Princeton University Visit Report by swissmiss3

Visit Activities:

Admissions Interview: No - They don't give on-campus interviews. I had one with an alum in my area at the end of January.

Information Session: Yes - Very informative and the setting is incredible! Nassau Hall, in the professors' sitting area (I think). Drop-dead gorgeous (no question).

Campus Tour: Yes - Tour guide was obviously brilliant but a poor guide. Lots of ums, uhs, you knows, likes, and switched topics constantly like an ADHD kid without meds. Other people left the tour as it went.

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Campus:

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We talked to lots of students here. Everyone was super! Helped us find things, asked if we needed help. GREAT people!

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Everybody here was super nice. No snobby, "you're-not-getting-in" attitudes at all. Admissions, bus driver, tour guide (nice, just hard to listen to), other bus riders who work there we

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Loved it from the first. Once we left the main road that goes to Princeton, I was in heaven. Lots of trees, the river, everything screamed out, "This is IT!" Campus was perfect to me.

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Everything here is in perfect condition.

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Didn't see one.

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Even though it's close to large cities, Princeton felt safe. I wouldn't have any problems walking around after dark here.

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Spectacular! Old buildings, a sense of history, and new underground libraries all in one. You can almost feel the history and intelligence that is here. Made me feel insignificant in comparison.

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Off-Campus:

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In front of the main entrance to campus, there are lots of shops and restaurants. Huge trees shade the road, giving it a peaceful atmosphere. I loved it!

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Residencial area nearby and the houses are well-kept. Probably cost millions. Didn't see ANY areas to avoid.

Campus Visit Notes for Princeton University

Visit Description:

Princeton was added to the trip just the day before my visit when we crammed Villanova and Penn together in the same day, freeing up a day for somewhere else. And what could possibly be better than spending that extra day at Princeton? Nothing.

We left Philadelphia early in the morning and got out of town easily. Made it to Princeton without any problem and didn't have to ask directions once! Miracles happen! Found the parking lot without problems and waited for the campus shuttle with another person, an employee of Princeton. Very friendly lady who told us about working there (though not in Admissions!), living nearby, and the students there.

At the Admissions office there is a separate desk where you can speak to an admissions couselor if you need a certain question answered. I am a cancer survivor and had questions related to my health, routine scheduled scans, and what Princeton would do if the scans showed the cancer had returned. The lady who talked to me was most kind, and assured me that if I had to withdraw due to health, there would be no problem returning when I improved. That was a huge relief to me!

The information session was held in Nassau Hall, the oldest building on campus that predates the Revolutionary War. The tour guide explained how the building was damaged in the war...very cool. Our guide was a brilliant Asian kid who was majoring in either computer science or some other science (he was a genius) but he drove us nuts with his poor speaking skills. Maybe he was nervous, maybe he was new at being a guide, but he couldn't finish a topic clearly. He'd start off telling us about something, then switch to something else for a couple of sentences, then return to the original, then go to a third topic. Lots of people left the tour as it went, but we stayed to see things; we just didn't listen to the guide anymore.

A highlight of the tour was seeing the black squirrels on campus. I like lots of trees, green spaces, and wildlife. At each college we visited, I'd look for birds, squirrels, and rabbits that showed up. Yeah, it's weird, but I'm a country girl who likes wildlife. Anyway, I had seen black squirrels at Princeton and was amazed by them; they're SO cute! On the tour I needed to throw something in the trash and when I did, a squirrel popped out of the trash can! Scared me to death! But that simple unexpected joy left me liking Princeton even more.

In February I started emailing the bands of the colleges I'm interested in. I play two instruments that most colleges don't use in their marching bands, so I might need to learn a different instrument for college. Princeton's band president sent back the most wonderful response. "We want you just the way you are!" She went on to say that their band is rather unusual and takes musicians who play everything and anything, or nothing. To me, this was a huge deal. Now all I need is to be accepted there! LOL

Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:

We didn't sleep here, but went on to the next school's city for the night.

Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments:

Didn't eat here either, but the restaurants just off-campus look interesting.

Other Comments (Transportation, local attractions, parking, etc.):

Princeton has a bus that takes students to New York, so if you want the big city, it's convenient to campus.