Are people at Princeton really that Preppy?

Colleges & Universities Princeton University
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<p>“Not nice, exclusive, walk in that way that suggests they are better than everyone else, pompous, disingenuous. These are the characteristics of the preps I am referring to.”</p>

<p>I think your word choice is confusing people here. Based on what you said, I think your true question is something along the lines of, “Is Princeton full of stuck-up snobs?” Prep is a very middle-school-esque term that really has no set meaning anymore. It can also act as a euphemism for some very bad things, including conceitedness and the like. So I think if you would have specified you were asking about the population of snotty people, you may have gotten some clearer answers.</p>

<p>However, the issue of snootiness has been addressed in this thread anyway, I believe.</p>

<p>And alumother, if that’s the case, let’s hope to goodness I’ll join your daughter at Princeton this fall!</p>

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<p>yeah, you’re right, sorry, I should have used different words to describe what I was asking about, but the responses were still helpful</p>

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<p>now that I think about it, I wouldn’t like the pressure in clothing that much either, but all of this is useless unless I actually get in, so I’ll stop thinking about it,</p>

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<p>When I asked my Princeton alum interviewer '88 what kind of students are the ones at Princeton, he told me that many were WASPy. He told me that there was a saying that “even Asians are white at Princeton” (meaning, most of the students wanted to belong to one certain stereotype). But he added that he doesn’t know for sure how it is today, but that university is trying to bring more diversity nowadays than before so it must have changed.</p>

<p>So I am glad to see this thread because I was wondering about the similar things like OP.</p>

<p>It might not really have much to do with the OP’s post, but I was wondering about the race/nationality interaction.
Do students group themselves in certain groups race-wise, nationality-wise, etc.?
Because at my old school the internationals hang around with other internationals, Asians were exclusively with Asians, and rarely any of them interacted with someone outside of their group. And I heard many Asians there wishing they were more like blonde-blue eyed kids…
Everyone said hi to everyone, but there weren’t too many serious international-American friendships nor race-another race friendships. I didn’t like that about the school.</p>

<p>How is Princeton on that aspect? Do students group themselves in one particular group and don’t really interact outside of it or everyone hangs around everyone?
(and do Asians really want to be more like white kids?)</p>

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<p>Cookiemom LOL!</p>

<p>Boho girl, The issue of how WASPy, or how separated by demographics, Princeton is is a good question. </p>

<p>Honestly I would have to ask Aludaughter on the degree of self-separation of groups across the school. I know that on the newspaper, it’s all mixed. In her dance group, very mixed. But in her eating club, not so mixed.</p>

<p>It is completely possible to go to Princeton, love it, have a great social life, and never go to the Street (where the clubs are). But, if you are drawn as a person to the social mainstream, you will find yourself on the Street.</p>

<p>I am saying all of this because I would like it to be clear that you can trust what I say. You can trust when I say Princeton kids are not snobby or exclusive precisely BECAUSE I do not tell you it is a hotbed of radical thinking or a place with many clubs nearby for hip-hop or bars nearby for country western or coffee shops nearby for coffee, cigarettes, and Sartre.</p>

<p>It also needs to be said that Shirley Tilghman, the president of Princeton, is working to evolve the insitution. The four year residential colleges in are place this year for the first time. I expect this will mix up the social demographics simply due to proximity. The plans for expanded science facilities will keep the brilliant scientists pouring through the gates. And the plans for the expanded arts facility will continue to increase the population of arty types on campus. Of which, by the way, I was one, just for credibility’s sake:).</p>

<p>But I will ask Aludaughter about self-separation by race and family demographics. Anyone qualified to apply to Princeton deserves to decide where they will attend based on facts, as best as we can locate them, rather than on old stereotypes.</p>

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<p>My daughter, who attended public school, thinks Princeton students are incredibly friendly, smart, non-competitive and diverse. She always gets upset about the old stereotypes about Princeton being this haven for preppy snobs, because she thinks it isn’t true and that it sometimes results in some great kids deciding against attending/applying to Princeton. She absolutely adores the school, her professors and most of the students that she meets.</p>

<p>That said, the one thing she has commented on is that she believes that there is still some self-separation by race at Princeton. She thinks that the administration does not foster this and she doesn’t even understand why it happens, because she doesn’t feel that there is any particular reason for it. However, she has also noticed that her friends who go to many different schools across the country have commented that this type of separation exists at their schools and she certainly doesn’t feel that it is a Princeton-specific issue or even that it is unusually prevalent at Princeton.</p>

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<p>My daughter kind of agrees with me:</p>

<ol>
<li>There is a pocket of snobby kids from private schools and upper class families who think they are all that, but that they are in the minority. </li>
<li>There are more Asian kids at Princeton than rich snobby elitist kids.</li>
<li>ECs are highly diverse.</li>
<li>However racial self-segregation does exist.</li>
<li>Some eating clubs are noticeably more diverse than others. </li>
<li>The apparent preppy look is largely caused by the warmer weather and the fact that eating clubs have parties outdoors with people wearing pastels:).</li>
</ol>

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<p>First - sorry jkjkjk for hijacking your thread! >_<</p>

<p>Second - wow, thank you moms - Alumother and midtlmom for such descriptive posts! (I wonder why Alumother shortened her post, but I am glad I received e-mail notification with original longer post :D)
I am glad to hear that Princeton students are the way they are usually described in stereotype. I really wonder why they are described as preppy on many other sites (like Princetonreview) - that should be changed anymore. </p>

