Princeton has about 5,000 undergraduate students and about 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students applying for master's and doctoral degrees. The ratio of men and women among students is approximately equal to 51:49. Foreign students on average make up about 9% of all undergraduate students.

It is believed that getting into Princeton is more difficult than any other university in America. Thus, out of 18.9 thousand people who applied in 2007, only 1245 people, or 9.6%, were admitted. Entries included 8% African American, 15% Asian American, 8% Hispanic, about 1% American Indian, and 6% of mixed ethnicity and racial origin. 11% of enrolled students in 2007 were foreigners.

The number of teachers at Princeton is more than 1200. Among them there are Nobel Prize winners in physics, literature, economics and medicine.

Tuition at Princeton

University tuition fees are among the highest in the United States. In the 2007-2008 academic year, it amounted to 47.4 thousand dollars a year. This included $33,000 in tuition, about $11,000 for room and board, and various mandatory expenses for textbooks, telephone, recreation, sports activities, and the like. - 3.4 thousand dollars. The average annual amount of financial assistance from various sources (loans, grants, scholarships, student work) for those who entered in 2007 amounted to 31 thousand dollars.

Tuition fees at Princeton University for 2014-2015

Princeton is not only a recognized leading center for undergraduate and graduate student training, it is one of the world's premier scientific centers. On average, the university annually spends more than 140 million dollars on research in various fields. These funds come from government departments, private corporations and non-profit foundations. The endowment of the university (a non-profit fund created for development purposes) reaches almost 16 billion dollars. Every year, scientists and university teachers publish more than 2.3 thousand units of printed matter. The university has more than 60 research institutes, centers, programs and projects in various fields of knowledge.

The library fund of the university is unique. The main library is located in Fireston - the length bookshelves it has more than 70 miles, more than 2 thousand students can study here at the same time. Its funds contain over 4 million volumes. The library collections of all Princeton libraries contain more than 11 million titles - this is undoubtedly one of the largest book collections in the world.

Student life at Princeton is extremely varied. The university has more than 200 student organizations of cultural, religious, political, ethnic and other orientations. There are six drama theaters on campus, a university orchestra, a choir and a jazz ensemble, Opera theatre and church choir.

Princeton is well known in the sports world as well. More than 1000 students annually take part in inter-university competitions, the university exhibits 40 teams in various types sports, it consistently ranks among the top ten universities in the United States for its sporting achievements.

Princeton University is a member of the prestigious Ivy League. Founded as a college in 1746, Princeton is the fourth oldest educational institution in the United States. Today, Princeton is an independent, coeducational institution with no sectarian affiliations. It provides higher education in the field of humanitarian and social disciplines, natural sciences and engineering. Thanks to the desire for the most outstanding achievements and discoveries, a high level of research and dissemination of knowledge gained, Princeton has earned worldwide fame as one of the best research universities. At the same time, Princeton stands out among research universities with its serious attitude to the development of undergraduate programs and teaching.

The College of New Jersey (under this name Princeton was known for the first 150 years) was founded in 1746 and became the fourth college in British North America. During the first year of its existence, the college operated in the town of Elizabeth, then it was moved to Newark for nine years, and only in 1756 moved to Princeton and was housed in the new building of Nassau Hall, built on land donated by Nathaniel Fitzrandolph. The college was housed in the Nassau building for almost half a century. In 1896, when, after expanding the list educational programs College of New Jersey received the status of a university, it was officially renamed Princeton University, in honor of its host Princeton. Four years later, in 1900, a Graduate School was opened at Princeton University with graduate and graduate programs.

In nearly 270 years, more than 120,000 men and women have entered the world as graduates of what is today known as Princeton University. Many of them became state and Congress leaders; built a career in medicine, law, business; rallied the nation by making scientific research much more accessible and understandable; received prizes, honorary titles and awards. Princeton University produced 11 Nobel laureates and 4 winners Pulitzer Prize. Among famous alumni- US President Woodrow Wilson John Forbes Nash, the prototype of the protagonist of the film A Beautiful Mind; model and actress Brooke Shields; US First Lady Michelle Obama.

Year of foundation

Location

New Jersey

Number of students

Student satisfaction

Academic Specialization

From 2001 to 2015 academic years Princeton University was in the top two places in the rankings. national universities U.S. magazine News & World Report (USNWR), with first place for 13 of those 15 years. Princeton took first place and in latest ranking US News, as well as in a separate ranking for " best programs bachelor's degree".

The most popular destinations for Princeton University are:

• Economics (general course);
• Political science and public administration (general course);
• Molecular biology;
• Psychology (general course);
• Analysis public policy(general course).

The average percentage of students passing to the second year (ie student satisfaction rate) is 98.3%.

