to students who have done well on an approved standardized exam (AP, IB, A-Level). Some departments may award advanced placement for a high score on departmental placement tests. Consult the reference table for AP credit.

After you submit the Princeton Financial Aid Application, you will be able to upload the required documents. If you have supplemental information to send, you should use our secure fax number (609-258-0336) or postal mail. Visit Contact Us for the Undergraduate Financial Aid Office postal address. 

We are not able to remove scores from a student’s record once they’ve been submitted, however, we will note your request in your file.

Please note that the University's admission process involves a holistic review of each applicant's entire file. No particular factor is assigned a fixed weight; rather, the process involves a highly individualized assessment of the applicant's talents, achievements and his or her potential to contribute to learning at Princeton. No single factor is decisive. There are no minimums, cut-offs, or quotas in this holistic review. 

Our office does not arrange meetings with professors. We encourage students to sit in on classes during their visits to campus, but due to the tightness of the academic calendar, we cannot help make any arrangements between prospective students and faculty members.

Though the Admission Office makes all final decisions for our student athletes, prospective athletes should communicate directly with Princeton Athletics. Please review the recruiting guidelines and information before you communicate directly with any coaches.

Yes. You will be asked to upload your parents’ tax return, or nonfiler information, after you submit the Princeton Financial Aid Application.  

You must submit an application for admission before you can access the Optional Arts Supplement on your Princeton Applicant Status Portal.

If you are applying through the National College Match, we will be unable to review your arts supplement or conduct alumni interviews during the Match application review process given the early timeline. Students considered in our Regular Decision review process will have their arts supplements reviewed and may be offered an interview at that time.

Aid students who receive approval from the Office of International Programs for a semester or year abroad will be eligible for funding based on the cost of the program and amount of their family contribution. Princeton-sponsored summer programs are not included since they have their own funds to support student costs.

No. First-year students are admitted for the fall term only.

The graded written paper should come from a course of instruction that is listed on your academic transcript.  

Yes. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal statute that protects the privacy of student records and controls the circumstances under which such records may be disclosed. Princeton’s policy on “Student Privacy Rights Under Federal Law” provides detailed information on FERPA and can be found in Rights, Rules, Responsibilities (RRR) 2017, Section 2.7. 

There is no minimum GPA requirement to remain on financial aid, but students must continue to maintain satisfactory academic progress.

No. There are no cutoffs. We consider all of these measures within the context of each applicant’s school and situation. Our most promising candidates tend to earn strong grades and have comparatively high scores on standardized tests. We also look at other parts of the application, including teacher references and essays, to learn more about what kind of student you are and how you approach learning. Please review our current testing policy. 

No. Our decisions are made by a committee of admission officers, and no single individual is responsible for shaping the outcome of an application. We ask that you update us through the applicant Pportal with significant changes since you initially applied, but it is unnecessary to reach out to a particular individual.

We try to offer each applicant the opportunity to have a conversation with an alumnus/a volunteer. This is a chance for you to learn more about the Princeton experience and for us to learn more about you. Interviews take place after the Admission Office has received your application. You may choose on the application to opt out of the interview and this choice will not put you at any disadvantage in the admission process. If you do not opt out, you may receive an email inviting you to interview with a member of our Princeton Schools Committee in your area (if available). The alumni interviewer will contact you to arrange a convenient meeting time. Alumni interviews may be in person or virtual depending on the availability of the alumni. The Admission Office has no preference between these two options. We include the interviewer’s comments in our review of your application. Interviews aren't required as part of the admission process, but we encourage candidates to accept the invitation. Do not be concerned if interviews are not available; we will give your application full consideration without an interview. Given the timeline, we will not be able to offer an interview to students who are participating in the QuestBridge National College Match as well as the Transfer Admission Program.

Yes. For each year of attendance at Princeton, students must submit a new financial aid application.

When awarding aid, we require parental financial information for all students, with very few exceptions.

No. If English is your first language or your language of instruction, you do not need to submit an English proficiency test.

Yes. All documents must be officially translated into English for us to review them.

If the person you ask to complete a teacher recommendation or School Report is not comfortable writing in English, he or she may complete the forms in another language. However, you will need to have the forms officially translated before they are submitted to the Admission Office.

We ask you to tell us on the application which degree program you may be most interested in following: bachelor of arts, bachelor of science in engineering or undecided. We look closely at the math and science preparation of students considering engineering studies. However, students apply to the first-year class of Princeton University, not to the engineering or liberal arts programs and are not locked into a degree program (or a specific department within that degree program) upon admission. Students in the engineering school choose a concentration (major) by the end of the first year; bachelor of arts students have two years to choose a concentration.

In trying to get a sense of the strength of the academic program you have pursued in high school, we look at your transcript course by course and consider all the information your school provides about your academic performance. We also ask the school official completing your School Report to comment on the rigor of your academic program in the context of what is available at your school. Weighted grades or class rank can be another measure of the strength of your academic program as compared with other students who also have many As, but we give equal consideration to applicants from schools that don’t weight grades or rank.

No. All financial aid awards are based solely on need. 

They may be separate, but please upload them as one document. If using a grading rubric, please include this information along with your paper.

