Princeton is a globally renowned university and member of the famed Ivy League. It is also one of the most popular schools in the United States for high-achieving international students. The university has become known for fostering a welcoming community for students from around the world while offering some of the most competitive academic programs on earth, literally. It shouldn’t come as a surprise then, that getting into Princeton is no walk in the park. Admissions is intensely competitive, and even more so for international applicants. In this post, we’re going to break down three steps prospective international applicants must be taking now to raise their odds of a Princeton acceptance. First, though, we’re going to get into some numbers. 

If you were waitlisted by Princeton, you aren’t alone. Princeton is one of the most sought-after admissions in the country, with an acceptance rate, most recently, of only 4.5%.  Like most colleges, Princeton uses a waitlist as a way of ensuring the first-year class is filled. If their yield rate, or the number of accepted students who enroll, is lower than predicted, they can pull from the waitlist to fill the class. Princeton is in such high demand, though, that the waitlist isn’t heavily used. That doesn’t mean that they don’t use the waitlist at all, though.

Princeton is one of the best universities in the world, and it’s as highly in demand for transfer as it is for first-years. In this post, we’ll break down what you need to know to apply to Princeton as a transfer and have a fighting chance of admission.

Being rejected by a dream school is a serious punch to the gut. We know you’re smart, capable, and would thrive at Princeton. You got your application together to apply Early to and Ivy, after all. You were ahead of the pack, certain of your strongest path, and ready to move on to college and beyond. Princeton has kept their acceptance rate private in recent years, but it’s estimated to be between 4% and 6%. The Early acceptance rate is significantly higher, but not so high that Princeton can be treated as a target by, really, anyone. It’s a reach no matter how impressive you are. Unless you’re a recruited athlete (and really even then), there is no certainty with Princeton — as you’ve now experienced.