princeton english phd acceptance rate

Department of English

Ph.D. Outcomes

The Department of English tracks Ph.D. outcomes by cohort.

Chart of Outcomes

Each line in the chart focuses on a specific cohort, and includes the cohort's:

• Year of matriculation
• Current employment by sector
• How many students from each cohort have received their Ph.D.s
• How many students are continuing in the program

The chart should be read in combination with "Futures" narratives from individual students about their post-Ph.D. careers . The students in the most recent cohort on the chart are currently in their sixth year of the Ph.D. program.

A Princeton Profile

Admission and costs, undergraduate admission and enrollment.

Princeton admits a class of students each year that stands out not just for outstanding academic ability but also for the wide range of backgrounds, interests, accomplishments and aspirations it represents.

The University seeks students who will benefit from a Princeton education and will use that educational experience to impact their communities and the world.

Princeton offers two admission programs for first-year applicants: Single-Choice Early Action —requiring applicants to apply early only to Princeton—and Regular Decision . Both programs have a candidate’s reply date of May 1.

The University also offers a transfer admission process that enrolls a group of exceptionally well-prepared transfer students. Students from lower-income backgrounds, community college students and U.S. military veterans are particularly encouraged to apply.

Application Deadlines

Admission 2024: Class of 2028

As of August 23, 2024; all percentages rounded

Additionally, for academic year 2024-25, the University is enrolling 36 transfer students, with 26 students transferring from community colleges and 23 having actively served in the U.S. military, with three branches of service represented. 

Numbers are accurate as of Sept. 5, 2024

In 2024-25, the largest numbers of undergraduate students came from New Jersey (897), New York (672), California (602), Pennsylvania (271) and Texas (237). Students also came from 103 nations.

As of June 2024, 85.3% of the entering Class of 2024 graduated from Princeton within four years. The four-year graduation rate is lower than usual due to leaves of absence taken during the pandemic. As of June 2024, 97.6% of the entering Class of 2022 have received a degree from Princeton within six years.

Undergraduate Costs and Financial Aid

Here is what it costs for an undergraduate to study at Princeton:

The University’s pioneering financial aid program , made possible by the University endowment and the sustained generosity of alumni and others, provides the assistance necessary to make sure that all students, including international students, who are admitted and have demonstrated financial need can attend. The aid comes in the form of grants, which do not need to be repaid. Because no student is required to take out loans, Princeton’s aid program allows its students to graduate debt-free. Princeton made substantial enhancements to its aid program starting with the 2023-24 academic year, providing even more generous support to undergraduates and their families.

Class of 2028

Financial Aid for Admitted Students

The average aid package for an undergraduate student in 2024-25 is about $73,000. Most families with incomes up to $100,000 receive aid to cover the cost of attendance, including tuition, housing, food, books and personal expenses. Approximately 25% of all undergraduates are expected to receive this level of aid. Most students from families with incomes up to $200,000 receive aid to cover the full cost of tuition, and many families living in the U.S. with incomes up to and even beyond $300,000 receive grant aid, including those at higher income levels with multiple children in college. 

The amount each family is asked to contribute varies based on a review of income, assets and support provided to undergraduate siblings for college costs. Princeton uses its own need formula to determine the family contribution.

Family Contribution by Income 

• Chart contains information based on families with assets less than $150,000, residing in the United States with one child enrolled in college. Assets do not include retirement holdings or primary residence. Assets do include non-retirement investments, 529 plan college savings, student assets and investments, non-primary vacation and other homes.

• Figures in chart are presented per year.

• Information in chart is not a guarantee of aid eligibility. 

Princeton’s Estimated Financial Aid Budget, 2024–25

Graduate Admission and Enrollment

Of the 19,931 applicants to the Graduate School for 2024–25, 1,465 were admitted and 773 accepted the offer of admission.

While graduate candidates submit applications to the Graduate School, faculty members in the individual departments that will award the degrees review the applications and make admission recommendations to the dean.

In 2023-24, Princeton awarded 403 Ph.D.s and 206 final master’s degrees.

Graduate Admission 2024–25

All Master’s and Doctoral Candidates All percentages rounded

** Includes domestic candidates who self-identified as Black or African American, Latino/Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, or two or more races provided one is included in this definition   *Percentage is of all U.S. candidates †Percentage is of all STEM candidates

Graduate Enrollment 2023–24

The Graduate School enrolled 3,225 degree candidates in 43 departments and programs in academic year 2023–24. Forty-four percent of the Graduate School’s students are female, and 43% are citizens of other countries. Twenty percent of domestic graduate students at Princeton are members of U.S. underrepresented populations. The median time from matriculation to receiving a Ph.D. at Princeton, including all departments, is 5.7 years (for 2023–24).

Enrollment of Graduate Degree Candidates by Academic Division, 2023–24

Graduate Costs and Financial Support

All Ph.D. and many master’s degree candidates in the Graduate School receive financial support for the duration of their degree program through some combination of University fellowships, assistantships in research or teaching, and non-University awards. Princeton guarantees funding for its regularly enrolled, degree-seeking Ph.D. candidates for all years of regular program enrollment, contingent upon satisfactory academic performance. This funding covers the full cost of tuition and fees and a stipend intended to support the estimated living expenses of a single graduate student.

Graduate Admission

Princeton prepares graduate students for distinguished careers in research and teaching, and as leaders in the public and private sectors.

Applying to the Graduate School

Learning more about our distinguished community of scholars and how to apply for graduate admission.

• Fields of Study
• Steps for Applying
• International Applicants
• Admission & Onboarding
• Costs & Funding

Community on Campus

Resident Graduate Students live in the University's seven undergraduate residential colleges, helping to create the vibrant intellectual and social life within each college's network of students, faculty fellows and staff.

We know the college admission process can be a little overwhelming. We're here to help. For quick reference, we’ve compiled the answers to our frequently asked questions. Please select your topic below.

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 2023, 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 .

Yes there are majors at Princeton. 

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 at Princeton. 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 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 our postal address. 

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.

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 A pplicant Portal 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 for the 2023-24 application cycle 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.

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 is 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.

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 Common or QuestBridge 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 concentrations at the end of their first year, and all other students declare their concentrations 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. 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 2020, 1650 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 2017, 93.8 percent of students achieved their post-graduation goals within six months of graduation. The Center for Career Development helps all students define a unique career and life vision, and then helps connect students with the resources and people that will enable them to make their visions a reality.

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.

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.

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 [email protected] .

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.

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 any “additional information” or similar section on the application, or sent afterward through the applicant portal or by email to [email protected] .

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 six 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 98% 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, and  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. For the full list, visit the current list of student organizations on campus .

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 Admission Office, 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 advisors 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 I ncome 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 a concentration (major). Even after selecting a concentration, students may further chart their academic course in other areas of study, earning certificates 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, you should indicate this in our 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 [email protected] 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 field of concentration (major) after one year and liberal-arts students after two years. More than 70 percent of our undergraduates are majoring in fields different from those they indicated when they applied.

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

Department of Physics

Graduate Admissions

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in joining the Princeton Physics community. Here you will find a description of the application process for the graduate program. To learn what it’s like to be a Physics graduate student at Princeton, check out the Student Experience page . To apply, visit the Graduate School Admissions page .

