Princeton University (2025-2026)

[alpine oxide]

i believe the applicant deadline is soon if not already passed

for pfaa

still submit it tho - i p sure it just means ur package will be delayed if admitted

https://finaid.princeton.edu/apply-aid-prospective-students

[tender lava]

Yeah mb I just was asking if anyone did back when they applied

[snow widget]

Ahhh I understand

I mean the majority of ppl get some form of aid

[split summit]

wait what

i thought it was due on february 1st

[alpine oxide]

"IF not already passed" lol - im not 100% sure when its dur

[eager matrix]

just so no confusion

[alpine oxide]

my b - when i applied early the deadline was much closer to the applicant deadline so thats why i thought that

[split summit]

THANK YOU

i swore i knew it was feb 1 but when i went to confirm i couldnt find any information 😭😭😭

[torpid pilot]

for the fin aid they ask to "Report all monetary values in your country's official currency. Round figures to the nearest whole number." Are they referring to my country of residence or nationality?

[alpine oxide]

probably residence

that's what matters

[eager matrix]

residency

they r asking cus they know some currencies are more

like

unstable than others

and cus of conversion rates

[torpid pilot]

Thanks guys

[frank trellis]

Got an interview email five days back, but the interviewer has not contacted me (it says so on the email) yet…

[tender lava]

After a week you should prolly reach out

[clever blade]

How many are u applying to…

[copper tartan]

is ~400 too long for loci

[alpine oxide]

check to see if gmail grouped them together - for some reason that happened with me

[obsidian harness]

i am in 675

i've had a lot to tell

[alpine oxide]

i think 400-500 is prob good

maybe abt a page or so

[obsidian harness]

no its 600

[alpine oxide]

what's that based on? i havent seen any direction from them

[obsidian harness]

no i mean my letter is 600 words

not that the ideal is 600

[alpine oxide]

ahh my b

i thought u were correcting me thats my bad

i think theyre not gonna wanna read a whole lot, and if there's a lot of fluff they might skim and miss the important stuff

(im guilty of this too dont get me wrong)

[obsidian harness]

yeah but honestly there's not i've written about each activity of mine so there's not anythign to be deleeted

[alpine oxide]

oop

[obsidian harness]

holly moly bro

[obsidian harness]

what school si that for

[alpine oxide]

its my loci 😭

[teal dagger]

depaul

[copper tartan]

Ig this is for everyone but turning loci into the portal or emailing?

My loci ended with 387 wc :P

[obsidian harness]

Depends on the school, read the instructions you were sent in your deferral letter

[copper tartan]

oh lol Princeton didnt put any just "to our office"

so i guess its either or

[frosty wasp]

Yeah I’m also guessing they don’t really care how you contact them

[alpine oxide]

the "to our office" was a hyperlink for the portal, so i think im gonna upload it, and POTENTIALLY email my regional ao abt it - as a like "hey btw" thing

idk tho

[copper tartan]

yeahh i saw that too but the very first thing whne you open the portal itself is "If you need to contact us regarding your application, provide your name and this reference number:######:" which i assume is for emails?

i was lowkey gonna put it on both email and portal

[alpine oxide]

i read that as more of "hey if ur gonna email us, make sure to include that info"

[copper tartan]

perhaps but either method will get to the office (I'd hope)

either way goodluck everyone

[frosty wasp]

Good luck everyone!! I hope we all get in, remember deferred means they’re still considering us!! 🥺

[hollow dagger]

howd everyones interview go

[snow widget]

there’s sm snow

[west ember]

didnt get one yet

so yeah

[worn cobalt]

it went really well

[west lance]

really depends on ur region

some regions wont get interview requests

[west ember]

✌️

[queen current]

It’s so odd to me how they choose who will get a virtual interview too

Since it’s based on regional availability but sometimes they can do virtual? And sometimes they give some kids at the same school one but not others

It’s probably just a random sorting thing but just interesting how it works

[proud shell]

It’s prob because they know the region

Ykwim

Just like there’s different AOs for different region

The interviewers understand the culture and stuff

[open sail]

Admissions chooses? And not the interviewer?

Oh wait I see what u mean

[split summit]

i dont think ill be getting an interview 😓

[west ember]

Same

Didn't get from Princeton duke and rice

[proud shell]

for pton

i think its usually ppl from pton club

thats going to interview u

https://tigernet.princeton.edu/topics#

[tender lava]

I just got my interview. Is it better to meet in person or zoom for alumni interviews?

[tender lava]

chill I just got my pton one an hour ago

and literally no one got duke yet

[proud shell]

if u can meet in person

ig thats better

but they have no preference ig

[proud shell]

also, mb do some research(?) about ur interviewer

sometimes it helps

[tender lava]

I saw my interviewer is a doctor and hes pretty busy

and hes like 45 min away

I could make it work tho

[proud shell]

damn

[mint sky]

what questions should i ask my princeton interviewerr

last time i had an interview i couldnt think of anything and asked something that could be googled and he got annoyed...

[west ember]

U need to research and ask, the questions u need to ask differ from person to person

DYOR

[mint sky]

i did but my interviewer didnt even stay in princeont for long. she was an athlete

[hybrid hazel]

After getting my pton interview I've gotten my hopes up high for other interviews but I lowkey don't think that will be happening 🥀

Pton was just by luck

[proud shell]

i mean... every interview is just pure luck ngl

[proud shell]

same 🥀

as intl, i was just lucky for pton ngl

[hybrid hazel]

True

[proud shell]

pton club was like an hour away from my house

😭

[hybrid hazel]

Omg

Idek know where mine is

My interviewer lived an hour away from me

[proud shell]

https://tigernet.princeton.edu/topics

[hybrid hazel]

1 hr and 30 min

[proud shell]

so

u did offline interview?

[hybrid hazel]

Nc has a lot

[hybrid hazel]

Online!