We believe that the required teacher references and a school counselor reference give us much of the information we need to make thoughtful, well-informed decisions. Additional letters are only helpful if the person writing the recommendation knows the candidate well and can provide new, detailed information.

No. We consider how well you have used the resources available to you, regardless of where you attend school.

Yes. We receive and consider applications from home-schooled students every year.  In fact, the valedictorian of the Princeton Class of ’02 was home-schooled before entering Princeton.

No. All students are considered in the same pool for admission to the incoming class regardless of citizenship status. While being undocumented or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals may present challenges for students wishing to travel or work on campus, immigration status does not impact our reading of an application. The University’s generous need-based financial aid program applies equally to all applicants. If admitted, undocumented students can be confident that their full financial need, as determined by the Undergraduate Financial Aid Office, will be met. We encourage undocumented students to consult with the Office of Admission and Undergraduate Financial Aid Office if they have any questions about our process.

No. We will look at your application individually, in comparison with the entire applicant pool.

Princeton University welcomes applications from veterans and dependents who are eligible for education benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which includes the Yellow Ribbon Program, and complies with the principles outlined in Executive Order 13607. Princeton participates fully in the Yellow Ribbon program without limitation on the number of students who are eligible. The executive order addresses key areas relating to federal military and veterans educational benefits programs.

Princeton offers a single-choice early action program. It is a nonbinding program for students who have thoroughly researched  their college options and have decided that Princeton is their first choice. Students must complete their application by Nov. 1. They may not apply to an early program at any other private college or university, but they may apply early to any public institution, as long as the decision is nonbinding. Admission decisions will be made by mid-December. Admitted students will have until May 1 to respond and may choose to apply for regular decision at other institutions, enabling them to compare their admission and financial aid offers with those of other colleges and universities.

Yes. The Office of Disability Services (ODS) offers a range of services that help ensure equal access to our curricular and co-curricular opportunities for students with disabilities. ODS will meet with each student individually and assess their needs. Accessible housing and transportation are also available. Learn more about ODS.

Princeton supports all of its students, financially and otherwise, regardless of citizenship. There are number of resources available on campus through our administrative and student-run services that are knowledgeable about the experience of undocumented students on campus. Review our comprehensive list, located at the bottom of the page, for more information on campus resources for undocumented students.

We don't prescribe a particular high school curriculum, but we do have suggestions for a course of study that will provide solid preparation for a challenging undergraduate program. Students who intend to pursue the B.S.E. degree must complete a year of calculus and high school physics prior to enrolling at Princeton. Chemistry is also recommended. Learn more about academic preparation for study at Princeton.

Loans are available, and some students request an optional education loan to cover expenses not included in the standard student budget or to help cover all or a portion of the family expectation. 

For students who choose to borrow, the average total indebtedness is about $9,400. Learn more about how Princeton's aid program works.

You may use the Princeton Applicant Portal to verify whether we have received all your required application materials. You will receive a confirmation notice when we have received your application.  Your checklist will be rendered complete once all of the required supporting materials have been sent. If your application is incomplete, we will let you know which pieces are missing and you will be given the opportunity to submit them without penalty.

Regular decision applicants should apply for financial aid by Feb. 1 of the year you plan to enter college. Transfer applicants should apply by March 9. Early action applicants should apply by Nov. 9

You should begin reviewing Princeton's application requirements and materials after the spring of your junior year and plan on beginning your application in the summer before or during the fall of your senior year. The online Coalition and Common Application and the Princeton-specific Questions are available in mid-August Learn more about applying for admission.

Students can use AP credits to enter upper-level courses or to fulfill the foreign language requirement. In a few cases, students who have earned a large number of AP credits use them to graduate early through advanced standing. AP credits may not be used to fulfill the writing requirement, reduce students’ course load in a given term or fulfill the distribution requirements. To see how your test scores may translate into advanced placement at Princeton, consult the Reference Table for AP Credit.

Your completed Optional Arts Supplement will be reflected on your Princeton Applicant Status Portal within 24 hours.

Our curriculum encourages students to explore many disciplines and to develop a deep understanding in one area of concentration. Whether they are in the A.B. degree program or the B.S.E. program, during the junior and senior years all students conduct independent research in their home department. This culminates in the senior thesis, where each student works one-on-one with a faculty mentor. Some students conduct their research in the library or the lab. Others travel to do field research or undertake a creative project such as a novel or a series of paintings.

We encourage you to add context and explain any challenges in the additional information sections, if not already addressed in the required responses. This includes both lower grades and any courses from which you withdrew. 

Princeton is located between New York and Philadelphia, and is easy to reach by public transportation or by car. To read more about travel options, please visit our Getting to Campus site.

Princeton is located between New York and Philadelphia, and is easy to reach by public transportation or by car. To read more about travel options, please visit our Getting to Campus site.

Talented student athletes interested in one of our varsity Division I programs should contact our coaches for more information about varsity athletics at Princeton. Coaches will advise the admission staff about applicants with exceptional athletic talents. Learn more. 

If you've excelled in architecture, creative writing, dance, music, theater or visual arts, and would like us to consider your talent, you are welcome to submit an optional arts supplement. To the best of our ability, we’ll have arts faculty review your submission and advise the admission staff regarding your abilities.

