As an elite school, Princeton requires not only excellent grades and scores, but a stellar resume and a clear mission. You can perfect-score exams all you want, but without distinct and straightforward goals, you won’t be able to successfully pitch yourself to Princeton. One of the ways you can communicate your goals is by diving deep into what Princeton has to offer and see which programs, majors, certificates, etc. fit into what you want to do.
You’ll need to know your “why” and have some knowledge about what you’d want to do while you’re at Princeton. Let’s dive into some of the most interesting and unique programs at Princeton so you can stand out in the crowd of applicants.
Values and Public Life
The VPL program aims to prepare you with the skills to critically engage in discussion and apply cultural context to situations. Sounds fancy! You’ll take classes in both politics and philosophy, and this program is open to any major, so if you’re looking for ways to beef up a STEM degree with more cultural competency, this is the one.
Ultraviolet Recording Studio
A completely student-created and run operation, Ultraviolet is a recording studio open to all students at Princeton. Not only can you record music, but you can explore audio engineering, use it for projects, or as they say, it “also provides students with the opportunity to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to their own personal projects.” Sounds perfect for the next NPR producer!
Princeton in Argentina
A total language immersion program in Buenos Aires, Princeton in Argentina offers six weeks of home stay, language classes, and cultural exploration. A lot of Spanish immersion programs aren’t based in Latin America, so this makes this pretty unique. Definitely check it out if you’re thinking of including Latin America or Spanish in your degree.
Entrepreneurship
While we often say entrepreneurship is a personality trait, not a learned skill, this entrepreneurship program at Princeton is tailored to give you the cultural competency and history behind business rather than just teach you how to have the ambition to create a business. The program consists of classes, workshops, practicums, and colloquiums.
Outdoor Action
OA is Princeton’s Outdoor education and leadership group, and they are a big part of Princeton’s orientation week. Beyond orientation, OA hosts trips and events hiking, backpacking, canoeing, and rock climbing as well as speakers and films, instructional classes on outdoor skills, and leadership development workshops. They even operate the school’s rock climbing wall!
History and the Practice of Diplomacy
This program is great for students looking to explore international politics – and the history of them – deeper. In addition to the basic poli sci classes, you will take two classes on international, global, diplomatic history, or Ancient History, and two in international relations, international organizations, international political economy, security studies, war, peace, the environment and sustainability, or global stability. You’ll also complete an internship with a government agency, think tank, or NGO.
Robotics and Intelligent Systems
Open to juniors and seniors who are already majoring something related to mathematics, science, or computing, the certificate program in Robotics and Intelligent Systems is great for students interested in how robots or AI could improve our lives. There seems to be a big emphasis on healthcare applications, so this could be a great addition to a pre-med program.
Novogratz Bridge Year Program
The Novogratz Bridge Year Program is a 9 month gap year program for incoming Princeton students. It’s tuition free, university-sponsored, and focused on community-based, global service-learning. The application process is highly selective, but if service is one of your main things, this is an awesome program for you.
Contemporary European Politics and Society
If you’re interested in how European and Western society came to be, this program is, well, that. While you’ll be able to take classes that fit into what you’re interested in, you’re required to take (or as they say, master) a European language. They also partner with the European Union Program.
Eating Clubs
Eating Clubs are Princeton’s answer to Greek life, which we wrote about recently. Princeton does not recognize Greek life in any way – so steer clear of mentioning it in your application. There are serious punishments for joining your freshman year. But, Eating Clubs are a more inclusive alternative that will allow you to get a great sense of community, and it’s totally unique to Princeton. They started back in the late 1800s because Princeton did not feed its students, so the students made their own dining halls.
The takeaway? Don’t be afraid to get creative with your application. If there’s a program, major, or course at Princeton that you think would help make you stand out, go for it! Applying to Princeton can be daunting, but it’s important to remember that there are steps you can take now to be as prepared as possible for admissions season. And remember, always do your own research before making any decisions about your future – you might find that Princeton isn’t the right place for you to meet your goals.
If you need help putting together your application or want someone to review your essays, reach out to us today. We offer comprehensive college counseling services that will help you create the best possible application to Princeton.