[proud shell]

yea me too

i had to cross the border 💀

even though its like an hour away

[hybrid hazel]

I just keep seeing ppl get interviews for other schools and I'm like I need to be realisitc

[hybrid hazel]

WHATT

[proud shell]

ikr 😭

[proud shell]

yea

just imagine u have to go to canada to do interview when ur in the US

its basically sth like that

[hybrid hazel]

Oh my gosh

Thats actually insane

[proud shell]

yea so i had to do it online

btw

nvm

[hybrid hazel]

I have English this semester and my teacher told me we'd have 3 narrative essays and I can't help but think how I could of used this for Princeton

Ugh

[queen current]

so real lol

from what I've heard the paper is very lightly considered

so I think as long as u turned in something u think is above average writing you're set

like of course you are going to write better things in the next few months, but you're writing was always going to get better a time went on so don't worry about it, im sure the piece you turned in is excellent

[hybrid hazel]

Thank you!!

[onyx stratus]

lowk kinda cooked on my pton interview

[alpine oxide]

princeton's getting a lot of snow on sunday lol

[hybrid hazel]

Lucky

[queen current]

Any tips?

Mine is next weekend

[rancid condor]

😭 ts forcing me to move in a day early

[west lance]

be normal

[queen current]

lol might be a challenge

jk

hopefully not

[west lance]

youd be so surprised how many bad conversations alum interviewers get

[coral cobalt]

i got cooked

[west lance]

what did ur interviewer ask

[coral cobalt]

my interviewer was really nice tho

[coral cobalt]

mostly just about all of my ecs

[west lance]

i see i see

[coral cobalt]

like i told her my main interests and she just went through all of them

it was a good conversation lol i was kinda exaggerating

[queen current]

I can imagine I just hope Im not one of them lol

im happy my interviewer is 23 though

seems like most of them are 50+

I think it might be easier to connect with someone younger

[coral cobalt]

what constitutes a bad conversation

[eager matrix]

i had a yale interview and she was like 30

so easy to talk to

[queen current]

I feel like thars a good age

congrats on Yale interview

usually means ur competitive

[eager matrix]

i felt like it was also good because

[queen current]

hope I get one soon 😭

[eager matrix]

she was my exact major + application of said major

and she works in nonprofit spaces which was super eye opening

to hear about these roles she has had w/ the degree i didnt know all that existed

but lowk we had so much in common i think thats what drove the convo

[queen current]

I wish mine for pton was in my field but its fine

its virtual so im assuming they ddint have one that lives nearby

[eager matrix]

like we both had very similar experiences

[queen current]

whats ur major/application if u dont mind?

[eager matrix]

womens/gender/sexuality studies + environmental studies

[queen current]

v interesting

what got u into it?

[eager matrix]

being queer in a town that told me i was going to hell for it

and convinced me for my entire childhood that i was a shame to the image of said town

[queen current]

conservative towns 😄

what lovely places....

[eager matrix]

but thats the funny part

a lot of my application + interviews focused on how i love my small town

at the end of the day the small town rural culture that raised me is still important to who i am even in that resentment

[queen current]

such good tension

I feel like ur common app probably ate

I similarly dont like my small suburban town but for diff reasons but I also have come to recently enjoy parts of it

and I thought I hated my hihg school so much until this year

now I slightly enjoy it

but like its so funny how that happens

[eager matrix]

its a dichotomy but i enjoy them regardless

[queen current]

dichotomys are good, they make for a more nuanced and interesting story and person

bc even if you think u hate a place theres always history there you will always carry with you

and that has become a small or large part of your broader identity

[eager matrix]

yess

[teal dagger]

no better way to start the semester than with 15-18” of snow

[split summit]

AHHHHHH

AFJWEIPDJQWFWINWF

I GOT AN INTERVIEW REQUEST

https://tenor.com/view/orange-cat-gets-flung-and-explodes-orange-cat-funny-cat-meme-explodes-gif-10706110874965244466

[split summit]

AND THERED A CHANCE I CAN DO IT IN PERSON

[wooden copper]

guh

are you west coast

[split summit]

virginia

[tender lava]

my answers were good but i FREAKING stuttered am I cooked?

like i just sold by not getting enugh sleep

right words slightly poor delivery

[eager matrix]

thats on u 😭

ur prob fine tho dw

[tender lava]

yeah i said i sold

[tender lava]

yeah my answers were good and i think i gave an impression

i just like stuttered because he asked questions i never prepared for

so i was thinking while speaking essentially

[ivory hill]

OMFG GUYS

I GOT MY INTERVIEW

Guys

What to do????

What's the tips for preparation for interview

[ivory hill]

Is it good if I will additionally research everything abt Princeton?

[lapis girder]

i forgot to fucking schedule my princeton alum interview email, so it's just been sitting in my drafts for 2 weeks

fuck

[tough imp]

When should i be concerned about my interviewer not reaching out? It's been a few days since i got the email that i would be getting an interview

[split summit]

just give them time

[eager matrix]

how the fuck do u do this

[lapis girder]

https://tenor.com/view/ohio-agreement-nod-agree-ishowspeed-gif-9135221508835408494

i'm not quite sure, to be honest

it's not great

[proud shell]

yes

no sht

😭

try to do as many research as possible

AIs like perplexity/grok will help

and dont ask obvious questions

https://www.ivywise.com/blog/princeton-interview-what-questions-to-expect-and-how-to-answer-them/

and this might help

i didnt read any of the tips, but the questions are legit

but interviewers will ask follow-up questions

[west lance]

just be normal lmao

and like yeah do your research and have solid reasons for why pricenton

[gilded umbra]

bro i didn't even get ts

[mint sky]

Guys umm what's some good reasons for going to Princeton

[split summit]

https://tenor.com/view/minayoecn-loona-jinsoul-loona-jinsoul-gif-jinsoul-jinsoul-gif-gif-23609225

[mint sky]

😭

I can't say I just want to get a good job🥀

[split summit]

girl what do you mean

oh do yu have an interview

[mint sky]

Well my reasons are not good reasons😭 yeah I have an interview

[split summit]

HELP okay sorry im not exactly sure either

i thought u were just asking to ask 😭😭

i would scroll back through this thread for awhile or search 'interview' im sure someone has had the same question

[mint sky]

"I want to leave my stupid state" " I want money" "research oppertunities"

This is all I have😭

[gilded umbra]

lmao which state are u hating on?