On the "Your Portfolio" tab, you can request an optional arts reference. A reference request email will automatically be sent to that individual. Please note: An arts reference is optional and will only be read by the arts faculty evaluating your supplement unless you submit it as an additional letter of recommendation along with your application to Princeton.

On the application, please indicate your intention to submit an optional Arts Supplement in Princeton’s member questions. You will be able to access the link to submit an optional Arts Supplement in your Princeton Applicant Status Portal.

Option 1: Upload the graded written paper alongside your application materials when submitting the Common Application.  We will accept scanned documents.

Option 2: Mail, e-mail, or upload the graded written paper to your applicant portal. We will accept scanned documents.

College Match applicants will learn if they matched with an institution in early December. You will receive an email directly from QuestBridge. Students who match with Princeton will receive a follow-up email from the Office of Admission. Non-matched students will receive an email with next steps. We will not be able to release decisions by phone. Please communicate directly with QuestBridge to find out if you matched with a school.

You may pay for the Common Application online with a credit card. If you are having trouble paying online, you may instead send a check or money order to the Princeton University Undergraduate Admission Office. Visit Contact Us for our mailing address.

Before you get to campus, you will receive more information about registering for courses. You will be assigned an academic adviser and you will meet with that faculty member during your first days here to go over your course selection.

You may request a fee waiver one of two ways:  1) Select the fee waiver option on the Common Application. Your college or school counselor must approve your fee waiver request online or submit your fee waiver form by mail or fax.  2) Select one of the following fee waiver options on the Princeton Supplement: Princeton-specific, ACT, College Board or NACAC. All lower-income students are eligible for the Princeton-specific fee waiver. Students named QuestBridge Finalists should select the QuestBridge fee waiver. If you use the Princeton-specific fee waiver, you do not need to get approval from your college counselor.

Financial aid is awarded based on need only. We use the information you supply on your financial aid application and supporting documents to determine how much support we will provide.

Please see COVID-19 Update for complete changes to the 2020-21 cycle.

We include many factors in our assessment, particularly a student’s secondary school program and record, as well as standardized test results, and teacher and counselor recommendations. All these components are taken into consideration when we evaluate a student’s high school performance. We value liveliness of mind, motivation, creativity, perseverance and independent thought. A prospective student’s intellectual curiosity and academic excellence are the most important factors in our decision.

Consistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Princeton’s general rule is not to disclose a student’s personal information to anyone outside the University—including government officials or law enforcement officers—without the student’s prior written consent. 

Taking college courses while you are a high school student indicates to us that you seek out academic challenges, but we do not expect students to have taken college courses before they apply. Applicants who have taken college courses are most often at high schools not offering many advanced courses such as advanced placement or International Baccalaureate.

More than 70 percent of our undergraduates are majoring in fields different from those they indicated when they applied. Our engineering students declare their majors at the end of their first year, and all other students declare their majors at the end of sophomore year. Any changes are made in consultation with your assigned faculty academic adviser.

For those who choose to submit testing, we allow applicants to use the score choice feature of the SAT and accept only the highest composite score of the ACT, but we encourage the submission of all test scores.  Note: We do not superscore between the paper test and the digital test; you can only utilize score choice if the tests are in the same format. If you are applying Regular Decision, we encourage you to complete standardized testing by the December test date if possible.  Please review our application dates and deadlines.

We review all academic work completed during and since high school, including any postsecondary college coursework, even if some of that work took place many years ago. It is possible to be a highly competitive applicant even if your past work was not your best, including during high school or your earlier college work. If this is the case for you, we strongly recommend considering more recent college coursework to build a solid transitional foundation, ideally in courses similar to those offered at Princeton. We consider whether our applicants are prepared today, not whether that was the case several years ago.

Approximately 75 percent of classes have fewer than 20 students, and only four percent of classes have more than 100 students.

In the fall of 2024, more than 1,620 courses were offered to Princeton students. Note that this number includes graduate courses, which are open to qualified undergraduates with departmental permission.  Please visit our complete course catalog.

We do not have a set number we plan to match with and much depends on the applicant pool itself. In the past, we have matched with a small number of students through College Match with the majority of QuestBridge admits coming in Regular Decision.

Students must be in an English-medium school for at least three of the four years of high school to be exempt from an English Proficiency Test.

Our students go on to do extraordinarily well when pursuing graduate  or professional schools or employment after graduation. 

For the Class of 2023, a total of 88.8 percent secured their post-graduation outcome within six months of graduation, with 61.4 percent accepting employment and 25.5 percent pursuing further education. A total of 15.5 percent reported working full-time at a nonprofit organization, and 18.9 percent reported that their post-graduation outcomes were informed by service or civic engagement experiences they had at Princeton. 

Nearly 95 percent of undergraduate students engage with the Center for Career Development during their time at Princeton.  

You can check the status of your FAFSA online. You should allow one week for processing an online signature, and three weeks for processing a paper signature page.

No. The Common Application is no longer a requirement for QuestBridge finalists. As such, if you choose to complete and submit one, we will not review it. Please note that QuestBridge finalists are required to submit the Princeton QuestBridge Supplement, which includes additional essays and short answer questions, along with a Graded Written Paper. 