Application deadline: December 15 - 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time

Admissions decisions announced: mid February-mid March

Offer acceptance deadline: mid April

Program start: August

In the evaluation of each applicant, we look primarily for the potential to perform forefront research in experiment, theory, or some combination. 

The Physics department is strongly committed to creating an inclusive, diverse graduate community whose members feel welcome and valued. However, we also recognize that the Physics community has much work to do towards improving diversity and we strongly encourage members of Historically Underrepresented Groups to apply. Click here to read our Statement of Solidarity with movements against systemic racism and to learn about our department’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative.

The Admissions Process:

Each application is read by at least two faculty members. We take a holistic approach to admissions , carefully weighing all components of the application to make the best determination about which students will be a good fit in our department. Each year we receive more than 600 applications and send out admissions offers to roughly 50 – 60 applicants. The typical class size is 20 – 30 students, roughly half of whom are international students. Admitted students begin the following September -- they never begin the program in January. Because of the small number of students in each cohort, applicants are admitted only as candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. There is no separate Master of Arts program and no provision for part-time students. However, an M.A. is awarded to those who desire it after they have passed their Generals requirements.

More details about each application component can be found below.

Other departments:

Students might want to explore physics research in the following departments: Astrophysical Sciences , Plasma Physics , Electrical Engineering, Chemistry , Molecular Biology , Chemical and Biological Engineering , Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences , Neuroscience , Quantitative and Computational Biology . Our research subpages list some associated faculty in other departments with official connections to the Physics department. Note, however, that you are only able to apply to one department at a time.

For questions regarding the application process, please reach out to Katherine Lamos, Graduate Program Administrator . For general info about the department culture and graduate life, feel free to reach out to the Physics Ambassador for your region. https://phy.princeton.edu/ambassadors-program . For information about Access, Diversity, and Inclusion (ADI) in Princeton’s Graduate School, please visit the ADI “ Prospective Students ” page.

Application Components:

The Statement of Academic Purpose is an opportunity to describe your past research experiences and future research interests. We look for a thoughtful statement that shows signs of creativity and a potential for research. The statement must be convincing and coherent, based on some familiarity with the proposed area of research. It is often helpful if you can relate your research and interests to the research of specific faculty and groups at Princeton. It is not necessary to describe how you became interested in physics. However, if your path to applying to the Princeton Department of Physics was unusual or compelling, please feel free to describe it. The admissions process is holistic, and we pay attention to how students have made use of the opportunities available to them. The bulk of your Statement should be about science, but if there are aspects of your application or experience that you would like to contextualize, please include that information. We are aware that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students may have dealt with unexpected difficulties while taking classes or may have taken many classes with unusual grading policies (eg, pass/fail). Additional relevant background information that will help put your transcript in context would be welcome.

A list of questions you might want to address are listed below. Feel free, however, to include additional information you consider relevant:

• What background in math, physics, or other sciences have you had that is beyond the usual curriculum of the physics major and that you think is important for us to know?
• What research experiences have you had? If you made important or original contributions, please explain what they are and, if relevant, how they have influenced your interest in physics.
• Are you planning to do experimental or theoretical physics, or are you undecided? If your physics courses or research experience have influenced you in this decision, explain how.
• What kinds of physics are you most interested in pursuing and why? What has influenced you in this decision? Why is Princeton the right fit for your research interests?
• The research program of our faculty is on the web . Give examples of groups and faculty with whom you might be interested in working.
• What special aspects of your personality, hobbies, interests and skills make you think that you will be a good physicist?
• The statement should not exceed 1,000 words and must be written in English. ( note the Graduate School's file upload requirements .)

The curriculum Vitae (C.V.) is an opportunity to share your history of employment, activities, community  service, education, academic or professional honors, and publications. Talks and conferences  attended should also be included. Please see the Graduate School website for details and also note the file upload requirements .

Three letters of recommendation are required. We pay close attention to letters from people who really know you and can provide relevant information about your potential for physics research. You should prioritize mentors when selecting people to provide letters on your behalf , especially those who have supervised your research. Recommendation letters should help us evaluate your capacity for research, which is the most important criterion for admission. It is useful for recommenders to familiarize themselves with our graduate program so their letter can reflect your potential at Princeton. Please follow the Graduate School's guidelines for submitting recommendation letters and give your recommenders the following letter offering guidelines: Letter for Recommenders .

The application fee is $75.00. Fee waivers are available based on financial hardship (for U.S. citizens and permanent residents only) or participation in certain programs (for all applicants). Visit the   Graduate School’s website   for application instructions and a list of programs. For example, membership in the NSBP, NSHP, or GRE Fee Reduction Program all qualify one for a fee waiver. We are unable to offer fee waivers for the GRE General or Physics Subject Tests. However, ETS offers a fee reduction program based on financial hardship and participation in certain programs. See the ETS website for details. 

We require a transcript at the time of application from all colleges or universities that you have attended. This transcript may be unofficial, but must include the name of the student, name of the issuing institution, name of courses taken, and the grades received in those courses, and the key from all attended colleges or universities. Additionally, if your transcript is not in English, we require an official English translation along with your transcript. You do not need to wait for fall semester grades to upload your transcript; those can be submitted separately if necessary.

Because this is an unofficial transcript and expected to be sent online, you may, for example, open a sealed copy of your transcript, scan it, and send it, or request an emailed official transcript to be sent to yourself, and upload that to the website. We will not accept screenshots of student portals as transcripts.

Note that grades, while an important component to admissions decisions, are certainly not the only one or the primary factor, and that we strongly encourage applicants to apply even if they feel their grades to be unexceptional. You will be required to submit an official transcript from every college or university from which you have earned a degree if you are accepted and wish to attend.

If you are currently a student at a university that provides fall semester grades, we require you to upload those grades once they become available. If your fall grades were available and are included in the transcript you submitted, you do not need to submit anything.  If not, once they are available, log back into the application checklist and upload them. Requirements about translation and screenshots are the same here as in the general transcript upload.

For the 2024/2025 admission cycle, both the General GRE and Physics Subject exams will be optional.

Standardized test results, when available, are only one of the many components we take into consideration when evaluating applications; no single metric is definitive in determining acceptance. The review process considers academic performance, research experience and potential, and the ability to overcome challenges. Our evaluation relies primarily on official transcripts, letters of recommendation, and the candidate’s personal statement, and we seek applicants with demonstrated potential to succeed in our program. For international applicants, or applicants who believe a strong score will provide important complementary evidence of academic excellence, we recommend submitting Physics GRE scores in their application and consider submitting General GRE scores.

For those planning to take the Physics GRE, we recommend studying well in advance. ETS publishes a few old exams, which can be used to gauge what you need to work on, and there are published books that contain relevant study material. Consult with students from your department who performed well on the exam and were admitted to a graduate school in physics. Seek out faculty mentors who can offer advice on best practices in preparing for the exam and look for workshop opportunities in your area. Many departments, including Princeton Physics, host graduate admissions workshops to assist students in preparing their applications and maximizing their potential for success.

