Princeton is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. It is one of the eight members of the Ivy League, and it’s also the fourth-oldest college in the United States, founded in 1746. Princeton is very selective, boasting a 5.8% acceptance rate for 2020.
The Princeton supplemental essays fall into three categories, with each category having a different word limit. We want to show Princeton the depth of your character and the other sides of your personality, so our biggest overall advice is to write about things that are not already reflected on your resume. We’ve written about Princeton’s supplements before, but we have updated tips and tricks for this year’s application.
Extracurricular Activity and Work Experience
Briefly elaborate on an activity, organization, work experience, or hobby that has been particularly meaningful to you. (Please respond in about 150 words)
For this question, you will want to choose an activity that sits at the intersection between meaningful and character-revealing. Keep in mind that these supplements are just that -- supplements to your existing application, so talk about something that isn’t dominant on your application. If you spend your mornings practicing for the football team, but your evenings are spent bussing the tables at a local restaurant, talk about your work experience. If you’re a member of the student government but you also are responsible for feeding, bathing, and taking care of your younger siblings, you should probably talk about your responsibilities at home.
Your Voice
Please respond to each question in an essay of about 250 words.
At Princeton, we value diverse perspectives and the ability to have respectful dialogue about difficult issues. Share a time when you had a conversation with a person or a group of people about a difficult topic. What insight did you gain, and how would you incorporate that knowledge into your thinking in the future?
This question, and ones like it, are popping up on applications all over this year. You are going to want to tell a story—with a distinct beginning, middle, and end—and bring us into the scene with details. Maybe you tried to convince your grandparents that the election wasn’t stolen, or you got your sibling who doesn’t believe in climate change to finally start recycling plastic. Maybe you got called out for something that made you reflect on your own beliefs. Tell us how the conversation ended—did anyone change their mind? Were points conceded? Whatever it is, tell the story and bring us into the setting with lots of details.
Princeton has a longstanding commitment to service and civic engagement. Tell us how your story intersects (or will intersect) with these ideals.
You can learn as much about a school from the questions they ask as they can learn from your answers. If you are someone who doesn’t value service or civic engagement, then Princeton may not be a good fit for you. They’re looking for a story that highlights your past work, and then a commitment to remaining engaged once you’re at Princeton. Maybe you went head-to-head with the school board over sexist dress codes, or you prefer to spend your summer vacations organizing beach clean-ups. Whatever it is, you’ll want to tell a story that brings us into the scene with you. We also want to caution you against writing about your one shift at the soup kitchen or spring break mission trip to Guatemala, as these do not show a pattern of service or of local civic engagement. Make sure to write about a specific day or experience to write about instead of a vague feel-good wrap-up.
More About You
Please respond to each question in 50 words or fewer. There are no right or wrong answers. Be yourself!
What is a new skill you would like to learn in college?
Our biggest piece of advice here would be to avoid something where the admissions staff reading this would go, “ok, so why aren’t they doing this now?” You should already have study skills, time management, and organization somewhat figured out. Think of things you’ve wanted to try but can’t because of age, access, location, etc. and that you could do at Princeton. Maybe there’s a specific skill set you’d need for your major that you want to develop.
What brings you joy?
You have up to 50 words, so don’t feel that you need to limit yourself to one thing that brings you joy. Maybe you have a list of things, big and small, that all make you happy. Don’t stress this question too much, there is no “gotcha” here.
What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?
There are no wrong answers here, but there are actually a lot of bad answers here. Stay away from the controversial (WAP), the overplayed (driver’s license), the cliche (Rocky theme song). If you’re having a hard time picking a song, write down a list of some of your favorites and choose from there.
Princeton requires you to submit a graded written paper as part of your application. You may submit this material now or any time before the application deadline. If you choose not to upload the required paper at this time, you may mail, e-mail, or upload your paper through the applicant portal. Detailed instructions for our graded paper requirement can be found here
We do not like this question in general because we think it’s kind of exclusionary. If you look at the requirements on their site, there are a lot of additional standards, such as no creative writing allowed, and no peer-graded writing allowed either. It also has to have the teacher’s name and grading comments, and can’t be over 2 pages. Princeton says they also want to see your best work, regardless of the grade. We say pick something you’re proud of and that got a good grade.
Additional Information (Optional)
Please attach a document if you wish to provide details of circumstances or qualifications not reflected in the application.
Don’t feel like you need to add something just to have something here. If you feel like there’s something a school needed to know, you probably already filled it out in the Additional Information section of the Common App, or if COVID-19 radically impacted you or your family, you probably did that section as well. If there is something absolutely not covered in any part of your application, you can add it here.
We know the application process is challenging, and if you find yourself struggling with the Princeton supplemental essays, feel free to contact us for assistance.