Yes. All students, regardless of citizenship status, may apply to Princeton through the College Match.

We encourage you to reach out to your teachers or school counselors to obtain a graded written paper from your last three years of secondary school. If you are unable to provide a graded written paper, we will still review your application, but we will have less information with which to review your file.

We encourage you to reach out to your teachers or school counselors to obtain a graded written paper from your last three years of secondary school. If the grade or comments are on a separate piece of paper, please attach this to your submission.  If there is no grade written on the paper, please speak to your teacher to ask them to attach, or attest to, the original grade.

No.

You can convert the Google document to a Word document with mark up, which will show your teacher’s comments.  Alternatively, you may also submit a screenshot of your graded written paper as long as the comments and grade are included.

Please check to make sure that you have selected the appropriate file type from the “Select the type of file(s)” drop down menu. This menu is positioned in the Art Supplement File section.

Yes, if possible, please ask your college counselor to submit any senior grades if your high school has them available.

Please send us an email requesting the change. If possible, we will make the change and send you a confirmation. You do not need to submit a new application; your submitted materials will simply be reviewed on a different time-table.

Yes. You may apply to any international institution, as long as the decision is not binding.

Yes. You may apply early to a public college or university, including to a public institution's honor's program, as long as the decision is not binding.

You may apply to any public, international or service academy that has a rolling admission process as long as the decision in not binding.

No. If you apply Single-Choice Early Action to Princeton, you may not apply to another college’s early decision program.  

No. If you apply Single-Choice Early Action to Princeton, you may not apply early to another private college at the same time — regardless of whether that program is restrictive or not.  

Please see COVID-19 Update for changes to the 2020-21 cycle.

Students who are not named QuestBridge finalists for the National College Match can apply to Princeton through Regular Decision. 

QuestBridge finalists who submitted the required materials but did not match with Princeton or another binding institution will automatically be considered in our Regular Decision process. These students will be notified of our decisions along with all other Regular Decision applicants. Princeton will make decisions available at the end of March or beginning of April. 

Yes. Students can apply for aid at any point during their time at Princeton. An explanation of the change in circumstances may be required.

Yes. Though standardized tests results will not be required for fall entry 2023, 2024 and 2025, we still value these results and will evaluate them within the context of our holistic review. However, if you do not submit standardized testing, you will not be at a disadvantage.

At Princeton, we are committed to meeting 100 percent of the calculated need of each aid applicant based on an individual evaluation by a financial aid counselor. We make this determination using the information you provide on your financial aid application. Learn more about aid awards in the Undergraduate Financial Aid Information and Application Instructions, which is accessible through the Apply for Financial Aid page. You may also use the Princeton Financial Aid Estimator to see how much aid might be offered based on your particular situation.

Princeton will consider the highest individual section results across all sittings of the SAT and the highest composite score for the ACT. We will only accept a composite from an entire sitting of the ACT. We will not consider scores when a student retakes an individual section of the ACT. Additionally, we do not superscore between the paper test and the digital test; you can only utilize score choice if the tests are in the same format.

Yes. If you are deferred, your application will automatically be rolled over into our regular decision process and considered again in the context of that pool. In recent years, a small number of applicants who were deferred have been subsequently admitted during the regular decision process.  

If you submitted all of the required components of your application, we have everything we need for consideration. If you have a significant update, you may add the new information to your file through the applicant portal or by email to uaoffice@princeton.edu.

No. Only U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents can file a FAFSA.

If you ranked Princeton but didn’t match with Princeton, you will automatically be considered for Regular Decision unless you withdraw your application. If you match with a binding school, your application will not be considered in Regular Decision.

No. We do not have a formula for weighting different parts of the application. While the transcript is the most important part of an application, we consider all of the components of each application and consider each applicant’s particular strengths.

Yes. On-campus housing is guaranteed all four years.

Our Student Employment site is continuously updated with available jobs, making it easy for students to find employment opportunities both on and off campus.

If you paid the fee online, your e-mail confirmation is your receipt. If you paid by check, your cashed check (or image sent by your bank) is your receipt. We do not send any other acknowledgment of payment.

Absolutely. Princeton professors are easily accessible and happy to chat with students during weekly open office hours or during individual meetings with students. Our professors also take meals in Princeton’s residential dining halls and participate in other programs and special events.

Yes. Read more information about our transfer admission process.

The meal allowance included in the aid packages of juniors and seniors is based on the approximate average cost of an eating club board plan. This policy provides access to a variety of dining options for all aid students, including the eating clubs.

No, but one to two pages is sufficient.

Yes. We consider it a promising sign when students challenge themselves with advanced courses in high school. We understand that not all secondary schools offer the same range of advanced courses, but our strongest candidates have taken full advantage of the academic opportunities available to them in their high schools.

Yes. We consider it a promising sign when students challenge themselves with advanced courses in high school. We understand that not all secondary schools offer the same range of advanced courses, but our strongest candidates have taken full advantage of the academic opportunities available to them in their high schools.

A resume is not required, but can be encouraged if you’ve had a nontraditional trajectory and the resume serves as a road map for the years of school and/or work since high school. Extensive detail is not required, as this can simply be a list of bullet points, accounting for all years. We do not require employment or military records as proof of employment or service, but students are welcome to submit them if they prefer. All of these optional items can be sent in the additional information section on the application, or sent after submission through the applicant portal or by email to uaoffice@princeton.edu.