Graduate students must be able to communicate in English to be successful at Princeton. We accept the TOEFL or the IELTS as measures of English proficiency. All students must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores unless their native language is English, or they have studied for at least three years towards a bachelor’s degree or Ph.D. in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, or Anglophone Canada. If you are unsure if you need to submit a test, this page contains more detailed information. This page also contains details on the logistics of taking and sending scores, which must be official scores.

Highlighting Some of Our Most Frequently Asked Questions. . .

Hello, everyone! Now that the Princeton University Graduate Application Portal has gone live, our office has received a new round of questions about our application process. Many of these questions are often repeated by applicants who consider joining our community. Our team has compiled a list of these common questions to help you with the application process. Here are some of the most frequent:

Does SPIA require specific undergraduate coursework or have preferred undergraduate majors for applicants?

Our School does not have prescribed undergraduate majors or require specific academic coursework for admission into SPIA. We do look for some type of quantitative baseline, and many successful candidates come with exposure to or familiarity with economics, statistics, or college level math. As with policy development and analysis, quantitative coursework is featured throughout our core curriculum. Having quantitative coursework in your background will serve to further enhance your preparation for our policy degrees.

Will pursuing additional coursework help to supplement my application? If so, where should I take them?

If you feel there are gaps in your academic preparation, you can consider taking additional coursework. Some applicants will pursue coursework at a local community college or another accredited institution. Although not required, this additional academic preparation can help strengthen your application. If you plan to pursue additional coursework, check out the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs to find an accredited institution. Share any current or anticipated coursework when submitting your application.

Does SPIA still require the GRE, in spite of the challenges presented by COVID-19?

After careful consideration across our community, we made a few amendments to our GRE requirements for the 2020 application cycle. In brief:

• The GRE is required for MPA applicants, as the exam may provide evidence of quantitative ability that may not be evident in other aspects of an applicant’s file.
• GRE scores are optional for MPP applicants because there is no core curriculum. Our MPP admissions process emphasizes leadership, work experience, and professional trajectory.
• Applicants into our PhD program are not required to provide GRE scores. The PhD application review centers on academic coursework, scholarly research and professional work experience, as well as fit with our faculty’s research expertise.
• The GRE is but one aspect of a file. It is neither determinative in granting admission nor discounting in our process.

Considering the limited opportunities to schedule a GRE exam due to shuttered testing facilities, can I submit my application without GRE scores?

You can submit your application without GRE scores, but it will remain incomplete until all components are received. Our admissions committee will not review an application until all required components are received. If you have to submit your application without GRE scores, please include an explanation detailing the delay and your anticipated test date.

You can schedule to complete the GRE from your own home. The Educational Testing Service is offering the GRE General Test at Home every day through December 31, 2020.

Does SPIA require a minimum GPA for admission?

SPIA does not have a minimum GPA requirement for admission into our graduate programs. We have small class sizes, so admission is competitive. For an overview of the average academic profiles within our MPA, MPP, and PhD admits, please review our Graduate Admissions Viewbook .

What type of work experience does SPIA value for its MPA, MPP, and Ph.D. programs?

Our MPA and Ph.D. programs do not officially require work experience, but both programs highly value at least two years of full-time work experience, preferably within the public sector. We believe this work experience helps influence your worldview and policy interests. Some students do earn their admission with limited work experience, but most often these students are affiliated with a program that mandates enrollment in the year the award was given, like the Pickering or Rangel fellowships.

SPIA’s MPP program is designed for mid-career professionals who are rising leaders in domestic and international public policy. There is a strict requirement of at least seven years of full-time professional work experience, generally with upward progression, with evidence of commitment to public service and a clear leadership trajectory or a path to one.

For more information, we encourage you to review our Graduate Admissions Viewbook . There you will find that most admitted MPA and Ph.D. students have worked at least three years, while nearly half of MPPs have at least ten years of public sector, full-time work experience.

Does SPIA offer part-time or fully virtual graduate programs?

No. Each of our graduate programs is full-time and residential. However, in compliance with state health regulations during COVID-19 , Princeton University is offering a hybrid model of online and in-person courses.

Does SPIA offer Spring semester matriculation?

No. SPIA does not offer Spring matriculation. All SPIA graduate programs begin with a summer component that predates the fall semester.

Are international students required to assess English proficiency through the TOEFL or IELTS? If so, are there score minimums required for admission?

All applicants whose native language is not English are required to take either the TOEFL or IELTS. In accordance with the Graduate School at Princeton University , “The only exemption for this requirement is if the native language is not English, but the applicant has or will have studied for a minimum of three years towards a bachelor's degree or a Ph.D. in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or Anglophone Canada before enrollment.”

Receiving a bachelor’s degree in a country that lists English as an official language such as India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Nigeria, or Singapore does not exempt an applicant from the English language proficiency requirement. You can find more information about our requirements by visiting the Graduate School’s website.

Princeton requires a minimum score of 100 IBT for the TOEFL and 7.0 for the IELTS.

As a result of COVID-19, my undergraduate course grades have been converted to pass/fail. Will this have a negative impact on my application?

We completely understand the challenges this pandemic has placed upon academia and the grading system. At Princeton, some courses have also offered the pass/fail option. We will not penalize applicants for pass/fail grades earned during the pandemic . We will evaluate your entire transcript to gain a holistic understanding of your academic profile when reviewing your file for admission. Be mindful that your transcript is only one part of our holistic review of applicants. We also take into consideration your exhibited commitment to public service, work experience, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and leadership trajectory. A GPA is only one portion of your application.

We encourage you to continue reaching out with your questions. Whether through a phone call, email , or during our weekly virtual admissions presentations , please let us know if we can support you throughout the admissions process. From all of us here, thank you for your interest in our community. We wish you good health and peace!

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Graduate School

The application for fall 2025 admission is now open.

Applications are open from September through January for admission commencing in the fall term of the following academic year. We do not accept late applications, and our application process is fully electronic. There is no spring admission, and graduate study at Princeton is offered on a full-time basis. 

You may apply only to one academic degree program for one degree per year. The Graduate School will not offer admission to an applicant seeking a second Ph.D. in the same or similar field of study. After the application is submitted, you will be able to view the application checklist and manage recommenders.

The Online Application

Understand the basics of Princeton University’s online application, and then manage it with our Application Checklist . The application and all materials submitted to the Graduate School become the property of Princeton University and will not be returned under any circumstances.

As part of the application process, Princeton University collects from its applicants certain demographic information covered by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. You are not required to provide this information. If you choose to provide this information, it will not be shared with or considered by University faculty members, administrators, or others who are involved in evaluating your application during the admission review process. In addition, declining to provide any of this information will not subject you to any adverse treatment.

The University uses application data to help prepare certain disclosures regarding students required by state and federal laws, and to enable the University to conduct analyses that support the University’s planning. This information will be combined with other University data and used for administrative and policy purposes only after the admissions process has concluded. Any information that you share is subject to the University’s Data Privacy policies. 

Enter your name in the last name field and a period (.) in the first name field.

Major not listed : Please choose the closest major in the drop down menu. You can provide more specific information about your major in your résumé/CV or your personal statement.

