It shouldn’t be surprising that Princeton is hard to get into. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton has been a college longer than America has been a country. Princeton has so many great programs. If you are into International Affairs, Eating Clubs, or need-blind schools, you probably already have Princeton near the top of your list.

But you might be asking yourself, “Can I really get into Princeton?” It’s a good question to ask because Princeton is competitive. Last year, they had a 5.6% acceptance rate. If you are serious about Princeton, you need to be a top candidate. There are steps you should be taking to set yourself apart as a top candidate. Let’s break them down.

What is Princeton looking for in a candidate?

Princeton is going to assess your application based on multiple factors. They break down these factors in an annual document called the Common Data Set. You should try to shine in every factor they consider, but pay close attention to those labeled “very important.”

Rigor, Class Rank, and GPA

The first step to being a good candidate is getting your transcript right. Princeton judges your academic record in a couple of ways. The first step is to make sure you are taking the right classes. Princeton doesn’t have any requirements when it comes to classes to apply, but they have recommendations.

However, with a sub-6 % acceptance rate, just treat these recommended units like requirements. But that’s not all! You also want to take as many of these classes as possible at an accelerated level. This might mean AP, IB, Honors, or Dual Enrollment, depending on what your high school offers. These classes speak to rigor and show that you are challenging yourself academically.

Once you have proven that you have a rigorous transcript, you also want to wow them with a great GPA. Most students who get into Princeton have a 4.0. You should try to as well.

Princeton also looks at Class Rank. If your school doesn’t do rankings, don’t worry; only around of 30% of applicants submitted their class rank.

Even if your school doesn’t rank, this shows the kind of students Princeton is looking for. You will notice that the vast majority of students are in the top 10% of their graduating class. They are looking for top students, and you should challenge yourself academically like you are gunning for one of those top spots.

Let’s talk Scores

Princeton is currently test-optional, but you really should try to submit scores. Dartmouth and Yale just said they were requiring scores again, so it is only a matter of time. Also, 85% of applicants submitted scores, and Princeton classifies test scores as “very important” if submitted. Ideally, you want your test scores to exceed the middle 50% range, aka being better than the average applicant. At Princeton, that means between 760-780 on SAT EBRW and 780-800 on SAT Math or between 34-35 on the ACT.

You will notice that these are very high to perfect. We know that it can be intimidating, but also, C'mon, it’s Princeton. They expect to see exceptional scores.

Extracurriculars

To get into Princeton, you need an excellent academic record, but not everyone with a 4.0 gets in. There are just not enough seats at the table. You need to distinguish yourself in other ways. This means you need great extracurriculars. We have a lot of blogs that dissect what elite extracurriculars look like, but generally, top schools are looking for a couple of things.

They want to see you pursuing your unique set of interests as far as you can. This means showing commitment and leadership. For example, Princeton will not be impressed with volunteering for an hour a week. If you are passionate about service, push it farther. Maybe you are committing to it 15+ hours a week and have risen to an area volunteer lead. That’s much more interesting to Princeton.

Ideally, one of your interests should also be connected to what you want to study in college. They want to see you pursuing your academic interests outside of class through internships, summer programs, classes, or research.

Your extracurriculars are often where you can showcase your talents and abilities. Make sure they are front and center. Princeton wants to see what makes you tick and how great you are at it.

The Application Itself

Once you have an impressive transcript and resume, it’s time to put it all together. You want your application to shine. This is where your essays and recommendations come in. These are also where your personal qualities and characteristics will mostly come through.

You can’t really control your recommendations. Try to ask teachers who have great things to say about you, fill out any info sheets they ask for with good stories, and ask them early… they will thank you for respecting their time. However, besides those steps, recommendations are really out of your hands.

What you can control is your essays. You want your Common App Essay to slay. We have a ton of blogs about how to approach writing the Common App Essay, but if you don’t know where to start, we think this one is very helpful. But if even that is a little, TLDR, you want your Common App Essay to do a couple of things:

Tell a good, personal story.
Showcase a couple of positive personal qualities and characteristics.
Do the above in a creative and well-written way.

It seems simple, but it's harder than it looks, and you have to do all of it in under 650 words. Don’t worry, we’re kind of really good at this so you can just ask for help.

Princeton also has a fairly long supplement with multiple essays as well. We have a blog breaking it down, but make sure you give yourself enough time to write a great supplement.

There is a lot to do when it comes to applying to Princeton. You should have a fantastic transcript, outstanding extracurriculars, and an iron-clad application. We know it's a lot, but that is what it takes when you are looking at competitive schools like Princeton.

Need help applying? We can do that! Reach out here.