[mint sky]

North Dakota 💀

[split summit]

no fucking way 😭💀

youre the FIRST person ive ever met from this state

and i am being so deadass

crossing this off my buckt list

[gilded umbra]

me too lmao

[mint sky]

😭 ik nobody knows abt nd and nobody leaves the state either

[split summit]

how tf did you even get an interview 😭

[gilded umbra]

i had a friend who moved there and haven't heard from him since lmfao

[split summit]

north dakota is a black hole i fear hes gone

i flew over nd at night once it was actually a little scary because there were deadass no lights

[mint sky]

Lowkey I was surprised too but my interview was a Princeton athlete who apparently coaches track at a uni nearby

[split summit]

thats insaneee

[gilded umbra]

they have a pretty cute state bird tho

[split summit]

awww wtf he is cute

he is wearing a bib

[mint sky]

Umm why did I not know what our state bird is💀 I just googled it💀

[gilded umbra]

bro

[split summit]

u could lowkey just say some bullshit and still get in you probably one of two north dakotan applicants

the other applicant is a bear

im sorry ill stop acc

😭😭

[mint sky]

Lowkey u would be surprised 😭 like 5 kids from my school got into ivies last yr

[split summit]

thats BECAUSE you from north dakota 😭😭😭

[mint sky]

But also they were all in the same friend group and the rest of the school went to state schools...

[split summit]

u gonna get into princeton ez

[mint sky]

😭

[split summit]

dont even worry about it

[mint sky]

But everyone's applying 🥀

[split summit]

ur fine twin

[gilded umbra]

oh did u do stanford REA?

[mint sky]

Noo I did Harvard rea and got deffered

But Stanford's the dream

[split summit]

princeton is ur safety

[gilded umbra]

lol yes princeton safety

[mint sky]

Bro some kid with insane stats iternational orchestra ecs and suff got rejected from Princetin last yr

I'm cooked

[alpine oxide]

glaze new jersey

[gilded umbra]

valid strat

[alpine oxide]

(dont actually make that ur reason)

[split summit]

hey ive been to the gorgeous lush city of newark new jersey

[alpine oxide]

newark new jersey

[split summit]

exactly

princeton not far behind from this urban sprawl

soon the campus will have cranes behind it too

[gilded umbra]

huh, am i the only one who prefers a somewhat suburban campus lol?

or at least one that's like slightly off the city

[alpine oxide]

ehhh not really

its busy

but not urban

its just tourism

[split summit]

im joking about the pic

[alpine oxide]

(yes i am said tourist)

[alpine oxide]

ahhh

[split summit]

https://tenor.com/view/poke-attack-attacka-sucklet-green-sucklet-gif-3568320064739637051

[gilded umbra]

wait is the 32/32 the number of colleges u applied to???

[split summit]

idkk im the opposite i want integrated urban

but with its own campus

[split summit]

https://tenor.com/view/bugcat-capoo-work-cry-gif-11835488708767880538

yes

[gilded umbra]

BRO WHAT

[mint sky]

Wait does Princeton area have good public transport or no?

[mint sky]

WHATT

[split summit]

no 😂 but better than most areas

[mint sky]

Would I needa car😭

[split summit]

yes

trains dont run often and they take awhile

[gilded umbra]

https://tenor.com/view/fast-and-furious-car-gif-11842760980334684967

[split summit]

look what you would have to do to get a town 1 hour away by car 💀

[oak cliff]

wait i swear the train station is fine...

maybe not pton specifically but nj--> nyc is a pretty established line

[split summit]

tbf it mightve been because i set it as leave now

[alpine oxide]

there is definitely a better way during the day

njtransit isnt THAT bad

(dont get me wrong, its terrible)

[split summit]

its still 2 hrs

to nyc

[oak cliff]

nah its around an hour when i go from around pton

[split summit]

yeah and even leaving at 8am-10am asbury park is still 4 hours

[alpine oxide]

also, asbury park mentioned ⁉️

[split summit]

despite being 35 miles away

💀

[split summit]

i like it quite a bit

good pokemon go spot

[alpine oxide]

i love taka

great sushi

[oak cliff]

asbury park looks like yeah its 2 hours

[split summit]

how are you getting 2 hours

https://tenor.com/view/zadtwt-pinkpantheress-gagged-shocked-turning-head-gif-13930026580453081419

geniunely

[oak cliff]

umm

bc its 2 hours

😭

not from pton tho

around pton

[split summit]

do u wanna elaborate a litte more

[oak cliff]

like probably not

[split summit]

because im using google maps and it says 4hrs

[oak cliff]

just around princeton

it will most definitely not take four hours

[split summit]

ok so do u want to show me 😭😭

[oak cliff]

im looking at straight train routes lol

not using google maps

[split summit]

on amtrak?

[oak cliff]

njtrans

[alpine oxide]

leaving tomorrow afternoon

[oak cliff]

lol princeton is a bit more fried i agree

which is also why i didn't put in princeton

[gilded umbra]

thats all basically 3 hrs tho

[split summit]

ok i just looked yeah i see 2 and a half hours on njtrains

still

i think its a little absurd 💀

[alpine oxide]

i mean its american public transit

[oak cliff]

yeah

[split summit]

so what did u put in because i was looking at from princeton

[split summit]

well true

[oak cliff]

also asbury park it takes like 5 different connections

[split summit]

just still insufferable

[oak cliff]

the lack of a direct line hurts asbury park specifically

i think an hour to penn station is still decent

well wait

im lwk putting in the station i usually go to

yeah still an hour 20

not that deep

or an hour depending on departure

lwk princeton is crazy for nyc pipeline damn

[gilded umbra]

honestly i'd rather be in a car for two hrs than in a train for 2 hrs

[oak cliff]

the train is not that bad

car in traffic for 2 hours and then struggling to find parking and then paying for parking on the other hand..

[split summit]

i wouldnt want to DRIVE for 2 hrs over taking the train

[oak cliff]

train is under an hour most of the time bruh

[alpine oxide]

driving in new jersey is hell

[oak cliff]

yeah

[alpine oxide]

it makes me feel strong emotions

[oak cliff]

driving nj is not great

well acc

[split summit]

the 3 hour commute from long beach to claremont on the train is better than driving

[oak cliff]

depends on where ytou are

[alpine oxide]

ive had to do west longbranch to freehold at 5 pm.