Double majors : There is an option to choose two majors in the electronic application. If you have more than two majors, clearly indicate your multiple majors in the education section of your résumé.

Applicants who have applied before must complete a new application, upload all supporting documents, and submit the required application fee. There is no limit on how many times an applicant may apply.

If you have already submitted your application and paid the application fee, you can log into your application portal to view your application checklist .  Please note: Duplicate materials and items that are not required as part of the application will not appear on the checklist. Checklists are only updated after the application is submitted and the fee is paid.

Confirmation email : When you submit your application you will receive a confirmation email.

Notification of completed application : No notification will be sent. Please monitor your application status.

Application status : Please research the requirements of the department or program to which you are applying and confirm they have been received by tracking your submitted application checklist . You can verify the receipt of letters of recommendation and test scores. Any item that has been received will have a date next to it. Tests that have been received will show the test date.

Can’t find your application? This may happen if you have created two application accounts with two different email addresses and have logged into the wrong one. Please make sure you have used the correct email address and password for this account.

Experiencing technical difficulties? Email [email protected] .

File Upload Requirements

During the application process, you will be required to upload a statement of academic purpose, resume/curriculum vitae, transcripts, fall semester grades, and additional required files as specified by the individual degree program requirements. We suggest gathering these materials in advance and reviewing the file upload requirements below to make the application process as easy as possible.

Files must not exceed 25 MB. 

Uploaded documents may contain no more than 75 pages. 

We support the following file formats: .doc, .docx, .odg, .odp, .odt, .pdf, .ppt, .pptx, .rtf, .wpd

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:

Video: .3g2, .3gp, .avi, .m2v, .m4v, .mkv, .mov, .mpeg, .mpg, .mp4, .mxf, .webm, .wmv

Audio: .aac, .m4a, .mka, .mp3, .oga, .ogg, .wav

Slide: .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tif, .tiff

Files cannot be password protected.

PDF files cannot have a digital signature.

Files should not be poster size.

Each file should be saved separately.

When scanning hard copy materials to upload into an application:

The resolution should be no more than 300 dpi.

Black and white is recommended.

Removing images will help reduce the file size if necessary

Application Tips

Prior to beginning an application, review the helpful tips below:

Requirements : Application materials should only be uploaded online in the appropriate spaces provided and under the additional information section of the application. Princeton does not accept paper application materials, with the exception of architecture portfolios. Please refer to the file upload requirements for specific instructions. Also, please be sure to review any additional department or program requirements.

Test Scores : All test scores must be sent directly from the test center to Princeton University. Department codes are not used at Princeton and are not required by Educational Testing Services (ETS). Please refer to the Required Tests page for specific information on the tests. Please allow extra time for test scores to be received and reflected on the application checklist.

Recommendations : Do not delay submitting your application because you are waiting for recommenders to submit their recommendations. See the Recommendation Letters page for more information.

Revisions : Before submitting an application, double-check it. No revised documents will be accepted after the deadline.

International Students : There is only one application, which can be used by U.S. citizens, permanent residents or international applicants for any academic department or program.

Application fee : The application fee of $75 is nonrefundable. View information regarding application fee waivers .

Admission Decisions

Admission decisions are emailed separately by department or program starting at the end of January through March 15. All decisions are sent to all applicants no later than March 15. Decisions will not be released by telephone or fax. If placed on the waitlist, it might be closer to April 15 before receiving a final admission decision. If the email used in the application changes, please let us know by emailing [email protected] .

The Graduate School must receive a submitted acceptance by April 15, 11:59 p.m. ET or the offer of admission may be rescinded. An offer of admission may also be rescinded based on the Policy on Rescinding an Offer of Admission . 

Unexpected and Emergent Events

Unexpected and emergent events such as natural disasters, political unrest or armed conflict, and widespread internet or power outages may make it impossible for applicants from an entire region or country to meet an application deadline. Due to the highly decentralized, degree program-based nature of graduate admissions, the Graduate School cannot make blanket changes to application deadlines, nor can we guarantee that any accommodations are possible. Such blanket changes would prevent the University from meeting its own deadlines for making admission decisions and informing all applicants of outcomes. However, prospective applicants from affected regions or countries are encouraged to send an email to [email protected] . When possible, the Graduate School and departments or programs will work with prospective applicants on a case-by-case basis.

The University GDPR Privacy Notice   is available on the University Registrar’s site.

Princeton University: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

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Princeton University is an Ivy League research university with an acceptance rate of 5.8%. Successful applicants will need high grades and standardized test scores to be considered for admission. To apply, students can use the Common Application , Coalition Application , and Universal College Application . Princeton has a  single-choice early action plan  that can improve admissions chances for students who are sure the university is their top choice. The acceptance rate tends to be  well over twice as high  for early action applicants as it is for the regular applicant pool. Applying early is one way that you can  demonstrate your interest  in the university. Princeton also considers  legacy status  in the application review process.

Considering applying to this highly selective school? Here are the Princeton University Admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Why Princeton University?

• Location: Princeton, New Jersey
• Campus Features: Princeton's 500-acre campus frequently ranks as one of the most beautiful campuses in the country with its stone towers and Gothic arches. Sitting on the edge of Lake Carnegie, Princeton is home to numerous flower gardens and tree-lined walks.
• Student/Faculty Ratio: 5:1
• Athletics: The Princeton Tigers compete at the NCAA Division I level.
• Highlights: A member of the prestigious Ivy League , Princeton University has buildings dating to the eighteenth century, top-ranked academic programs, and a residential college system modeled after Oxford and Cambridge.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Princeton University had an acceptance rate of 5.8%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 5 students were admitted, making Princeton's admissions process highly competitive.

SAT Scores and Requirements

Princeton requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 68% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of Princeton's admitted students fall within the top 7% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Princeton scored between 710 and 770, while 25% scored below 710 and 25% scored above 770. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 750 and 800, while 25% scored below 750 and 25% scored a perfect 800. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1570 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Princeton.

Requirements

Princeton does not require the SAT writing section but does require a graded written paper from each applicant. Note that Princeton participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. While Princeton does not require SAT Subject tests, they are recommended, particularly for students interested in applying for a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. Make sure to review the individual recommendations for your application.

ACT Scores and Requirements

Princeton requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 55% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of Princeton's admitted students fall within the top 2% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Princeton received a composite ACT score between 33 and 35, while 25% scored above 35 and 25% scored below 33.

Note that Princeton does not superscore ACT results; your highest composite ACT score will be considered. Princeton does not require the ACT writing section but does require a graded written paper from each applicant.

In 2018, the average high school GPA for incoming Princeton University freshman was 3.90. All incoming first-year students at Princeton had GPAs ranging from 3.0 to 4.0, and the majority of admitted students had GPAs of 3.75 and above. These results suggest that most successful applicants to Princeton University have primarily A and B grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Princeton University. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

Princeton University has a highly competitive admissions pool with a low acceptance rate and high average SAT/ACT scores. However, Princeton has a holistic admissions process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. A strong application essay and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule . Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their test scores are outside Princeton's average range.