While we will consider applications from students who choose to leave high school early, they must be competitive with students who have completed rigorous, comprehensive course work through senior year. This option tends to be most realistic for students who have exhausted their high school’s academic offerings.

We cannot reconsider applications or offer individual explanations for our decisions. Most of our applicants are well qualified for Princeton. Since the admission staff must select a first-year class from an abundance of highly able and accomplished candidates, and since all applicants are compared to the entire applicant pool, it is extremely difficult to explain why any one student is refused.

No. When you apply to another college or university under a binding early decision plan, you have made a commitment to attend that college if admitted. We honor that commitment and do not consider applicants under those circumstances.

Yes. You may apply in the fall to any institution under its regular decision program.

Our Office does not make arrangements for visiting a class. For information on how to formally audit a class, please visit: https://community.princeton.edu/educational-opportunities.

As one of your media uploads, we encourage you to include a resume if you think that will add to an understanding of your training and experiences. Please keep in mind, information you provide in the Optional Arts Supplement will only be read by the arts faculty evaluating your supplement unless you submit it as additional information along with your application to Princeton.

You may only submit multiple Optional Arts Supplements as long as they are in different programs. For example, you can submit arts supplements for dance in performance and choreography, but you may not submit two performance arts supplements.

Applicants are welcome to use the Score Choice option for standardized test score submission. Princeton will consider the highest individual section results across all sittings of the SAT Reasoning and the highest composite score for the ACT*. We encourage applicants to submit all official test scores as soon as they are available.

*We will only accept a composite from an entire sitting of the ACT. We will not consider scores when a student retakes an individual section of the ACT.

No. Princeton does not offer double/triple majors or dual-degree programs.

Yes. Students who wish to take a year off from their studies may request to defer their enrollment for one year (and sometimes for an additional year). If you pursue this, you may not enroll full time in a degree program at another institution during the deferral period. In recent years, the activities of students taking a year off have included work, community service, travel, military service, arts training and religious studies. We recommend students request a deferral only after they decide to matriculate and before May 15. Deferral requests are not guaranteed and must be approved by the Office of Admission.

All first-year students and sophomores are required to live in one of Princeton’s seven residential colleges. First-years are assigned randomly to a residential college and to a room and roommate(s) by the residential college staff and Housing & Real Estate Services. For sophomore year, students select their own rooming groups and choose rooms in their residential college through a lottery. Juniors and seniors may live off campus if they wish, although houses and apartments in town are in short supply and rents are high. More than 96% of Princeton undergraduates live on campus. 

Though you are welcome to indicate on your application if another relative attended Princeton, you are considered a “legacy” applicant only if your mother, father, stepmother or stepfather attended Princeton.  

Yes. Princeton requires both parents to provide financial information in most cases. Please review the Family and Household Status page for more information. 

Although students are not eligible for credit for college courses taken through a dual-enrollment program, students may earn advanced placement (AP) for high scores on departmental placement tests offered by some Princeton departments. Consult the reference table for AP credit.

Optional means optional, so these are not required, and most students do not submit additional nonacademic recommendations. However, many nontraditional applicants do find it helpful to submit optional references from individuals who know them better than their required academic references, such as supervisors or colleagues from work or the military, who can speak to their character, work ethic and other personal qualities that they would bring to our campus

Please do your best to adhere to our Graded Written Paper guideline, which states that we will accept a paper or essay that is approximately five pages or 1,000 words.

In addition to academic qualifications, we are interested in the talents and interests you would bring to Princeton outside the classroom. We don't value one type of activity over another. Rather, we appreciate sustained commitment to the interests you have chosen to pursue. Some of the students we admit have one well-honed talent; others have participated in a range of activities. We take particular note of leadership and exceptional talents or accomplishments.

Academic and other advising resources are integrated into Princeton’s residential framework. Students are assigned a faculty academic adviser before arriving on campus in the fall of their first year, and each residential college has faculty fellows who take part in various components of residential college life. Each residential college also has a network of deans and directors who ensure that our students thrive both academically and personally. Beyond the residential colleges, there are numerous offices on campus that offer advising of all kinds. The Center for Career Development offers career counseling. If you need help with any part of the writing process, our Writing Center will provide a free, one-on-one consultation with one of their trained Writing Fellows. University Health Services provides comprehensive medical, health and wellness services to our students. The Undergraduate Financial Aid Office will help with any financial aid issues, and the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning helps our students become more powerful, productive and independent learners. This is just a small sampling of all the resources Princeton has to offer.   

Every year, Princeton Reunions weekend attracts almost 25,000 alumni, family and friends. Alumni come back to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones, engage intellectually with faculty panels, participate in community service projects and enjoy great music. The style, scope and fanfare of this yearly event is uniquely Princeton.

