Princeton University

A superb education, delivered superbly by wonderful professors who care about the undergraduate students, and enhanced by an impressive group of classmates from a wide range of backgrounds. The campus is beautiful, social life is OK (not great, unless you leave campus), and classes are as demanding as you want them to be.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

Ten dissatisfied students (out of the 5000ish here in a given year) write negative reviews overflowing with "F" ratings, so Princeton is rated a B+ overall? Ha! This cannot possibly be taken seriously. This site could use some improved methodology to fix problems like this.

1st Year Male -- Class 2013

Scholastic Success: A+, Collaboration/Competitive: B+

I was surprised by the number of negative comments on here. Princeton is not perfect; but then again, no place is. With any college experience, you are undoubtedly going to have your ups and downs. And I can't possibly think of a better place to be for undergraduate studies than here. Princeton may not have the international prestige that Harvard and Yale seem to have, but I honestly believe this has solely got to do with the fact that the primary focus here is on the undergraduates; as an undergrad here (with siblings who have gone elsewhere), trust me--it makes a HUGE difference in undergraduate quality of life!

As with almost anything, you'll get out of your classes, extracurriculars, and social life what you put IN. The possibilities here are endless--the avenues of study innumerable, the students (and faculty) fascinating; that being said, the only thing that may be handed to you on a "silver platter" is a few free T-shirts during freshman week; you're expected to take a little initiative and figure the rest out on your own (academic, peer, and faculty advisers are readily available--but you need to be the first to ask for advice!).

Everybody here tends to be incredibly busy; just when you think you know everything about a person, you'll learn that they're a concert pianist, that they speak five languages, or that they worked in a lab helping to find a cure for cancer during a gap-year before college. Yes, it can sometimes feel like it takes a little while to really get to know people; but the truth is: almost everyone here looks around and gets intimidated by the students around them at SOME point in time. Be the first to break the ice, and you'll find that even the most seemingly unapproachable perfectionists carry on with "the illusion of Princeton" as a front to keep others from seeing their own insecurities. So talk to people, and eventually they'll open up; there are quite a few geniuses around here, but in the end, we're all only human! I've found that other students have been an incredible resource here: to learn FROM, to learn WITH, and as friends in general. Even if it feels like it takes a while to identify true "best friends" amidst a ton of "friendly acquaintances", once you've found them, the friendships you'll make here will last a lifetime. Life here can be challenging (and Princetonians seem to have truly mastered the art of complaining). But the rewards are twice as worth it. As we often say: Work hard, play hard! ...At least that's what I've found in my nearly four years here...

3rd Year Female -- Class 2010

Education Quality: A+, Faculty Accessibility: B+