In the graph above, the blue and green dots representing accepted students are concentrated in the upper right corner. Most students who got into Princeton had GPAs close to a 4.0, SAT scores (ERW+M) above 1300, and ACT composite scores above 28 (much higher scores are far more common). Also, realize that hidden beneath the blue and green in the upper right corner of the graph is a lot of red. Many students with a 4.0 GPA and extremely high standardized test scores get rejected from Princeton. For this reason, even strong students with high grades and test scores should consider Princeton a reach school.

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Princeton University Undergraduate Admissions Office .

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Frequently Asked Questions for Graduate Applicants

Do i need to submit a pre-application do you pre-screen applicants, can i start in the spring term, can i attend part-time, evenings, weekends, or summers, can i transfer credits from another school to princeton toward receipt of my ph.d., do i have to have a master's degree to apply to the ph.d. program, if i apply for the ph.d. program and am not accepted, will you still consider me for the master's program, does my undergraduate degree have to be in computer science, what materials are required with my application, i applied last year and was not accepted. i want to reapply. what do i need to do, where should my application materials be submitted, can the application fee be waived, will you still review my application if i do not pay the fee, i haven't finished my degree yet. what transcript should i submit what about gpa, what about midyear grades, what should be in the personal statement.

• Is the GRE general exam required?

What is the Institution Code for Princeton? Do I need to use a department code? What if I put a department code - will you still get my scores?

Must i submit toefl or ielts.

• What TOEFL should I take?
• I already took the CBT. Do I have to take the iBT too?

What is the minimum score for TOEFL? for IELTS?

Is there an english language requirement, what about financial aid, how will i know if all my application materials haven been received, when does application review begin, when will i know your decision, who can i contact if i have specific questions.

• Do you require official transcripts? 

No, you do not need to submit a pre-application. We do not pre-screen or pre-evaluate applicants.

No, admission to Princeton is for fall only. Application materials are available starting in September of each year for admission in fall of the next year.

The Ph.D. program is full-time only. Princeton does not offer evening, weekend, or summer courses.

No. All work for the Ph.D. must be done as a Princeton student. Work done previously at another institution may help you complete our program faster, but you will not be given credit for work done prior to your admission to Princeton.

No. Most of our applicants come directly from a bachelor's degree program.

No. We will only consider you for the degree track to which you have applied. Princeton allows applicants to apply to only one department and for only one degree at a time.

No. Normally, however, our applicants have a degree in computer science, engineering, science, or mathematics.

We require transcripts, TOEFL or IELTS (international students only), and three letters of recommendation.  In addition, each candidate is asked to write a personal statement of interest as part of the application packet. Please complete all sections of the application. The institution code for TOEFL is 2672. No department code is required. NOTE: It is important that all materials reach us by the application deadline in order for your application to receive full consideration. The only exception is computer-based test scores for tests taken in early December. Late or missing materials will seriously hurt your chance for admission. It is your responsibility to see that we receive all materials on time.

Applicants who applied the previous year may reapply the following year. However you must complete a new application. On the first page of the application you will be asked if you have applied before. In addition, you must submit transcripts of any academic work accomplished since the date of the last application, register three recommenders,  and a revised personal statement. All materials, including the application fee, are due by the application deadline. 

All materials should be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Please do not send anything directly to the department.

Fee waivers based on financial hardship are available for U.S. citizens or permanent residents or for anyone that has participated in one of the programs listed on this  website .

Applications cannot be submitted without payment.

Your current transcript should be submitted with your application. If you are admitted to Princeton, you will be required to submit a final transcript and proof of receipt of degree before you can register in the Fall. If your school calculates GPA on other than a 4.0 scale, include a statement of GPA with your application.

Students are able to upload their midyear grades to their applications at any time through their submitted application checklist. 

The statement should not exceed 1,000 words and should describe your academic and career plans as they relate to the department, and specifically to the area(s) of computer science you are interested in studying.

Is the GRE general exam required? 

We are no longer either requiring or accepting GRE general exam scores. 

The Institution Code is 2672. We do not require a department code. If you enter one we will still receive your scores.

The following PhD applicants are not required to submit English language test scores: Applicants whose primary language is English. Primary language is defined as the language that someone communicates in most frequently and in most situations when speaking, reading, and writing. Applicants whose undergraduate instruction is entirely in English as certified by the institution and for whom the degree will be awarded prior to anticipated enrollment at Princeton. Applicants whose graduate study was on a full-time basis for at least one year where instruction is entirely in English as certified by the institution. The following MSE applicants are not required to submt English languate test scores: Applicants who are from or pursued their undergraduate degree in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or Anglophone Canada. All other applicants must submit valid TOEFL or IELTS scores (PhD applicants may also submit DET scores).   More information can be found here

Ph.D. applicants: The Graduate School has not set a recommended minimum score on the iBT. However, the following information may be useful. Over the last two admission seasons the average iBT TOEFL combined score for admitted students was 108, with the following average sub-scores: Listening 28, Reading 29, Speaking 24, and Writing 27. Furthermore, data from the University's English Language Program indicates that of newly enrolling internationals students, those who score below 20 on the Speaking subsection of iBT TOEFL are virtually certain to have to take an English language course during their first year of graduate study to bring their spoken proficiency up to a minimum standard.  Students choosing to submit IELTS must take the Academic Test version.

Masters applicants: Masters applicants who are required to take the TOEFL must score a minimum of 28 on the spoken part of the TOEFL in order to be considered for the program.   The IELTS equivalent to the TOEFL is an 8 on the speaking sub-section. 

Yes. All non-native English speakers applying to the PhD program who score less than 27 on the Speaking Section of the TOEFL or 8 on the IELTS  must pass Princeton's Oral Proficiency Test (POPT). The SPEAK test is given at the beginning of the first year. Students who do not pass this must take additional English classes and retake the POPT. Students who do not pass the POPT by the end of year 1 will not be readmitted for a second year of graduate study.

Masters applicants: Masters applicants who are required to take the TOEFL must score a minimum of 28 on the spoken part of the TOEFL in order to be considered for the program.   The IELTS equivalent to the TOEFL is an 8 on the speaking sub-section.

All Ph.D. candidates are considered for university financial awards. These awards generally consist of tuition and health fee plus a monthly stipend for the 10 month academic year. We also encourage applicants to apply for any fellowships for which they are eligible, i.e., NSF, NDSEG, or comparable international fellowships. Summer support is determined separately. Financial support for students is reviewed each year. Master's candidates are normally offered financial aid via teaching assistantships (if available). Non-native English speakers must pass the University's English screening exam before they can be offered a teaching assistantship.

Applicants who use the online application will be able to use "track your status" to see what materials have been received. We are unable to track materials for applicants who print out the application and send it in.

All applications are first processed by the Office of Graduate Admissions. The department will receive all files together in mid-January.

We make our final decisions in mid-February. Admits will be notified by email from the department by the end of February. All other applicants will be notified by the Graduate School by mid-March.

First contact our graduate coordinator. She can be reached by email at: [email protected].

Do you require official transcripts?

At the time of application, transcripts do not need to be official. Only if you are offered admission and accept our offer will you be required to submit official final transcripts . For more information, please visit https://gradschool.princeton.edu/transcripts .

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. where can i get application materials.