The Princeton area, which has a population of approximately 30,000 residents, has tree-lined streets, speciality shops, restaurants, parks, and a friendly and safe atmosphere. Some local attractions include the Princeton Battlefield State Park, Princeton University Art Museum, Palmer Square, Princeton Cemetery, Drumthwacket (the governor's residence), Albert Einstein’s home, Morven Museum & Garden and Princeton Record Exchange. Farmlands, the Pine Barrens, the Jersey shore, the Appalachian Trail and even ski slopes can be visited without leaving New Jersey. Learn more.

We accept the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System Academic (IELTS Academic) or the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic).

The graded written paper must have been written in English, not translated from another language into English. More information is available on our international students page. 

Any college coursework will be evaluated in the admission process, whether in-person or online. Those that are most relevant are in subject matter similar to the courses offered at Princeton. Online courses can also be considered here, especially if they are taken in a synchronous setting, but are also valued in the admission process if they at least cover relevant material. The determination of whether they count for college credit is made by college deans and faculty during the transfer admission process only. You may not receive credit for all eligible courses.

The cost of attendance at Princeton includes tuition, room, board, books and personal expenses. Review the most current cost of attendance.

We review each application individually to get a sense of that student’s particular combination of strengths. We don't have a profile of the ideal applicant or the ideal class. In fact, one of Princeton’s greatest strengths is the variety of talents, personal qualities, experiences and points of view in each incoming class. There are some qualities we hope all Princeton students share: integrity, a deep interest in learning and a devotion to both academic and non-academic pursuits. Many students also bring distinctive academic and extracurricular talents and achievements. Beyond those fundamental qualities, we consider how each candidate might contribute to the community we will bring together for that year’s class.

If you have the opportunity to pursue activities of value to you, such as clubs or programs within your college or greater community, we recommend getting involved in the areas of interest. However, these activities are not expected for students with high external responsibilities, such as full-time/part-time work and/or at home responsibilities. We encourage students to articulate these responsibilities on the application, as they are still valued as extracurricular commitments that speak to your time management alongside your academic work. In all cases, you can still indicate the potential areas of interest for involvement at Princeton on the application, even if you have not yet had the opportunity to pursue those areas.

There are more than 500 student-run organizations at Princeton, ranging from publications, dance, media, music, theater, service, religious organizations, and more. You can learn about student-run clubs through the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students.

We support media files as large as 5GB, but please be advised that larger files will take longer to upload from your Internet connection and may stall if you are on a wireless connection or one that cannot sustain a connection for the necessary period of time. We support the following file formats:

•  .3g2, .3gp, .avi, .m2v, .m4v, .mkv, .mov, .mpeg, .mpg, .mp4, .mxf, .webm, .wmv • .aac, .m4a, .mka, .mp3, .oga, .ogg, .wav
• .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tif, .tiff
• .doc, .docx, .odg, .odp, .odt, .pdf, .ppt, .pptx, .rtf, .wpd

You may also include external media from YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud.

The campus tour will occur rain or shine. If there is inclement weather or dangerous conditions, the tour guide will speak about Princeton from an indoor location.  

Students who need to take leave after admission but before enrollment can request to defer your enrollment from the Office of Admission, maintaining admission status but enrolling in a future year. Students who have already enrolled and need to take a leave of absence or reinstate admission must consult with their advisers through the Office of the Dean of the College for protocols on leave and readmission. Each year, a number of Princeton undergraduates interrupt their studies for a variety of reasons. Some students will choose to take a leave of absence to take care of a health issue, to pursue a professional or volunteer opportunity, to attend to family matters, to reconsider academic goals, or to meet military requirements. The Time Away from Princeton website is designed to help students navigate the leave-taking process, thrive during their time away, and plan for a successful re-entry into the Princeton campus community.

Students who match with Princeton and students admitted in Regular Decision receive the same consideration for financial aid. Princeton has a remarkable financial aid program. We are committed to need-based financial aid and meeting 100 percent of a student's demonstrated need.

The greater Princeton area has a wide variety of hotel, motel, inn, and bed and breakfast accommodations. A small number of inns are within walking distance of the University, with most a short drive away. The Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau offers an accommodations page on its website. As a service to the community, the Purchasing Department has negotiated special rates for University employees and campus visitors who stay at preferred hotels. Please visit the University Travel and Expense website to learn more. 

If English is not the primary language spoken in your home and you attend a school where English is not the language of instruction, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System Academic (IELTS Academic) or the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic).

Please see COVID-19 Update for complete changes to the 2022-23 cycle.

For the 2022-23 application cycle, Princeton will not require submission of standardized testing (SAT or ACT). Those who still wish to sit for standardized testing should do so by the October test date for Single-Choice Early Action and December date for Regular Decision., if possible. In our experience, scores from the October or December test date for test takers outside the United States will reach us in time. 

If your school does not have an adviser for students applying to university, please ask a school official — such as a principal, vice principal or dean — to complete your School Report available on the Common Application.

Though we prefer the paper come from an English, social studies or history course, we understand that course offerings can vary greatly from school to school.  Applicants should submit a graded written paper that demonstrates their writing skills.

Since Princeton meets students’ full need with grant aid, outside scholarships from private sources reduce Princeton grant dollar-for-dollar to make room for the outside scholarship in the award. Students can then use the amount of reduced scholarship toward the one-time purchase of a personal computer up to a preset amount by the Financial Aid Office. 