<p>It is sad to hear about self-segregation (anywhere. I’ve been in such environment, and I wasn’t a fan of such things) especially in an environment such as Princeton that has lots of diversity. Lots of diverse smart people. Pity they don’t interact so much, then. </p>

<p>

Oh, I didn’t mension Asians because I wanted to hang around with Asians only, I just took them as an example of what was going on at my schools. Asian guys were quite creepy since they always stuck together and moved together. You’d never see one alone. And they’d rarely communicate outside of their group. And they’d be mostly talking Koren or Chinese among themselves even when they’re in the company of others. As a result, even after spending 3 years in USA, they still barely spoke English. Oh, btw, Asians at that school were not high-achievers. They were at the middle or lower half academics-wise.
Pity, since smart Asians are just so much fun to talk to!
I am sure this isn’t the case at Princeton, but those guys just still come up as an association of racial segregation (would you call that a segregation?). </p>

<p>Oh, and one thing I really like about Princeton is “equality for all” policy that university enforces (which is basically obvious from seeing the financial aid etc), but I wasn’t sure if the students were really up for that idea, too.
I am glad to read about quite down to earth kids :)</p>

<p>Just one more question, is everyone at Princeton invited to be whatever they like among the student body? Is there still a note of high school left as in “popular kids” (in this case, what you mentioned, snobs), “jocks”, “geeks” or do they all cooperate and get along well? Like the mathematician Alumother mentioned, that forgot to wear his shoes, would his behavior most likely cause pointing fingers at as in “look at that weirdo” or would it be more like “look at that kid, he forgot to wear his shoes. Haha, what a fun kid” (sort-ish sense)
In short, is being an original self accepted among student body or is there a certain stereotype that everyone expects you to abide? </p>

<p>P.S. Sorry if anything above doesn’t make sense, I am very tired and ready for bed…</p>

<p>Now, if only I could get into Princeton… <em>positive thinking, positive vibes, positive thinking</em></p>

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<p>I edited my post because I have found that as a WASP it really doesn’t go over well when I make statements about other ethnics groups, even though I am really well-meaning I just don’t have the street cred. So I try to be careful.</p>

<p>Do people let people be themselves at Princeton? It’s not the biggest university in the world, but it’s pretty big. The snobby kids may think they are “all that” but as my daughter says, there aren’t too many of them and if you don’t want to interact with them, then don’t.</p>

<p>The thing that eating clubs, and frats, do bring to a campus is that for the good, parties and there and findable. On the other hand, there is always that moment where you have to decide what your position is on belonging or not, and the moment when you find out if other people who already belong share your opinion… Larger more anonymous places have less of a way to belong, but then less disappointment if the belonging doesn’t happen.</p>

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<p>I think there are more annoying *****y princetoners on CC than any other forum.</p>

<p>personally i dont want to go to princeton =P</p>

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<p>Then why are you posting on the Princeton forum? We’re secure enough in our association to Princeton (whether that be alumnus/a connection, being current students, parents, people aspiring to be students) to really not care what you think, so what’re you getting out of it?</p>

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<p>no, the OP asked a question, Are people at Princeton really that Preppy? And I answered with what I knew about princetoners on this thread, mainly “I think there are more annoying *****y princetoners on CC than any other forum.” Simple as that.</p>

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<p>I find it amusing that Peach Chardonnay says “Princetoners”… We all know what the real word is :)</p>

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<p>I’m sorry, but what is WASPy ? Or does it consist of words that contain asteriks?</p>

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<p>White Anglo Saxon Protestant</p>

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<p>My D who is now a high school senior had toured Princeton with her older brother and said she wanted nothing to do with Princeton because it was “too preppy.” She attends an inner city high school.</p>

<p>At the end of her junior year I “forced” her to spend two days on campus with her brother. She went to classes, lunch, a dance concert (with a beautiful, elegant red haired dancer), and brunch at an eating club. At the end of her stay she had this to say: “I hate to say this, but I really liked Princeton. The kids were really friendly and funny and I felt like I was back at my high school. The student body was very diverse and everyone seemed to mingle.”</p>

<p>I think her initial negative reaction was to the prospective students and their parents she met on the tour. The actual student body is more more racially and economically diverse than the student tour groups.</p>

<p>As for students making fun of the mathematicians, it’s quite the opposite. The math majors are a highly respected group since it’s considered to be the most difficult major. Don’t forget that this is the campus that embraced John Nash and Albert Einstein.</p>

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<p>Oh, thanks.</p>

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<p>Yes, Peach Chardonnay, you tangentially answered the question in between saying “who wants to go to princeton anyways ? :P” and “personally i dont want to go to princeton =P”… and in between called everyone on here annoying.</p>

<p>news flash: If you don’t want to go to Princeton, you should probably stop posting all over the board - I sure don’t think you’re contributing anything; don’t know if anyone else does, but I doubt it. Go have your annoying fun somewhere else.</p>

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<p>

Almost sounds like my high school hierarchy :smiley:
(and I didn’t really want to specify “kids mocking mathematicians”, but just an example of a previously mentioned peculiar behavior :slight_smile: )</p>

<p>Thank you all for answering!
It’s really helpful to read the insider info as opposed to only what either the school or someone who has never attended Princeton say.
Two things I find really nice and quite interesting about Princeton are the quality of its administration and affection&loyalty of its alums to their alma mater.
Good luck to us all in days to come!</p>

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<p>Polo and Lacoste ftw!</p>