A. Applications are available on the Graduate School website. You must apply online. Please also visit their website for more information on the application process and materials (deadline and fees, standardized testing, FAQs, etc.)

Q. Can I get a fee waiver for the application?

A. The  deadlines and fees  page on the Graduate School website contains information about requesting a  fee waiver .

Q. What financial support is available for graduate students in Politics?

A. Every admitted graduate student in Politics receives a university fellowship that provides five years of tuition, required fees, and a generous twelve-month living stipend. Students may supplement or substitute that support with paid research assistantships, teaching assistantships, or competitive fellowships. For more information about financial support please see our  financial support page or the costs and funding page on the Graduate School website.

Q. What is the application deadline?

A . Applications, including all supporting materials, are due December 15.  It is your responsibility to ensure that all your materials arrive on time.

Q. Will the department consider incomplete applications?

A. This question is of particular importance for those who have missed the last opportunity to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Simply put: The GRE is required of all applicants. Applicants who do not submit GRE scores cannot be considered. Applicants missing other materials will still have their applications evaluated, though incomplete applications are at a severe disadvantage. All application materials must be received before a final offer of admission can be extended.

Q. Do I really have to take the TOEFL?

A. The Graduate School's website contains the current policies regarding English language tests for prospective students for whom English is not their native language. Those policies are set and administered by the Graduate School, not the department.

Q. Do I really have to take the GRE?

A. Yes. Every applicant is required to submit GRE scores as part of the application.

Q. Do I need a minimum score to get in to Princeton? Are my grades good enough to get in?

A. The Ph.D. program in Politics at Princeton is highly competitive. We look to admit students who both hold exceptional promise for a future academic career and have a good fit with the current strengths and contours of our program. Every element in the application is relevant to making those admissions decisions, and it's entirely possible for a weakness (or apparent weakness) in one part of the application to be overcome in another part of the application. We do not impose any artificial cut-offs on scores or grades as we look for students who seem capable and competitive of doing political science research at the highest levels.

In recent years, admitted students have typically had 160 or above on the quantitative and verbal sections of the GRE. For those students with numerical grade-point averages, admitted students have typically had an overall GPA of 3.8 or above.

Unfortunately, we cannot give an individual student an assessment of their prospects for admission before the committee reviews a completed admissions application.

Q. Is an interview required?

A. The Department does not interview Ph.D. applicants; admissions decisions are based on the materials provided with your application. After admissions decisions are announced, successful candidates are invited to visit Princeton – usually in late March.

Q. Is an interview encouraged?

A. No. The department is happy to answer questions that you might have about the program, but we do not encourage or welcome efforts to lobby for admission. Admission decisions are based on the materials provided with your application. The best time to visit campus is after admission decisions have been announced.

Do I need to reach out to a potential advisor in advance of submitting my application?

Due to the high volume of applicants, the department does not encourage prospective students to reach out to faculty or current students prior to their admission to the program. There is no need to check with a particular faculty member prior to being accepted into our program regarding their availability to be an advisor. If accepted, applicants will get a chance to visit campus at our admitted student graduate visit each spring, at which point they can meet with and ask questions of our faculty and students. Admitted students will be assigned a faculty advisor by the Director of Graduate Studies at the beginning of their first year.

Q. Do I need a M.A. to apply to the Ph.D. program in Politics at Princeton?

A. No. Many of our admitted students do have some sort of post-baccalaureate coursework or degree, but many are admitted to the program directly from their bachelor's degree.

Q. If I have graduate coursework already, will it transfer?

A. Maybe. Some comparable graduate courses taken elsewhere can be counted toward satisfying the departmental seminar requirement on a case-by-case basis.

Q. Do I need to have an undergraduate degree in political science to apply to the Ph.D. program in Politics at Princeton?

A. No. Competitive applicants understand what the discipline of political science is about and how to conduct political science research. Usually that understanding requires some exposure to political science through coursework, but it does not require a degree in political science. Successful students in the program have come from a wide range of undergraduate backgrounds.

Q. Should I identify my main area of interest within political science?

A. Yes, absolutely! Please select one of the following areas and write it at the top of your personal statement: American politics , comparative politics , international relations , political theory , formal and quantitative analysis , public law , or political economy .

Q. When are admission decisions announced?

A. Usually February.

Q. How diverse is the program?

A. The program has a sizable community of students in each cohort and in residence working in each of the primary subfields represented at Princeton. Moreover, the department and its students are strikingly diverse in their methodological approaches and analytical perspectives. Students are exposed to great intellectual diversity and have opportunities to work with colleagues with shared interests.

The program also has a sizable community of international students and underrepresented students studying in a variety of fields.

Q. Is any particular course required in the Ph.D. program at Princeton?

A. No. The only common course requirement is that every enrolled student must participate in the field research seminar, where students present and discuss their own research, from seminar papers to dissertation chapters. Otherwise, we provide opportunities, resources, and advice, and expect each student to pursue the individual set of courses that will best prepare him or her.

Q. How long is the program?

A. The Ph.D. program is designed to be a five-year program. Guaranteed funding and required residency are for five years. The actual time to degree varies depending on individual progress, field of study, and particular demands of research.

Required coursework is typically completed in the first two years of the program. General exams are typically completed at the end of spring term of the second year. The remainder of the time in the program is focused on dissertation research and teaching.

Q. How many people apply? How many are accepted?

A. We have received well over 500 applications per year over the last five years. We admitted an average of 40. This reflects a growth in both the number of applications and the number of offers of admissions over the past few years. Over time, the department expects to enroll 20-23 new students per year.

Q. Do your students publish? Do faculty coauthor with your students?

A. Yes, and yes. Our students have been successful in publishing their research as solo authors, as coauthors with other students, and as coauthors with faculty. Faculty also frequently employ graduate students as research assistants on their research projects, which leads to valuable experience on the research process. For recent examples of student publications, see the  research page.

Q. Do your students get jobs?

A. Yes. The Department places graduate students in leading universities and colleges. To see where graduates have been appointed in recent years, visit the job placement page.

Q. Do you have an M.A. program?

A. No, there is no distinct master's program. All applicants must apply directly to the Ph.D. program. However, admitted Ph.D. students can receive an M.A. on the path to their Ph.D. 

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Study In Usa > Colleges In Usa > Princeton University > Acceptance_rate

Princeton University Acceptance Rate: UG & PG Acceptance Rate, and International Students Acceptance Rate

Syed Yusuf Ashraf

Content Curator

Highlights:

• Admissions Update:  Applications for undergraduate admissions at Princeton will open from mid-August .
• Upcoming Deadlines: November 1, 2024 for Early Action Program. Deadlines for most graduate courses is December 1 – December 15, 2024 .
• Decisions Period:  mid-December for Early Action Program and mid-March for Regular Decision. Decision for most graduate programs are announced by February end .

Princeton University acceptance rate is typically seen below 5% for undergraduate admissions and below 15% for graduate admissions. According to the undergraduate class of 2027, a total of 39,644 applications were received and only 1,782 of could secure a place at Princeton University. The overall acceptance rate for undergraduate admissions was 4.49% , which indicates highly competitive admissions.