[oak cliff]

but the train is da fine for the most part, at least more well-established routes

[alpine oxide]

i was feeling murderous

[split summit]

i would probably say the same thing for driving in any state because i hate driving

[oak cliff]

my nj geography is not up to point despite living here

so i have no clue where these places are LOL

[gilded umbra]

well i mean if im going with friends we could js rotate ig idk. but lowkey with the gas prices + insurance and all that stuff, im prolly better off taking the train

[split summit]

yeah

[alpine oxide]

except we have 8 million ppl packed into this tiny state lol

its definitely worse here

[oak cliff]

ya

[alpine oxide]

its essentially just rt 36 to rt 18

[oak cliff]

yes so

guess who doesn't know routes either

😂 😂

[alpine oxide]

😭

[split summit]

new jersey driving worse than la driving???

we may have to consult the experts

[gilded umbra]

no shot

[alpine oxide]

maybe not la specifically

[oak cliff]

has matthew been to la

[split summit]

norva vs new jersey vs la whos winning

i think norva wins

[alpine oxide]

no

[oak cliff]

i just tried to open a banana and the entire top came off bruh

like part of the banana

💀

uh anyway

driving!

[gilded umbra]

too strong

[oak cliff]

its that 1 am strength

[gilded umbra]

midnight snack lmao

i js drink coffee

[split summit]

same

do u also have a nighttime coffee

its the only thing that keeps me awake past 9pm

[gilded umbra]

hahaha ig somewhat, but lowkey im just drinking it for the taste

the caffeine doesn't do anything to me

[split summit]

oh thats fair

damnn

today i mixed espresso with ice cream

🤤

[gilded umbra]

isn't expresso meant to be hot lol

[split summit]

isnt all coffee made to be hot

[gilded umbra]

no well, maybe. I had a friend who drank instant coffee cold

[split summit]

i am just trying to understand the espresso hot thing

i didnt think it mattered

i just brewed the espresso over the ice cream

[gilded umbra]

did u like melt the icecream??

huhhhh

what

[split summit]

like

i put the ice cream in the cup

and then i put the cup under the espresso machine

and just brewed the espresso

it melted my ice cream a little bit but it was still mostly solid

[gilded umbra]

oh wow i haven't tried that before (never brewed espresso either lol so didn't understand this)

what flavor of icecream?

[split summit]

ohhhh

[split summit]

just vanilla i was boring today

[gilded umbra]

what flavors do u normally use?

[split summit]

i just didnt really want to drink a full americano

idk i dont typically eat ice cream often

i like vanilla but if im ordering an ice cream i like sorbet or fruit flavors

they do sell a coffee flavored ice cream at my grocery store so ill have to try that with the espresso soon...

[woeful vine]

did anyone elses interview go magnificently

mine was great but i lowk feel like i didnt know enough about princeton

[hybrid hazel]

Me lowkey

But my interviewer kept saying wow that's super cool I'm worried I didn't come off memorable when I explained certain ecs or personal stories

[woeful vine]

oh yea mine was noticeably nicer than some of my otehr interviewers so maybe hes just nicer in general or i did well

but i found out that his daughter and my brother were friends in high school and in the same graduating class

so thats kinda cool

[hybrid hazel]

Aww

[next cairn]

Yes

[worn cobalt]

i really liked mine

[hexed scarab]

Is the Princeton interview solely based on availability?

[proud shell]

Yea ig

P sure

[hexed scarab]

I got an email saying that an alumni interviewer is gonna reach out to me soon

[hexed scarab]

But it’s good if the interview is good I suppose right?

[proud shell]

Yea

Just do it

[hexed scarab]

I definitely will

[proud shell]

Even though it doesn’t weigh much

But it’s not going to hurt u anyways

[hexed scarab]

Right

[proud shell]

Unless u decided to do some bs

[hexed scarab]

I guess Yale’s interview is more significant right?

Because applicants are pre-screened (whatever that entails)

[proud shell]

I didn’t applied to Yale

But I heard abt it

[hybrid hazel]

I'd still take it serious tho cause maybe ur interviewer could vouch for you

[west lance]

please please don’t forget to send thank you notes to your interviewers

i say this as an interviewer who has only gotten a single thank you from my interviewees this cycle

[ivory hill]

Is it like an email just with appreciation?

[rough bay]

Bruh my princeton interview lasted 15 minutes, tf?

am i cooked

She showed up 10 min late to a 30 min interview, asked me why do i want to go to pton, then dipped

[west lance]

yes

[split summit]

did anyone else’s interviewer ask for their resume

[hybrid hazel]

I emailed mine a thank you note but she never responded

[worn cobalt]

same

[open escarp]

my dad is worried i haven’t gotten an interview yet 💔

[lofty tundra]

when i applied my interviewer told me that theyre not supposed to reach out afterwards

and that if he didnt answer to not be offended

[west lance]

^^ super normal

[west lance]

some will ask just because we have no information on application profiles

[split summit]

yes mine did

i just have that fear of uploading the wrong file haha

[west lance]

it saves time on asking questions like what do u wanna study and whatnot

[split summit]

yeah that makes sense

[eager matrix]

oh so u guys dont even get major interests?

[west lance]

truly not a single bit of information besides your school and name

[eager matrix]

interesting

my harvard interviewer knew

[proud shell]

wtf 😭

wts the average interview time though

mine was like 90 min

[mint sky]

how should i prepare for my interview

what are interviewers even looking for? like someone said it should be like a convo like with a friend but with my friends im not goint to tell all the activities and stuff i did because i dont want to come off as like having a big ego or smth

i screwed up my mit interview so now im worried

[hybrid hazel]

I only spoke on 1 activity for my interviewer but I mainly spoke on things not on my application

And abt my school

[alpine oxide]

(this is off my personal experience, everyone will have a different experience but they should be relatively similar)

expect like "why princeton?" and "why [major]?" - give good thoughtful answers to those about why you're passionate abt it - potentially tie them together if it works out that way

the rest if the interview will be a formal conversation abt ur interests - books, movies, tv shows, hobbies, etc - sorta like a vibe check

they might ask about your community, your activities, what your proud of, etc

[hybrid hazel]

My interviewer actually never asked me why major but did ask why princeton

[alpine oxide]

the most important thing is just lowk be nice - they'll understand anxiety and nervousness