You should submit all documentation confirming income. Common documents include year-end wage statements and a letter from each employer stating annual income.

File size limits vary by format (video, audio, PDFs). Please be sure to check your arts supplement type for file size guidelines. You may also include external media from YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud.

If your parents are unemployed and filed taxes, they should submit their most recent tax return. If your parents did not file a return, you should submit all documentation of that year’s income, along with a parent non-filer statement, which can be found on the Income Documentation page.

If your parents are unemployed and filed taxes, they should submit their most recent tax return. If your parents did not file a return, you should submit all documentation of that year’s income, along with a parent non-filer statement. Please visit the Income Documentation page to download the nonfiler statement.

We encourage you to reach out to your teachers or school counselors to obtain official comments on your paper. If there is a grading rubric that explains how the written work is evaluated, please include it with your submission.

The Princeton University community is rich in many types of artistic talent, but our faculty can only provide evaluations of genres for which formal instruction is offered on campus. We encourage applicants to adhere as closely as possible to the submission guidelines.

We encourage applicants to adhere as closely to the guidelines as possible, as that is what our faculty finds to be most helpful. However, we encourage you to submit the works that best highlight your talents. Most categories have a “miscellaneous” or “other” option if your work or works do not fall neatly into one subcategory.

A graded written paper refers to a paper written in the last three years of secondary school that was graded by a teacher.  For transfer applicants, a graded written paper may come from a course taken within the last two years of schooling.

Princeton is a major research institution with the heart and soul of a liberal arts college. In this tradition, our faculty members encourage and challenge every student to explore the many academic opportunities available before settling on major. Even after selecting a major, students may further chart their academic course in other areas of study, earning a minor or certificate in interdepartmental programs. Students also benefit from the interdisciplinary connections at the core of the Princeton curriculum.

Princeton’s federal school code for the FAFSA is 002627.

In recent years, approximately 90 percent of each entering class has graduated from Princeton within four years, and 97 percent of all undergraduates have received a degree from Princeton within six years.

Federal Work-Study is a form of federal aid that pays student wages.

The QuestBridge National College Match helps outstanding lower-income high school seniors gain admission and full four-year scholarships to some of the nation's most selective colleges. Princeton has been a proud QuestBridge partner for many years now and every year, we match with a small number of students through College Match. Beginning with the 2020-2021 admission cycle, Princeton has a binding decision for students matched with us through the National College Match.

Since we don't know until after May 1 how many students will accept our offer of admission, we invite a number of our applicants to stay on our wait list in the event we have remaining spaces in the first-year class. The list is unranked; if spaces become available, we will review the entire group of candidates on the wait list.

If you receive financial aid, your award will normally include a Princeton grant, as well as any outside scholarships you earn. More information about these types of aid is available in the Undergraduate Financial Aid Information and Application Instructions, which can be found on Apply for Financial Aid.

We require two academic teacher recommendations, and request, but do not require, a letter from your school counselor, college adviser or another school official to accompany the School Report.

All faculty members are expected to teach, as well as engage in research. All lecture courses and seminars are led by tenure-track professors, visiting faculty members, or lecturers with a Ph.D., but never by graduate students. Faculty members work most closely with undergraduates in the supervision of junior-year independent work and senior theses.

The safety and security of all Princeton University faculty, staff, students, and visitors are important to the Department of Public Safety (DPS). Our professional campus patrol officers, security officers, dispatchers and fire officials provide 24/7 year round safety services and emergency response to the campus. DPS provides many services that address the needs of faculty and staff including but not limited to: lockout services, victim services information, building access and event security, campus vehicle certification, RAD self-defense classes, and more.

If you have not recent courses, the next best option is to consider anything written from a similar academic program, such as the Warrior-Scholar Project, even if this was not a for-credit course and/or no grade was provided. If you have no similar recent academic program, you may consider either requesting an assignment from an instructor, or writing an expository essay on a topic of your choice. It is also helpful if you can explain your circumstances and available options in the application.

We ask that students do their best to request this material, but students will not be at a disadvantage if their school is not able or willing to provide a transcript. If you are unable to provide this material after requesting it, you should indicate this in your application in the additional information section.

If you make a mistake on the FAFSA, you can log back into the FAFSA portal with your FSA ID and password and submit a correction.

If there is an emergency while you are visiting campus, please remain calm.  If necessary, use your cell phone or the nearest blue light phone to call 911 or the Department of Public Safety (DPS) emergency number, which is (609) 258-3333.  Our professional campus patrol officers, security officers, dispatchers and fire officials provide 24/7 year-round safety services and emergency response to the campus. The campus is equipped with loudspeakers so that emergency services can broadcast instructions if necessary.  

After international students are admitted and matriculated to Princeton, the Davis International Center will provide additional information about applying for a student visa.

Our Office of International Programs hosts a wide range of opportunities year-round. You may study abroad for a semester or a school year, participate in international internships in approximately 60 countries, or participate in one of our Global Seminars. You may also join the Novogratz Bridge Year Program, a tuition-free service gap year, in which you delay your first academic year to engage in service abroad.

When determining advanced placement, we typically use one or more of the following: 1) AP tests 2) International Baccalaureate (IB) higher level exams 3) British A-Level exams, if available. For more information about required tests and minimum scores, consult the Reference Table for AP Credit.