For graduate admissions, Princeton University received a total of 14,577 applications. Of those, 3,057 applicants applied for master’s degrees while the rest 11,520 were PhD applicants. Out of the total applications, around only 1,369 or 9.39% were accepted for admissions at Princeton University . This shows graduate admissions are highly competitive, but comparatively less competitive than undergraduate admissions.

Princeton University Acceptance Rate for UG

For the fall admissions 2023, a total of 39,644 applicants applied for undergraduate admissions at Princeton University , including 9,402 international students. The further details Princeton University UG acceptance rate is tabulated below:

Undergraduate Acceptance Rate

Undergraduate Class Profile 2027

Princeton University Acceptance Rate for PG

The below graph displays acceptance rate trend for Princeton University graduate admissions:

The acceptance rate for graduate programs has dropped by 1.21% compared to the previous year, from 10.60% in 2022 to 9.39% in 2023. Princeton University acceptance rate keep every year for graduate admissions. With growing competition level, the acceptance rate of Princeton University is likely to decrease or will remain the same range for 2024.

Graduate School Admissions and Acceptance Rate

The Princeton University acceptance rate for international students is slightly low as compared to overall acceptance rate. Out of the 8,521 international applicants, only 608 were accepted for admissions at Princeton University and only 348 of them were enrolled.

Engineering

Social Sciences

Natural Sciences

Being an Ivy League institute, Princeton University is one of the most competitive universities in USA . The overall acceptance rate of Princeton University is typically below 5% for UG and below 15% for almost all graduate programs. Acceptance rate for some graduate programs at Princeton is even lower than 10% .

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How to Get into Princeton: Admissions Stats + Tips

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See how your profile ranks among thousands of other students using CollegeVine. Calculate your chances at your dream schools and learn what areas you need to improve right now — it only takes 3 minutes and it's 100% free.

What’s Covered:

• How Hard is it to Get into Princeton?
• Average Stats of Accepted Princeton Students
• What is Princeton Looking for?
• How to Improve Your Chances of Acceptance
• How to Apply to Princeton

A rich history, extreme selectivity, and Ivy League status make Princeton University a dream school for many college-bound students. Bolstering Princeton’s popularity are its beautiful campus featuring classic gothic architecture and the ample opportunities it provides students to explore interests outside of the classroom, from its renowned eating clubs to athletics. 

If you’re interested in attending this top school, here’s everything you need to know about improving your chances of acceptance.

How Hard Is It to Get Into Princeton University?

How difficult is Princeton to get into? Very. The university’s class of 2025 had a record-low 3.98% acceptance rate —extending admission to just 1,498 students out of the 37,601 applications it received. All applications were through the regular decision process, as early action applications were suspended for this admissions cycle.

Admissions were even more challenging for the class of 2025, as the total number of admitted students was roughly 20% lower than average due to more than 200 students who deferred their enrollment in the class of 2024 . 

Princeton is one of the hardest schools to get into in the nation, but your chances are dependent on the strength of your profile. Our free chancing engine can help you better understand your odds of acceptance at Princeton University—using metrics like grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities, it predicts your chances of acceptance and provides tips to improve your profile.  

Average Academic Profile of Accepted Princeton University Students

The average high school GPA of Princeton’s class of 2025 is 3.92 . More than half of those students (59.48%) had a 4.0 GPA. 

The middle 50% SAT score for Princeton’s class of 2025 is 1460-1560 —86.15% had an SAT score between 1400 and 1600. The middle 50% composite ACT score for Princeton’s class of 2025 is 32-35 —92.94% of admitted students scored higher than 30. 

Class rank is an important consideration of Princeton admissions, however, the university doesn’t report the class rank of accepted students. It’s a safe assumption that the students making up Princeton’s class of 2025 graduated near the top of their classes—59.48% of accepted students graduated with a 4.0 GPA , while 32.05% graduated with a GPA between 3.75 and 3.99 . 

What is Princeton University Looking for?

Princeton admissions put a high priority on academic excellence—even when compared to other highly ranked, highly selective schools like Harvard, Yale, and Stanford. Superb standardized test scores and amazing grades are expected of a Princeton applicant, but aren’t enough to wow admissions officials, since most applicants are academically qualified. 

What does help a Princeton applicant stand out is participation in prestigious academic programs such as Governor’s School . Experience with academic research and STEM achievements are also ways for an applicant to distance themselves from the competition—and they make great supplemental essay topics as well.  

How Princeton University Evaluates Applications

According to their 2020-2021 Common Data Set , Princeton considers the following factors “very important” :

• Course rigor
• Standardized test scores
• Application essay
• Recommendation letters
• Extracurricular activities 
• Talent/ability
• Character/personal qualities 

These factors are “considered” :

• First-generation student
• Alumni/ae relation 
• Geographic residence
• Racial/ethnic status
• Volunteer work 
• Work experience 

And these are “not considered” :

• State residence
• Religious affiliation
• Level of interest

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting into Princeton University 

1. achieve at least a 3.92 gpa while taking the most challenging classes available.

Princeton values academic excellence, and GPA is an important metric for determining it—the average GPA for the class of 2025 is 3.92 and 59.48% of students in the class of 2025 graduated high school with a 4.0. 

Many selective schools, like Princeton, that receive huge numbers of applications use a tool called Academic Index —essentially the distillation of a student’s academic performance into a single number—to cull candidates who are academically unqualified. Outstanding grades, impressive test scores, and challenging coursework won’t guarantee admissions, but are a good step toward ensuring an admissions official takes a good look at your application. 

If your GPA is below the average of accepted Princeton students, it can result in your application getting filtered out early in the decision-making process. Students early in their high school career have time to improve their GPA , but juniors and seniors will need high test scores to increase their Academic Index.    

2. Aim for a 1560 SAT and 35 ACT  

The middle 50% SAT/ACT scores for Princeton’s class of 2025 are 1460-1560 and 32-35 . While any score in the middle 50% is good, the closer you are to the top of the middle 50%, the more competitive of a candidate you are. 

Princeton suspended its standardized testing requirement in 2020-21 and will once again pause it in 2021-22 due to the disruption caused by COVID-19. If possible, CollegeVine recommends that students take a standardized test if they can do so safely—students who submit test scores are accepted at higher rates than those who don’t. 

Princeton allows applicants to use the score choice feature of the SAT and will only accept an applicant’s highest composite ACT score. CollegeVine suggests students with a score at or above the 25th percentile of admitted applicants (1460 SAT/32 ACT at Princeton) submit their score. Students can get recommendations on whether or not they should apply test-optional using our free chancing engine . 

To improve your SAT/ACT score, Academic Index, and odds of acceptance, check out these free CollegeVine resources:

• How to Get a Perfect 1600 Score on the SAT
• How to Get a Perfect 36 Score on the ACT
• More SAT Info and Tips
• More ACT Info and Tips

Discover your chances at hundreds of schools

Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admission—and how to improve them.

3. Cultivate at least one or two Tier 1-2 extracurriculars (find your “spike”)

Extracurricular activities are an excellent way for Princeton applicants to set themselves apart; however, not all extracurriculars are created equal. The 4 four tiers of extracurricular activities are useful for understanding the value colleges place on particular undertakings. 

