If you’re considering going to college in the United States but are currently living or attending school outside the country, you may be feeling a little confused or overwhelmed. The US college application system is less of a system than it is a confusing web of different systems and requirements and protocols that requires some untangling. Luckily for you, we’re here to help. In this post, we’ll break down what it takes to apply to Princeton as an international student. And, if you still have questions after reading or would like more hands-on help, send us a note. We’re pros at this.
Princeton is a research university with a liberal arts foundation in Princeton, New Jersey. It is a member of the vaunted Ivy League, and considered one of the best colleges in the United States (and globally). Princeton has 5,600 undergraduate students, nearly 700 of whom are international — or 12.5%. The class of 2027 includes international students representing 64 countries from across the globe, and they all come together to form a community on the university campus in Princeton, New Jersey. 96% of students live on campus, which is conveniently set in a suburban town two hours by train from both New York City and Philadelphia.
The students of Princeton have joked that the acceptance rate for first-year applicants is 0%. In actuality, it’s a smidge higher at a whopping 4% or so. If you’re going to make it into that 4% as an international applicant, there are some things you need to focus on, plan ahead for, and emphasize. Let’s dive into them.
What is Princeton looking for in International Students?
Princeton considers international students to be any students applying from schools outside the United States. The admissions team does not give preference to any particular country outside the US, or any particular educational system, and they are trained to understand the educational systems of different countries. You can, however, provide additional context for how you learned in the ‘additional information’ section of your application if you feel it’s necessary.
The most important thing, though, is providing Princeton with a package of information on you (aka your application) that shows that you are truly ready for Princeton and won’t just survive — but thrive — as part of the institution. They care deeply about your grades, the rigorousness of your course schedule, your class rank, and your test scores. They care about what you do in school and outside of the classroom, and they care who you are. They want to know you, and it’s your job to give them the information they need to make that possible.
Let’s break it down a bit more:
Courses + Grades
Princeton doesn’t require any particular courses, but they do have minimum recommendations:
4 years of English (or literature)
4 years of math
4 years of science, including 2 labs
4 years of a foreign language (to you)
2 years of social studies
2 years of history
1 year of visual or performing arts
If you are not already on track to complete or exceed these requirements, we highly recommend supplementing your education with accredited online courses, summer programs, or private tutoring. In school, aim to take the hardest courses you can that you will also excel in. It is better to get an A than a B in a harder course, but the best thing is both the A and the hardest course.
And if your school system includes “leaving exams,” Princeton would like to receive predicted or achieved results to be submitted as well.
Extracurriculars
The extracurriculars really matter, but Princeton knows that you can only do what you have access to. If your school doesn’t have student organizations, clubs, or other programs, you have a few options. First, you could start a club. That may require by-in from your school and a faculty advisor, but it’s worth the hassle to be able to build something meaningful. If starting a club at school isn’t an option, look outside the structure of school.
We recommend pursuing internships and jobs relevant to your passions, calibrated for the fact that you’re a teenager. If you want to be a doctor, we don’t recommend getting hands-on in a hospital even if the medical system in your country would allow you to. If you couldn’t do it in the US with your current credentials, it’s best not to put it on your application. You could, though, pursue certifications that are accessible to you, such as whatever is equivalent to a First Responder or Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
Most importantly, you should aim to be a self-starter who can convey clear passion, direction, and leadership through your activities.
Standardized Tests
Princeton is not requiring the SAT or ACT at least until 2025, but will consider either or both tests if submitted. This could feel like a ‘get out of jail free’ card if you’ve been dreading US standardized tests, but only 15% of the admitted and enrolled class of 2026 did not submit SAT or ACT scores. Instead, 60% submitted the SAT and 25% submitted the ACT, and most had scores above 1510 or 34 respectively.
So, what should you do if you don’t think you can get those scores? It may be better not to send scores lower than a 1510 on the SAT or a 34 on the ACT, but expect to have to compensate for the omission elsewhere in your application through your grades, rigorousness of course load, and recommendations.
If you are not attending school in English and English is not your native language you must also take an English proficiency test and submit the score.
Recommendations
In many countries, colleges and universities do not request nor expect written personal recommendations from teachers as part of a student’s application. In the US, most colleges do — and they matter a lot. This means that you’ll need to plan ahead if you are applying from a country where your teachers may not frequently, if ever, write recommendations geared towards US colleges.
Approach two teachers early, ideally at the very beginning of your senior year and at least 8 weeks before your early applications will be due. Pick teachers you have a strong relationship with, and aim for one in the humanities and one in the maths or sciences. Have a conversation with them about what you’re trying to emphasize in your application, and what you want to major in at Princeton. Don’t try to put words in their mouth, but a few bullet points written down can give them a strong starting point for a written recommendation, especially if it’s their first time doing one.
The Graded Paper
For the Princeton application, applicants are required to submit a graded paper that was done in the last three years for an English, History, or Social Studies course — in English. This paper must have been written in English, not have been translated into English, and the teacher comments and/or grading rubric must also be in English. Very few other colleges ask for this, and you are going to want to plan for it well in advance to make sure that you even have a graded written paper that means the Princeton requirements and that you are proud of and excited to submit. Some students we work with have even had to ask a teacher to assign them something to write, because they otherwise wouldn’t have had a paper that fits the bill. Princeton won’t take “my teacher didn’t assign one,” as an excuse, so you must be proactive.
Final Thoughts
Prospective Princetonians from outside the US benefit from the fact that Princeton does not take location into consideration when making financial aid decisions, so being an international student doesn’t exempt you from financial support. Being international does, however, come with some additional hurdles in the application process. You have the English language test, extracurricular expectations that may be tough to fill, and you may even need to coach a teacher or two through the recommendation process. Most importantly, you’ll need to tell your story alongside the quantitative case you make for yourself. Simply being from a different country and culture isn’t interesting to the Princeton admissions officials. You need to be what’s interesting.
When it comes to writing compelling applications from an international perspective, we can help. Send us an email to learn more.