[alpine oxide]

opposite for me

but i know its pretty common

[alpine oxide]

and be honest abt ur interests - you might find a common interest and be able to talk abt that for a few minutes

dont try to seem "sophisticated"

[hybrid hazel]

Fr

[proud shell]

same

but my interviewer asked me "tell me about yourself"

so i just said few things and also said y im drawn to this major, and y I like princeton

😭

[mint sky]

ok idk how to answer the "tell me about your self" question either. 😭 like am i supposed to mention clubs and like leadership and what i want to do or like family and hobbies that are not major related. i fear i have no social skills💀

[proud shell]

i think its rly open-ended question

but they will ask u "tell me about your favorite activity (academic/non-academic)"

But for this question, i think u have to rly just say sth about urself

ofc start with basic infos, but try to mention all the unique points, and points not covered in app

[mint sky]

wait like things u value 😭

idk how to describe myself....

[split summit]

i think about 3 different things

id briefly mention your academic interest, something about your personality, and then finish with things you like to do

[split summit]

ask a friend how would they describe you

[proud shell]

yea. this is basically wt i did

but they usually have y major question

so id say start with basic infos, personality, culture (?) [we rly talked a lot abut my culture]..etc

[split summit]

no i mean like i would say something like my favorite school subject is humanities or anything thats related to studying humans and thats it

just like a once sentence opener

[proud shell]

oh icic

[split summit]

becuase i figure the 'tell me about yourself' is the first question theyll ask

[proud shell]

again, its open-ended question ig

so theres no formula or sth

[proud shell]

yea i think so

• make sure to send thank you note

after the interview

[split summit]

idk about you guys but as soon as i get into an interview i forget everything like its my first day alive

last interview i had i said i enjoyed paddleboarding... which i havent done since i was 12 😭

[proud shell]

same

i fked up so badly

i was like AI trying to say shit

but as we talk, I started to act like human

[west lance]

heavy on this

its such a turn off in an interview when im speaking to a kid whos putting on an act

[ivory hill]

Interviews are given out early January-late February

It's fine

So far my interviewer seems nice

[hexed scarab]

I’m so happy I got a face to face interview opportunity even though it might not mean too much superficially but I still wanna do my best

I do have a question tho

What kind of information does the interviewer convey to the admissions officers? Just general commentary or do they follow a kind of agenda?

[hexed scarab]

Are you an interviewer for Princeton?

[proud shell]

....

yea...???

i mean... he said his an interviewer

[hexed scarab]

https://tenor.com/view/spearhyunho-gif-12085236677674564315

[woven flame]

Theres just not much to reply with

They could send a sentence or two of “glad it was nice” or whatever but some kids don’t know when to end email chains so it’s best if the interviewer does it

[mint sky]

shivver me timbers

i have an interview in 1 hour 😨

[split summit]

holy interview

im sweating so bad

at one point i was talking and i could literally hear my voice breaking like i was about to cry even though i was completely fine ☠️

this shit is SO nerve wracking

[mint sky]

fr

bro my sentences didnt even make sense

[split summit]

same

[mint sky]

like i did not properly explain any of my ecs😭

[split summit]

my interviewer was really nice though 😭 what about yours

oh i didn’t really talk about my ecs besides one 💔

[mint sky]

yeah she was rly nice

[split summit]

yayy

[mint sky]

like its kinda awkward when you run out of things to say tho💀 like she was like "is there anything else you want me to know" and i had no idea

[split summit]

yeah i get that

[lofty tundra]

i feel like the focus of the interviews is on you beyond the ecs, so dw if you guys didnt talk about them much

if they wanted to know about your ecs they would just look at your activities section

[hexed scarab]

So the interviewers have access to our profiles?

[proud shell]

no

[lofty tundra]

no

but what’s the point of spending ur entire interview telling them if their purpose is to know u as a person and its not information that admissions doesn’t already have access to

[split summit]

yeah i didnt really talk to her about academics or anything like that

they dont have any information about you besides your name

[proud shell]

and school

[ivory hill]

My Princeton interview

Before I speak out, I will say that this experience went great and I absolutely recommend going on an interview. Before the session, I was stressing abt how it will go, but eventually it flawed just right!

My interviewer was '16, part of the eating club. He was super nice all the interview and we were chatting super duper cool.

We had only 2 awkward moments: On the start my AI note taker rised from the dead and I couldn't remove it so I asked him.
I needed to put my laptop on a charge and my camera went off. Luckily enough, we just laughed this off.

He asked a lot why Princeton, what I wanna do, how I want to use my education, what I enjoy doing outside of the classroom and so on. Overall he dug deep into who I am and my advice for everyone who's having an interview: don't be afraid of a lot of "why" questions. Just say what you think even if you're not sure about something.

At the end I asked him some questions abt the school and he seemed very happy to answer.

A solid 10/10

[olive oasis]

Wait your AI note taker? 😭

[ivory hill]

Yea, I installed ts like 2 years ago and I totally forgot I have it, so before my interviewer joined, I panicked while trying to delete ts😭

[split summit]

my friend has the same issue 😭😭

whenever she joins it follows her and no matter what it will never go away

sometimes we have scheduled meetings for our group and even when no one is in the meeting the ai notetaker will join 😭

[ivory hill]

I was glad that he laughed it off

[olive oasis]

How did he know😭

[split summit]

it shows up as a seperate person

😭

[split summit]

no yeah it is funny lol

if it makes you feel better as soon as i started my meeting, for some reason my airpods completely disconnected

so i had to do the whole thing on speaker

[ivory hill]

At least after the meeting I deleted ts from my subscriptions

[queen current]

Just ended my interview!

It was like an hour and a half so I hope that’s good

[potent thorn]

just got my interview request 😰

[queen current]

Good luck!

I was so so stressed out but it’s lowk so chill

[potent thorn]

my stanford one went great

and then i was rejected

lol

but this is my first request for RD so i’m relieved

praying for harvard and yale and duke and mit

[proud shell]

Jeff Bezos was in my interviewers eating club😭

[teal dagger]

he allegedly bought the liquor license for said club… the only club to have one

[alpine oxide]

damn nj has really strict liquor license laws no wonder they needed bezos to buy one

each municipality can issue 1 license per 3000 residents

[high mantle]

hey guys I am trying to write my LOCI for princeton, how long shoudl it be? like word count and are there any examples?