We require all students to submit all transcripts from high school and (if applicable) all transcripts from college and postsecondary work. The greatest emphasis in admission review will be on your most recent work; older work performance will not factor in negatively if it was not as strong. However, we still require these records so we can see the full overall academic picture of your trajectory. School reports should be sent by the most recent institution you attended.

There are various configurations for group and individual living. The University provides each resident with a desk, chair, bookcase, dresser, and bed.

For first-year admission, the graded written paper should come from the last three years of secondary school (including your senior or final year). For transfer admission, the graded written paper should come from the last two years of schooling.

At the beginning of the fall term of their first year, students receive a report of all the AP units they have been granted. Later in the term, they receive a second report reflecting any scores that have since been received.

If you are admitted to Princeton and have applied for aid, you will receive a financial aid award along with your offer of admission.

Two single stall/gender-inclusive restrooms are located on first floor of the University Store at 36 University Place, and two single stall/gender-inclusive restrooms are located on first floor of the Admission Information Center, also located at 36 University Place. All restrooms are also equipped with a baby-changing station. Most restaurants and coffee shops in town also have public restrooms which are open to customers.

If you are registered to attend an Admission Information Session and/or campus tour, you will receive detailed parking instructions with your registration confirmation email, including a link to register for our visitor parking lot, located near our Admission Information Center. General visitors to campus who are not registered for an Admission program may park in the Stadium Drive Garage off Faculty Rd.

First-year students and sophomores live and eat in dining facilities within their residential colleges. Juniors and seniors can take meals at the colleges, eating clubs, student food cooperatives, and other locations. Any student may eat kosher meals at the Center for Jewish Life (CJL) or have kosher meals delivered to any other campus dining hall. All residential college dining halls offer halal dining options for students.

You may request a fee waiver if you are from a lower-income background, or if the application fee is a hardship for your family, and you are applying for financial aid. Please note that applying for a fee waiver will not disadvantage your application in any way. You may learn more about fee waivers on our Application Checklist.

If English is not the primary language spoken in your home and you attend a school where English is not the language of instruction, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System Academic (IELTS Academic) or the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic).

If you have questions about your Optional Arts Supplement, you may contact us at uaoffice@princeton.edu or phone 609-258-3060.

If you are currently enrolled in college coursework, either full-time or part-time, you should submit at least two academic recommendations from within the past 2-3 years, ideally in courses similar to those offered at Princeton, such as those listed in our General Education Requirements. In-person courses are preferred, but if your only options are from online courses and/or courses of a different nature, then you can submit letters from these courses instead. Recommendations from rigorous academic workshops, such as the Warrior-Scholar Project, are also welcome substitutes. If you have no recent academic coursework from which you can submit recommendations, you can either submit the most recent recommendations you do have, or choose non-academic references, ideally from individuals who can speak to your intellectual potential.

Writing is an essential component of a Princeton education. Evidence-based reading and writing are critical tools in a college-level curriculum and the results of a writing exam are helpful in determining a student’s grasp of these concepts.

There is no fee to submit an Optional Arts Supplement.

Many strong applicants are deferred and reconsidered in context of the regular decision pool, with the additional information provided by mid-year grades. There is no advantage to apply early action to Princeton and competition for early admission to Princeton is especially rigorous.

In many cases, alumni will be available to interview early action applicants. If an interview cannot be scheduled for logistical reasons, you will not be at a disadvantage; alumni interviews are an optional piece of Princeton’s application process.

No. There is no disadvantage whatsoever in the admission process for financial aid applicants. Princeton has a need-blind admission policy, ensuring equality of opportunity for students who cannot afford the full cost of attendance. This policy covers all admission applicants, including international students. 

There are food options for all types of interests and dietary restrictions. If you have a food allergy, there are signs posted on all of the menu items indicating what the food may contain (gluten, nuts, etc.). The Center for Jewish Life offers kosher meals for the entire campus community, and all residential college dining halls offer halal dining options for students.

Princeton does not offer credit toward degree requirements for college or university courses taken before you enroll. However, you can take AP exams or placement exams offered by some academic departments at Princeton to demonstrate your knowledge in a subject, which may permit you to skip the introductory-level course in that area. You can find detailed information about Princeton’s AP policy in our undergraduate course catalog.

No. For the safety of our current students, and because no single dorm is representative of the many housing options available at Princeton, the campus tour does not showcase a dorm room.  

In 2001, Princeton eliminated student loans from financial aid awards, replacing them with grants that do not need to be repaid. Since then, no Princeton student has been required to borrow as part of a basic aid package. 

It is our policy to meet every student’s full demonstrated need each year. Award amounts may vary from year to year, based on changes in a family's financial circumstances and Princeton's cost of attendance.

On the application we ask you to indicate the degree program (A.B., B.S.E. or undecided) and the departments that most interest you. These choices don't affect your chances for admission, nor do they commit you to a particular course of study. We look closely at the math and science background of students interested in the B.S.E. program, and we consider every applicant’s abilities across the academic subjects. Princeton engineering students choose a major after one year and liberal-arts students after two years. 

Yes. The Optional Essay of the new SAT is required for our application.