• Tier 1 activities are rare and demonstrate exceptional achievement or leadership at a national level. These include being selected as a McDonald’s All-American basketball player, winning a prestigious award like the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest , or starting a nationally-recognized organization.
• Tier 2 extracurriculars show high levels of achievement and leadership but aren’t quite as rare as activities found in Tier 1 (they’re more of state-level achievements). These include making an all-state selection in athletics, serving as student body president, or being selected for a prestigious state-wide summer program like governor’s school.
• Tier 3 activities are smaller leadership roles and achievements that often appear on applications. These include being captain of a sports team or holding a lesser officer position in a club. 
• Tier 4 extracurriculars are the most common activities seen by admissions officers. Although not impressive to college admissions officers, they allow students to show who they are outside of the classroom. These activities include playing a sport or instrument, participating in a club but not holding a leadership position, and volunteering. 

A strong extracurricular profile can make a candidate more competitive at a selective school like Princeton, where most applicants have outstanding academics and test scores. Princeton considers talent and ability “very important” when making admissions decisions and a strong resume of extracurricular activities is a great way to demonstrate you have what it takes. 

To get into a top 20 school, an applicant should aim to have at least one or two Tier 1 to Tier 2 activities. As for the belief that extracurriculars should demonstrate being well-rounded, it’s a myth. One or two well-developed interests, or a highly developed interest (known as a “ spike ”), is more compelling and memorable than an applicant with a bunch of unrelated interests. Princeton wants to admit students who will be highly-successful in their fields; demonstrating great achievements in a particular domain is evidence that you’ll go on to become a graduate Princeton will be proud of.

4. Write engaging essays

Along with clearing academic thresholds and filling out your profile with compelling extracurricular activities, essays are the best way to distinguish yourself from other applicants. Princeton requires all applicants to submit three essays and three short responses, and applicants applying for a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree are also required to submit an essay about why they’ve chosen the major. Princeton also requires the submission of a graded academic paper .

No matter what college you’re applying to, it’s important to write in your voice and demonstrate why you belong at that school. Princeton considers character/personal qualities “very important” and the essay is an ideal place to spotlight your best character traits and qualities and how the university will benefit from having you on campus. For more Princeton-specific essay advice, check out our article, “ How to Write the Princeton University Essays 2021-2022 .”

5. Apply Early Action 

Princeton canceled its single-choice early action process for the class of 2025, therefore every applicant into the was admitted through regular decision, but it’s back for the class of 2026. Princeton does not report its early acceptance rate, but in general, students who apply early have higher acceptance rates than those students who apply regular decision. 

Single-choice early action is non-binding—meaning you’re not required to attend if admitted—however, it is limiting. Applicants who apply for single-choice early action at Princeton are restricted from applying to an early program at any other private college or university. 

6. Recommendation Letters 

Princeton considers recommendations “very important” and requires three of them—one from a school counselor or academic advisor and two from your teachers. Teachers providing recommendations should teach high-level courses—such as AP, IB Higher/Standard Level, or A-levels—in core academic areas like English, foreign language, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, or math. 

Teachers are busy and don’t get paid to write recommendation letters, so make the process as painless as possible for them by following the nine rules for requesting letters of recommendation from teachers :

• Ask nicely 
• Ask what type of letter you might get
• Be professional 
• Include relevant details 
• Make it easy 
• Send a reminder 
• Say thank you 

How to Apply to Princeton University 

Application Requirements

Princeton University accepts both the Common Application and the Coalition Application—both applications also require the applicant to submit Princeton’s Supplement. Other requirements include:

• Transcript 
• School report 
• Counselor recommendation 
• Teacher Recommendations (2) 
• Mid-year school report 

Other optional materials include: 

• SAT Subject Tests 
• Art supplement 

Learn more about Princeton University 

Interested in learning more about Princeton? Check out these other informative articles: 

• What is Princeton University Known For?
• Princeton Diversity Statistics: An In-Depth Look
• A Guide to Princeton’s Eating Clubs

Want to know your chances at Princeton? Calculate your chances for free right now .

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Department of Near Eastern Studies

If you are interested in applying for admission to the Near Eastern Studies PhD Program, please read the following and complete the Fact Sheet provided. (Please note that the Program in Near Eastern Studies is not accepting MA applications for 2022 – 23 admission.)

Instructions for Graduate Applicants

The Admissions Process

Once you have decided to seek admission to the Department, submit your application. In addition, you will have to include with your application the two items described below: writing sample and Fact Sheet . 

After you have sent in your application to the Office of Graduate Admission, there are two stages to the admissions process. In the first stage, we go through the files of all applicants and short-list about one in three. At this stage, we judge you exclusively on the content of your file. In the second stage, the short-listed applicants are invited to visit the Department. This will be on-line, via Zoom, for 2022–23 admission. If you do not attend the visit, we will still consider your application, but it is to your advantage to attend if possible.

Normally we send out invitations to short-listed candidates in late January. The on-line visit will takes place in early February 2023.

We make our final decisions soon after the visit; the Graduate School will be writing to you to let you know the outcome.

Writing Sample

We require you to include a writing sample with your application. A paper of fifteen to thirty pages, or a combination of smaller items, is enough. We prefer writing on a Near Eastern topic, but this is not mandatory. We are looking for evidence that you can make sense of a body of sources, ideally in their original languages, and use them effectively to analyze, argue, and confront scholarly problems. Enter the title of your writing sample on the Fact Sheet, and include it with your application. Do not send it directly to us.

Complete the attached Fact Sheet carefully and accurately. You will find that some of the information we are asking you to supply is also required by the Graduate School, while some of it is not. The information you give us here will play a significant part in the first stage of the admissions process described above. Before filling in the Fact Sheet, read the notes below. Again, include the completed Fact Sheet with your application when you submit it to the Graduate School.

Notes on Completing the Fact Sheet

Item 2: If this changes during the admissions process, be sure to let us know directly. The same goes for 3, 4, and 5.

Item 4: E-mail is our preferred way of communicating with short-listed applicants once we have mailed out the invitation to visit.

Item 6: If you have spent or are spending a year at CASA, simply enter "CASA." Do not enter summer study.

Item 7: Do not enter languages of which your knowledge is equivalent to less than one semester of study. If you can read Ottoman Turkish, enter it as a separate language. If you are short-listed, we will test you on the languages you enter here to evaluate your current level and future potential. 

Item 8: We are interested in your ability to read secondary literature on your field of interest (not to order a cup of coffee or discuss Proust). If you are short-listed, we will probably give you a quick test of the languages you enter here. If you do not yet have the required ability, but have a foundation in the language which places you within striking distance of it, enter the language in parentheses.

Item 9: This refers to full-time faculty of the Department (Cook, Ghamari-Tabrizi, Gribetz, Hanioğlu, Harb, Haykel, Krakowski, Larson, Modarressi, Reynolds, Rustow, Sheffield, Weiss, and Zaman). Note that some faculty may be on leave and unavailable to read applications. Please check the individual faculty biographies posted on the department’s website to learn who they may be.

Item 11: You may check more than one box in a line if appropriate.