I can't seem to find any information on this from princeton themselves

[queen current]

Wait

for the fin aid application

where it asks for "additional comments"

what would belong in there

it seems very vague

and idk what would work in there

[eager matrix]

if u dont have anything to put dont put anything

[queen current]

I was gonna just leave it blank

[eager matrix]

but if example ur 2024 is different than 2025 taxes by a large amount

ex. ur parent lost a job

[queen current]

oh I see

[eager matrix]

u can explain there

[queen current]

okay thanks

[eager matrix]

if u pay for ur grandparents medical care

etc etc

[queen current]

ahh okay

[eager matrix]

basically anything that involves money that would impact u affording college that ur taxes do not fully tell

[queen current]

so just some. special circumstance not reflected in the numbers

[eager matrix]

yep yep

[open escarp]

princeton i need this 😞

[split summit]

im cooked

apparently the irs website is not working so i cant get my official nonfiler tax statement 💔

[eager matrix]

why did we wait a month 💔

[split summit]

https://tenor.com/view/jwoogifs-nabela-noor-pig-fat-ugly-makeup-tears-gif-17372144630056715763

because my mom refused to give me the information i needed 💔

its complicated

[olive oasis]

btw did you do the Columbia form on idoc

😭

[eager matrix]

yes

[olive oasis]

did you leave the scholarship section completely blank (i haven't received anything yet so im assuming its blank instead of n/a) and the explanation section?

[potent thorn]

my interviewer is the chair of the princeton schools committee omg she’s hardcore about this interviewing stuff 😰 i hope shes nice

[queen current]

I did leave it blank

for some reason its still showing as pending in the IDOC area

even tho I uploaded that file in IDOC like....

[olive oasis]

I’m confused how would it be linked to specific colleges 😭

After uploading the documents I mean

[queen current]

yeah same

[queen current]

it felt so odd

Did u just like fill out that form and then like download it and upload it as a regular document in the IDOC upload protal??

😭

im honestly so done with the fin aid stuff its SO annoying

[olive oasis]

Like it was the same process when uploading the taxes documents?

[olive oasis]

True

😭

[queen current]

yeah

thats what I did wbu

[olive oasis]

I opened it and typed into jt

On Google Chrome

😭

I converted it to a pdf

[queen current]

same

[queen current]

and then did u just plop it into the same upload tool for like general taxes and stuff?

[olive oasis]

Wdym

[queen current]

like did u upload the comulbia outside scholarship form using the general upload area

in IDOC

[olive oasis]

i did use that 😭

was that correct

💀

[queen current]

I did that too lol

I hope so

[olive oasis]

i hope so too!

[queen current]

well see

are u aiming for USC and NYU

idk if this is crazy but I lowk feel like those two schools are carbon copies of each other, one is just NYC coded and other is LA coded

[olive oasis]

either

lowkey both

💀

princeton is my top 5 i think

[queen current]

I was gonna apply to both and then I took both off my list 💀

[olive oasis]

in my top 5 SOB

[olive oasis]

bro why

💔

[queen current]

Dont hate me but I felt like NYU had no campus and no community at all lol (althought I love the city vibe but like Columbia > NYU) and then for USC I lowk felt like it was a school for celebrity nepo babies and super party/going out focused

[olive oasis]

i love no campus!

[queen current]

im def way overexagerrating that

but feel free to attack 😭

[queen current]

WHY???

thats like my number 1 factor in picking schools

[olive oasis]

i don't like how i have to stay on campus for princeton

TWO YEARS ON CAMPUS??

[queen current]

omg ur insane

[olive oasis]

columbia is slightly better

[queen current]

I wanted a school where everyone was REQUIRED to be on campus lol

and like super super residential

[olive oasis]

because i only have to be in a dorm for freshman year

i want to be stuck at home

💀

[queen current]

nyc housing system sucks ass tho

unless ur super rich

[olive oasis]

i live in nyc

[queen current]

ohh

mb

wait

im rlly jealous

do u like it

[olive oasis]

don't be

i live in the bronx

[queen current]

its the best city

[olive oasis]

😭

[queen current]

Pelham Parkway

thats the only neighborhood I know

[olive oasis]

........

😭

[queen current]

actually I should know more

lol

[olive oasis]

😭

[queen current]

is it good or no

oh and riverdale

that neighborhood kinda looks like italy in some areas lol

[olive oasis]

i used to live in washington heights

[queen current]

u live close to columbia

used to maybe

[olive oasis]

indeed i did

[queen current]

I dont like how uptown columbia is

NYU is a very good spot

but idk what do u think is the best neighborhood

[olive oasis]

Columbia feels like it’s in a random location

😭

[queen current]

yeah so true

the village is fun

but rlly pricey too lol

[olive oasis]

idk if being in New Jersey would be fun

[queen current]

and kinda lost its soul

[queen current]

for princeton?

[olive oasis]

yeah

[queen current]

I like it bc its only 1 hr to nyc

and like princeton has nice shops and stuff to

its not like in the middle of nowhere

[olive oasis]

There’s a HERMES

💀💀

[queen current]

my grocery store!

perfect

[olive oasis]

most exclusive grocery store

[queen current]

do u go to horace mann

lol

Bronx school

[olive oasis]

I do not

[queen current]

😭

[olive oasis]

Anyway

which major did you apply

[queen current]

Sociology

wbu

[olive oasis]

English

[queen current]

are u in ap lit

[olive oasis]

Unfortunately no

[queen current]

Do u hav any book recs for me

[olive oasis]

Babel

💀

[queen current]

oh by RF Kuang?

[olive oasis]

yes

[queen current]

shes so good ive heard

I need to read it

whats it about

/why did u like it?

