In light of challenges presented by COVID-19, Princeton will suspend its standardized testing requirement and move to one application deadline for the 2020-21 first-year admission cycle.
I’ve wrapped my first year as dean of admission at Princeton, from which I graduated just a few “short” years (!) ago. And what a year it’s been. With so many unknowns, I take comfort in the fact that counselors are more connected than ever, seeking advice from one another in supporting college-going students, and that they are leaning on each other for support in what can be some trying and, frankly, upsetting days. As your colleague on the college side, I hope to be a support in providing transparency in our admission process and the greater advancements of the University.
Though we have made some changes for this season, Princeton’s commitment to a holistic review remains the same. We will continue to evaluate the entire application, with or without standardized testing for the 2020-21 cycle. In the hopes of giving students (and the teams of educators that support them) more time to prepare applications, we have moved to just one deadline this year – January 1. And more than ever, your letters of recommendation will be a crucial part of our evaluation of each applicant and their potential contribution to Princeton’s academic and social communities. I look forward to working with you in helping students find their right-fit college.
On behalf of my colleagues in the office of admission, I wish you a safe and healthy school year, and I look forward to the day we can once again gather in person.
In light of challenges presented by COVID-19, Princeton will suspend its standardized testing requirement and move to one application deadline for the 2020-21 first-year admission cycle. Read more.
For the latest COVID-19 updates regarding University operations and admission-related news, please visit our Announcements page.
Our financial aid program provides grants, instead of loans, and is known to be one of the most generous in the country. Princeton is often more affordable than a state university.
Our students are curious about the world around them and use the skills they learn here to make real differences in their communities.
Our informal motto is ‘Princeton in the Nation’s service and the service of humanity,’ and is central to our mission as a liberal arts university.
Our low student-to-faculty ratio encourages our undergraduate students to form close intellectual relationships with our world-class faculty, many whom are Nobel Laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners and international leaders in their academic arenas.
Our six undergraduate residential communities provide a strong network of support and resources, and is designed to guide students through every stage of their college experience.
Our curriculum—regardless of concentration—ensures every senior produces a thesis, an original piece of scholarly work. This establishes a foundation for every Princeton graduate to identify the tools needed to ask good questions and apply what they have learned to solve challenges in the world.
At Princeton, we are proud of our diversity and committed to it. Our undergraduates come from a variety of ethnic, racial, religious, geographic, socioeconomic and ideological backgrounds. In our incoming Class of 2023, 16 percent of the students are the first in their families to go to college, 24 percent are Pell Grant recipients, and 49.5 percent self-identify as students of color. In addition, students come from around the globe, with 49 countries represented in the first-year class. With a low student to faculty ratio, robust campus resources and a close-knit residential community, students thrive academically and socially at Princeton. Our graduation rate is 97 percent, which is among the highest in the nation.
In our incoming Class of 2023, 16 percent of the students are the first in their families to go to college, 24 percent are Pell Grant recipients, and 49.5 percent self-identify as students of color.
Financial Aid
Princeton's financial aid policy is one of the most generous in the country. For lower- and middle-income students, Princeton is often more affordable than a state university. Princeton covers the full cost of tuition, residential college fee, and room and board for families with a household income of $65,000 or less. Most students from family incomes up to $160,000 pay no tuition. Plus, every aid package relies on grants, which do not have to be repaid, rather than loans. Thanks to this no-loan policy, about 83 percent of recent seniors graduated without debt. For the 17 percent who chose to borrow, usually for additional expenses such as a laptop computer or an unpaid internship, average indebtedness at graduation was about $9,400, far below the national average of $29,200.*
Undocumented or DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) Students
Princeton’s admission and financial aid policies are the same for undocumented or DACA students as they are for all other students applying to the University for admission or financial aid.
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 financial aid office, will be met.
We want to make sure that Princeton is accessible to all candidates, regardless of their individual family’s financial situation. If an applicant is from a low-income background, or if the application fee is a hardship for their family, and they are applying for financial aid, Princeton will waive their application fee. Additionally, we will waive the application fee for all candidates who are serving or have served in the U.S. military. Applicants may submit a fee waiver one of two ways:
Select the fee waiver option on the Coalition Application or Common Application. Counselors must approve the fee waiver request online or submit the fee waiver form by mail or fax.
Select one of the following fee waiver options on the Princeton Supplement: Princeton-specific, ACT, College Board, NACAC or Realize Your College Potential. All low-income students are eligible for the Princeton-specific fee waiver. In addition, all applicants who are serving or have served in the U.S. military are eligible for the Princeton-specific fee waiver. If you use the Princeton-specific fee waiver, college counselors do not need to provide approval. Students named QuestBridge Finalists should select the QuestBridge fee waiver.
Upon submission of the Coalition Application or Common Application with the Princeton Supplement, the checklist in the student's Princeton Applicant Portal will reflect that their fee waiver has been granted. Please note that applying for a fee waiver will not disadvantage an application in any way.
As our partners in this work, we ask you to help us learn about their talents, academic accomplishments and personal achievements:
Tell us more than just the statistics in the file;
Share with us how your student will seize the academic and nonacademic opportunities at Princeton and contribute to the community;
Advise your student to tell us their story and to be authentic;
Encourage your student to write in a style that reflects their own voice.
We continue our commitment to a holistic review, in which we look at the whole application, not just the quantitative pieces. We consider not just grades or rigor of curriculum but also the less quantitative pieces of an application, including essays and your recommendation letters. We will ask you for your school profile, which should include a description of your curriculum and the progression of courses. We want to understand your program of study and whether you offer AP, IB, honors or dual enrollment courses. This will help us to better evaluate your student’s transcript in the context of your school setting.
We understand in this unprecedented year, many students will have a pass/fail transcript. We will honor all curriculum changes as approved by the school. As always, we will continue to review each applicant holistically. We encourage you to submit the required forms by the application deadline. If this is not possible, please reach out to us by email at uaoffice@princeton.edu.
Please note that “demonstrated interest” is not a part of our review, though we encourage you and your students to review our website and take advantage of our virtual visit experience to learn more about the Princeton community.
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.
If a student is taking advanced or college-level courses in high school, they may be able to take advantage of Princeton’s Advanced Standing policy.
Through this policy, students may receive recognition for their previous advanced or college-level work.
The policy allows students to be placed in courses that match their level of preparation and, in some cases, may allow them to skip introductory courses and proceed to upper-division course work.
College Fairs: If you would like a Princeton admission representative to attend a college fair, panel, workshop or other events, email fairs@princeton.edu to let us know.
