I am a freshman in High school who has made Princeton his dream school. Going to this university would be a dream come true for me and my mother.
I am interested in going here to pursue a PhD in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics. That is one of my major life goals and this school would more than likely fulfill such a purpose. Since 5th Grade I have been teaching myself Calculus, Linear Algebra, Abstract Algebra, Differential+Algebraic Topology, Real+Complex+Fourier Analysis(by Princeton Press!), Tensor Algebra,and Tensor Analysis. Alongside that I have been reading an abundant plethora of the literature behindmodern physics(QFT, GR, String Theory, Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics) and have been developing myown theory using the knowledge gathered thereof. This theory is written in short little essays and only have subsistence on my desktop. However, I plan to go beyond that and actually publish some papers.
That is just a part of my personal life - that is I am practically a major physics and math nerd.
My academic life as of now is average. I am not taking any honors or AP classes(our school does not have many of these). I forgot to sign up for them before the year began so I am as of now in the average classes. Despite that, however,I am preparing to taking the SAT this December and the PSAT tomorrow. My school’s counselor and education supervisor have also agreed to order me the AP Calculus BC exam and the AP Physics C exam(two of the AP courses our school does not have) personally so I can take them this spring. I know I will get a good score on the SAT, and a 5 on the both the AP exams.
Anyhow what should I do to get into Princeton? I feel like I won’t be able to get in because my school isn’t some private school in NY. I feel like it’s based on luck. I feel hopeless after looking at their admission rate. Any advice?
Unfortunately there isn’t anyone who can give you a prescription for getting into Princeton. There are some common thoughts which I’m sure you’ve already read on some of these threads…take challenging courses, get great grades and test scores, invest your time in what you love and develop as a leader. Compete in your field and gain broad recognition. Write excellent essays supported by impressive teacher recommendations when the time comes to apply. The difficulty is that even if you do all of these very, very well, you still may not be admitted. Why? Because there is the element of how admissions envisions you finding your place in your year and that may fluctuate greatly from one year to the next.
Being from “some private school in NY” really is much more stereotype than reality. Princeton aims for a diverse class each year. I’d advise being your best “you” and forget about what you think Princeton or any other school wants you to be. Work hard, yes, but have fun, do what you love and enjoy your high school years! That way no matter where you land you will feel great about how you invested yourself.
Nothing can guarantee that you’ll get into Princeton. You sound like a verifiable nerd and genius, and I mean that as a compliment, if all that stuff about the math that you have studied (and presumably at least semi-understand) is true. How are your grades overall?
There’s no need to have a dream school. That’s just setting yourself up for disappointment for no good reason. There are plenty of places that you can get solid foundations in physics and math. By all means apply to Princeton, but that shouldn’t be your life goal.
You mention no other interests besides science. Unless you’re applying with a Nobel Prize already on your resume, Princeton isn’t going to care how passionate u are in science if that’s all u do, and nothing else.
My general advice to you: don’t fall in love w any one school until AFTER you’ve been admitted.
The stuff with the math is true. I am passionate for mathematics, complex Analysis being my favorite.
My grades are good. I have a 4.25 GPA.
Princeton is really just my first choice school. I am also open to Stanford, Berkley, MIT, and Yale. I just want a school that would favor my needs for that Physics and Math PhD.
There are many, many choices at the undergraduate level that will set you up well to do graduate work at Princeton some day.
Stanford, Berkeley, MIT, and Yale are also extremely competitive and while you are open to them, it is by no means guaranteed that they will be open to you. There will be thousands of highly qualified applicants vying for those few spots.
By all means, as you progress through high school, keep Princeton on your list. But I’d expand it to include some matches and safety schools. I would start by looking at the flagship university of your state and proceed from there.
Also, discuss with your parents what they are willing to pay and run some net price calculators to see what kind of financial aid you might qualify for. Determine if your dream school will be affordable.
@GMTplus7 makes an excellent point about how students typically attend different schools for their undergrad & graduate degrees.
But in the case of Princeton and Physics this understates the case. The Princeton Physics Department actively discourages its undergraduates from applying to Princeton for grad school.
Case in point: My son, who had a very successful experience studying Physics at Princeton, graduating magna cum laude, was encouraged to apply to Harvard, Stanford, and other comparable grad schools, but not Princeton. This was not a reflection on him or his qualifications; it reflects an institutional policy of the Princeton Physics Department.
In summary, if your ultimate goal is to obtain a PhD in Physics from Princeton, you should pursue your undergraduate education somewhere else.