I recently read beloved by toni morrison and thought it was amazing

[olive oasis]

it’s basically set in the 1800s in England but an alternate reality

one of the characters is a Chinese orphan

😭

[queen current]

wait

I really really wanna read it

[queen current]

but im concerned its gonna be too fantastical??

did u think of it that way

[queen current]

this sounds appealing

[olive oasis]

not really

[queen current]

okay i just ordered it

omg wait

560 pages

thats a committment but oh well lol

[olive oasis]

LOL

[split summit]

https://tenor.com/view/orange-cat-cat-hitting-cat-cat-punching-cat-cat-slapping-cat-orange-cat-hitting-cat-gif-6585435513579432745

[delicate hawk]

Anyone else get an email about filling out the financial aid thing today?

[split summit]

no even though i am missing documents

[delicate hawk]

Did you submit the PFAA? That's what mine was about

[split summit]

yes i did.... you didnt ⁉️

[delicate hawk]

Didn't know it was a thing lol

[split summit]

did u not even open ur financial aid portal bro 😭

[delicate hawk]

Guess not

Weird cause I found it for the rest of my schools

[oak cliff]

i think because pton essentially interviews everyone it might not have as much weight

but ofc its a data point just as all other data points

so beter is better LOL

[tender lava]

bro someone at my school said she got a likely letter

it HAS to be cap

i thought princeton only does likely letters for recruited athletes

[olive oasis]

Ask her for proof

😭

[tender lava]

I heard it from like my good friend he said she didnt show him proof or anything

[olive oasis]

😭😭

[hybrid hazel]

Pton does likely?

[proud shell]

for recruited athletes

but idk if they do it to non-athletes

[hybrid hazel]

Ah

[tender lava]

i think only athletes yes maybe VERY rarely for academics

[noble nova]

princeton interview tomorrow any advice

[proud shell]

Prepare questions to ask

[hexed scarab]

Hi, I know this probably has been asked multiple times but what kind of questions do I have to prepare for my interview?

My interview is on Tuesday

[hexed scarab]

.

Can someone answer my questions please!

[proud shell]

idt anyone can answer this

mb @west lance can

since his pton interviewer

[hexed scarab]

I mean also if anyone got interviewed and might have any kind of advice

[proud shell]

wait

i think my interviewer said shes going to send pton short summary of what we talked about or sth like that ig

[hexed scarab]

Oh I see

What did she ask you?

[ivory hill]

Think what you want to ask.
Act nornally. Don't be afraid of not knowing the exact answer and to joke w your interviewer

[noble dawn]

Does a Pton interview mean anything?

[noble nova]

Is it cooked ts interview lasted 33 min and he wrapped it up quick cuz he had to go to the bathroom

[noble nova]

Not rly cuz most ppl will get it and it’s non-merit based but it can defo help if u carry over things that u think u didn’t cover on ur app that can boost you

[proud shell]

30 min is avg ig

[noble dawn]

I'm an intl, so I had to ask. Appreciate the advice, I'll use it.

[noble nova]

Yeah good luck man

[noble nova]

yeah.. I mean the slots were only 45 minutes so I guess it’s fine.. (I’m hoping he liked me)

I’m hoping brotato wanted to talk to me and js let me off early so he could use the bathroom 🙏

[wooden copper]

“I need to shit yo”

[proud shell]

eh... time doesnt rly matter ig

but idk if slots 45 min though

mine was like 90 min long

😭

[noble nova]

🙏

[noble nova]

A lot of ppl from my school applied and signed up for an interview so the sheet was in 45 min slots

But yeah idt time matters as long as you give them quality to write abt

[distant nimbus]

Did yall include the prompt for the writing supplement?

I realized I did comments, rubric and grade but didn’t have the specific prompt

[noble nova]

Yeah

I js marked it with the number

[distant nimbus]

Wdym marked it with number?

[noble nova]

Nvm I was thinking of another college that asked you to choose a prompt but didn’t have a selection option so I js did

“prompt: 3”

Then began writing after that

Ur talking abt the graded paper right?

@distant nimbus

[distant nimbus]

Yes

Were you thinking of Yale lol

I had to do that for Yale

[distant nimbus]

Yeah like listing out the prompt

[noble nova]

Yeah Yale I think

Yeah I don’t think I uploaded prompt either

I downloaded a version from turnitin that had teacher comments and grade then submitted that

Cuz all it said was “When selecting a paper to submit, please keep in mind the following guidelines:

The paper should be writing done for an academic course, preferably an English, social studies or history course, during the last three years of secondary school, including senior year.

You may send a paper, essay, research paper or essay exam. We are interested in seeing expository writing only, not creative writing.

One to two pages in length is sufficient.

The paper should include the course instructor’s grade, and comments if your instructor provided any.”

Nothing abt prompt

[distant nimbus]

Ok nice same

I had a mini panic attack because I realized I didn’t

[noble nova]

I submitted a paper I got 88 on so I might be slimed

[distant nimbus]

But also the instructions don’t have that

[noble nova]

Ye

[distant nimbus]

Cool thanks 🙏

[noble nova]

Good luck

[eager matrix]

yeah i think u should

[distant nimbus]

Well I guess it’s too late lol

[eager matrix]

cus like think about it

[distant nimbus]

I mean technically it’s not in the instructions

[eager matrix]

if ur trying to show someone ur ability to respond to something in an intellectual way

show them what ur responding to

[distant nimbus]

True

[distant nimbus]

But I never thought of it cuz it wasn’t in the checklist

Guess we’ll just see, but I don’t think it’s that big of a deal

[eager matrix]

i dont think its required

i js think its helpful imo more than anything

[plucky ore]

Finally got an interview offer

[radiant crescent]

Hey every1 I needed some help with the pffaa thing

did any1 of you filled the non filer forms

yk in the signature box where it says : ''electronic signatures not allowed''

how are u supposed to sign it then

[tough imp]

Print the form out and then sign it and scan it

[radiant crescent]

oh I SEEE

thanks

[hexed scarab]

I just did my Princeton interview :) it was so fun! The guy was super nice and we had a fun little chat. I’m so glad.

[radiant crescent]

That's honestly great

my interview was short but really nice it was just cuz it happened to be on friday and the guy was being late

[noble dawn]

My interview went really well. She really got an idea of my context and there was a bit of fun banter. Just gotta pray now.

