Princeton University Admissions

Get Into Princeton

About Princeton University

Princeton is ranked as the #1 National University by U.S. News and World Report. Academically, Princeton is comprised of a series of schools—the Undergraduate College, the Graduate School the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of Architecture, and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs—as well as a large number of interdisciplinary institutes and centers. These include the Bendheim Center for Finance, the Lewis Center for the Arts, and the Program in Law and Public Affairs.

Undergraduate students at Princeton can choose from among 37 different concentrations, ranging from astrophysical sciences to Slavic languages and literatures. These concentrations include programs through the Undergraduate College, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the School of Architecture, and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Most concentrations require students to complete a series of core classes, followed by junior and senior seminars in the field, junior independent work (often called a Junior Project or “JP”), and a senior thesis. Students whose academic interests cannot be pursued through an existing concentration, certificate, or interdisciplinary program can apply to the Independent Concentration Program to develop their own course of study.

College Acceptance Results for Top Tier Admissions

Top Tier’s students had GREAT results in both the early and regular rounds. Check out our successes!

In the past few years, the most popular concentrations for Princeton juniors and seniors have been:

  • Computer Science
  • Economics
  • Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
  • History
  • Politics
  • Operations Research and Financial Engineering
  • Molecular Biology
  • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  • English

In addition to their concentrations, students can earn certificates from among 53 interdisciplinary programs, covering topics like Applications of Computing, Contemporary European Politics and Society, Statistics and Machine Learning, and Teacher Preparation. Participating in certificate programs allows students to explore new areas of study or to pursue topics that complement their departmental concentrations. Overall, about 55% of Princeton students choose to get one or more certificates.

Each year, Princeton also offers a select group of incoming freshmen the opportunity to take part in its Bridge Year Program. This nine month, tuition-free program allows students to defer enrollment at Princeton for one year in order to carry out community service work in Bolivia, China, India, Indonesia, or Senegal. At these locations, Bridge Year students live with host families, study the local language, volunteer with organizations that assist local communities, and engage in a series of cultural enrichment activities. Interested students can apply to the program after receiving their offer of admission from Princeton.

For graduate students, Princeton offers 42 doctoral programs in humanities, sciences, engineering, and public policy, as well as 11 programs culminating in a master’s degree. The university also offers graduate students the chance to pursue interdisciplinary studies through certificate-granting interdepartmental programs or applying for joint degrees that span two areas of study. Finally, Princeton has partnered with several other universities—including Rutgers, Columbia, NYU, Stanford, and Yale—to offer dual MD/PhD and MPA/JD programs.

Applying to Princeton

Students can usually apply can apply to Princeton through either the Single-Choice Early Action or Regular Decision admissions plans. Single-Choice Early Action applications are due on November 1 st and allow students to receive admissions decisions in mid Regular Decision applications are due January 1 st and students can expect to receive decisions by the end of March or early April.

Students can apply to Princeton using the Common Application, the Coalition Application, or the Universal College Application. According to Princeton’s updated standardized testing policy, applicants for the 2022-23 application cycle do not need to submit SAT or ACT scores. For students who do wish to send these scores, the optional writing section is not required. Applicants may also use the score choice feature of the SAT and highest composite score of the ACT, though they encourage the submission of all test scores. Likewise, it is encouraged that applicants self-report all AP and IB scores on the application.

Princeton offers alumni interviews, which take place after the Admission Office has application. We strongly recommend that prospective students take advantage of the interview, if offered this opportunity.

Princeton Admissions Wrap Up

Class of 2028
Princeton has “made the decision not to release admission data during the early action, regular decision and transfer admission cycles.”

Top Tier Admissions Can Help You Get Into Princeton:

Ready to Apply to Princeton? Try one these Top Tier options!

Application Boot Camp®

Need strategic guidance from start to finish? Try Application Boot Camp®.

Personal Boot Camp

Personal Boot Camp

Three days of one-on-one work with a Senior Counselor from the Application Boot Camp® team.

College admissions private counseling

College Private Counseling

Develop an organized and effective application strategy that leverages your academic and extracurricular experience to stand out.

Work with our expert tutors and ace your AP exams!

X

Top Tier Futures: Early college prep, educational guidance & resources for grades 4-8

X