[nimble wing]

is no interview by now cooked

[woeful vine]

no

[nimble wing]

as in, are they still sending out interview requests

[woeful vine]

i think if u dont receive one by like a week from now it may not be a good sign in terms of getting an interview

but iirc the interviews arent even that importnat so ur application wont be seen as worse bc of no interview

[nimble wing]

yeah, i wonder if there is admit stats for interview vs no interview

[verbal lotus]

pretty sure Princeton does interviews based on alumni availability and not a prescreen

I wouldn't worry about it

[split summit]

they told me that they needed to finish interviews by mid february

so im actually gonna say yes i think interviews are close to finishing

but again its based on availability... not prescreening

[lone river]

hi guys i have my interview in like 2 hours and i was wondering if its appropriate to tell my interview happy valentines day and maybe ask if he has any plans or should i not 😭

[radiant crescent]

Depends on how the vibe of interview is

[hollow garnet]

def do not very limited upside and potentially lots of downside

a simple how r u is good

[lone river]

yeah i think thats true. thanks for the advice guys

[split summit]

how😭

idk guys it’s valentines id just be like hey happy valentines thanks for making time for me even though it’s a holiday

[alpine oxide]

please dont ask them to be ur valentine 😭

[lone river]

idk i didnt end up saying it, they said they were moving so i just asked about that which was fine

[split summit]

now lets find where i said that 🥀

[hollow garnet]

what if they had a bad experience w valentines? what if they alone? like bruh dont wanna start the interview off by reminding them potentially of their insecurities

[split summit]

brother what😭

is this ragebait

[hollow garnet]

put urself in other ppls shoes gng

a simple how r u is good enough

[split summit]

brother i think youre in a different world

on that note.... never say merry christmas, never say happy holidays if your interview is in december, never say happy anything, in fact dont comment on the weather 😭 they might be insecure about the snow and the rain. like what are u on about

[mint sky]

wait lowkey this gusys valid 😭 i thought the same thing😭

[olive oasis]

Is the mid year transcript marked on the portal

[hollow garnet]

valentines is like the one u DONT want to bring up... also think about it like how does that even help the conversation flow???

just say how r u not that deep

other holidays are fine tbh

[split summit]

“hey i know it’s a holiday, i appreciate you taking the time to interview me despite that, i hope you’re having a good day” brother

i fear you’re overthinking it way too much

[hollow garnet]

that is the corniest thing 💀

[split summit]

ok now ik it’s ragebait cause that’s deadass just a normal thing to say

[hollow garnet]

bro just say hey hows it going

crazy how nowadays ppl call any disagreement ragebait

[split summit]

ur entire chat history is arguing with other people 😭

[half quarry]

Why do I lowkey agree with bro

[eager matrix]

lowkey the interview i just had was so just conversational

we didn’t talk about anything related to academics 😭

[next cairn]

I talked ab salsa dancing with my interviewer 😭

[nimble wing]

just got the interview request lmao, but is it better to do it in person or virtually

[eager matrix]

doesn’t matter

ur preference

[potent thorn]

anecdotally i’ve always enjoyed my in person ones way more and have been able to make more of a connection but i think it’s best to do wtv you’re most comfortable with

[eager matrix]

right

[distant nimbus]

Given the choice, I always choose in-person

[hollow garnet]

i generally prefer to have virtual so i can have a google doc to help me

[distant nimbus]

That's a fair point, but I've always preferred talking in person. seems way more personable and i feel like my personality is a bit masked behind a screen. But hoenstly its personal, no right/wrong answer

[hollow garnet]

yea u right just play to ur strengths

[eager matrix]

lowk i didnt do this

hot take i didnt prep for any interview

[split summit]

hey guys when it comes to visiting campus are you able to walk around the grounds w/o signing up for a tour? im going back to NJ but can only see campus on a saturday when they don’t have tours

[teal dagger]

yes, and if you go on a weekday nearly every building is unlocked and you can go in (with the exception of residential and some admin etc)

it’s a very touristy campus there is always a ton of people on campus

even on saturday you can walk through the campus center which is nearly always unlocked

[split summit]

oh okay sick

yeah id be going on a saturday

[split summit]

is it this building 😭🙏

would i have to check in anywhere or is it just like yeah you can walk around

[hollow garnet]

so real

[noble nova]

make sure to check out east pyne

ive seen the vlogs and apparently its one of the best spots to work or chill

[teal dagger]

yeah it’s that building and you should be able to just walk in

that’s where einsteins room is at too, room 302

[split summit]

id love to check it out just gotta make sure im allowed in💀

[noble nova]

yea i don't think it should be a problem its open from 7am-8:30pm on weekends and 7am-12am on weekdays

east pyne is genuinely so peak bro i think its gotta be tied with my first reason to go to princeton (eating clubs 😋 )

maybe cuz i watched this is also a contributing factor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhP8tNsnU9k

[teal dagger]

unless you can find somebody to let you in, east pyne and nearly all other buildings are locked on the weekends

[split summit]

ok so i think you mean only to current students then (?

[split summit]

according to what u just said

[teal dagger]

yeah the library in east pyne is always stuck behind a keycard, even on weekdays

on weekdays you can walk into east pyne without a card but you would still need to swipe to get into the library

[split summit]

unfortunate…. 💔

[plucky ore]

Yo the interview went well

He as very direct however, he didn't go off on side topics like my MIT interviewer
He treated it like a Job interview

[eager matrix]

yeah this is very different from mine haha

[noble nova]

yeah i looked at the wrong times that's for students 😭

mb

[tough imp]

I have my interview in ten minutes yall pray for me

[mint sky]

gl!

[wooden copper]

they in their interview already

[tough imp]

Interview done! She was nice

Even tho i was a lil shy i think it went well

[vocal pumice]

Gonna have my interview this Saturday

Chat

How long is it ?

(On average)

And what questions do they usually ask ?

Ps: I’m an International student

[tough imp]

My interviewer kept it to 45 mins basically but we were chatting for the last 15 min

It is pretty chill and conversational like ppl say it is

I got questions like was what my fav class was in school, what drew me to princeton

The only question i didnt expect (not sure if it was standard?) was she asked me what i wanted to get out of the college experience but that isnt too hard

[frank trellis]

I was also asked this question in my Princeton interview. It seems that they have a list of questions to read off of.

[tough imp]

Yeah i got the impression that she was reading off something so it would make sense

Its a good question ngl

[radiant crescent]

Omg