Princeton is not only a city in the state of New Jersey, but one of the oldest private research universities. This is one of the most famous and prestigious universities in the United States, along with Yale, Harvard and Stanford.

The university studies natural humanities, social and technical sciences. Upon graduation from Princeton University, students receive qualifications and bachelor's and master's degrees.

The university has no specializations in medicine, law, business or theology, however, its School of Public and international relations offers to get professional degrees named after Woodrow Wilson. Besides, in educational system Princeton includes the School of Engineering and applied sciences, as well as the School of Architecture, which offer similar titles. The university has the largest trust fund for non-commercial use (endowment) in the world (on a per student basis).

History of Princeton University

The university was founded in 1746. It was originally called the College of New Jersey. In British North American colonies it became the fourth college.

The priest Jonathan Dickinson is considered the founder of the university. The first classes were held at his home in New Brunswick.

In 1756 the university moved to Princeton. The location chosen was Nassau Hall, which was named after the English royal house of William III.

Princeton University has always played a prominent role in historical events USA. He took his place in the events of the War of Independence. It is Princeton alumni who make up one sixth of the Constitutional Convention. And one of them, John Witherspoon, signed the Declaration of Independence.

The symbol of the university is bronze sculptures of tigers.

In 1902, Woodrow Wilson becomes president of Princeton. This contributed to the fact that the educational institution acquired its highest world authority, unchanged to this day.

Under Wilson's leadership, beginning in 1905, a system of seminars was created at the university, supplementing the standard lectures. This method of teaching individualized the approach to small groups of students. They got the opportunity to interact closely with teachers in their chosen area of ​​interest.

In 1933, Albert Einstein was given the honorary status of life member of the Institute for Advanced Study. His office is located on the campus of Princeton University. Some time later, the brilliant scientist also acquired own house on Princeton Mercer Street.

The Priorities of the Princeton Educational System

Despite the fact that the university is considered a research university, and according to statistics, more than two and a half thousand masters and doctoral students studied here in the period 2012-2013, the priority of the university is the education of students, in English - undergraduate students.

How they train Bachelors at Princeton

Thirty-four faculties of Princeton prepare bachelors. There are Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees in Engineering.

East Pyne Hall is a center for in-depth study of foreign (including Slavic) languages, world cultures and literatures located in the courtyard of the university.

The orientation of education at Princeton is aimed at combining research work with the use of the possibilities of science and art.

There are several mandatory courses that all students should take without exception. And although each faculty has its own requirements, these courses go far beyond narrow specialties, providing an opportunity to get universal knowledge and skills.

This means that all students must attend courses (their minimal amount) in the following specialties:

• course of literature and art;
• history course;
• sociology course;
• epistemology and cognition course;
• ethics and morals course;
• natural science course;
• science and technology course.

For three or four semesters, students are required to study foreign languages ​​and must attend a series of seminars on the subject of writing.

Humanities courses usually have two or three lectures a week plus one seminar.

Faculty science courses include additional laboratory classes. Weekly rate - one / two lessons.

A mandatory condition for graduation from the university for all students is the writing of one or two research papers in the third year. In the fourth year, as is customary in all world universities, a thesis is written.

Since the thesis is inherently − Scientific research, at Princeton, architecture, visual arts, and literature students are given the opportunity to be creative in presenting their thesis. The diploma can be defended in the form of a written novel, staging a play or designing a layout.

Preparing Masters at Princeton

The university provides an opportunity to obtain a master's degree in the following areas:

• humanitarian sciences;
• social science;
• natural sciences and mechanical engineering.

After completing the training, master's degrees are awarded:

• humanities,
• architecture (M.Arch.),
• technical sciences(M.Eng.),
• Master of Finance (M.Fin.),
• Engineering Sciences (MSE),
• Chemical Sciences (MS),
• public relations (MPA),
• public policy (MPP)
• Public Affairs and Urban and Regional Planning (MPA-SPR).

Preparing PhDs at Princeton

The opportunity to become a PhD is available in any discipline taught at the university.

To become a doctor of science at Princeton University, you must conduct original and independent research work in relevant professional areas.

University Admissions Policy and Financial Aid

The leadership of Princeton University is very scrupulous in selecting applicants. Acceptance figures are typically only 8.5% of all applicants.

Princeton is the first university to focus on grants as much as possible, instead of making loans to students who need financial aid.

According to the U.S. News & World Report, the percentage of Princeton freshmen receiving financial aid is about 60%. Average level grant for 2015 - $42,600, at a cost of $58,965 for one year of study.

Tuition at Princeton

• Education - $ 41820
• Dormitory room - $7570
• Food - $6050
• Other expenses (literature, consumables, etc.) - $3525
• Full tuition fee - $58 965

Scientific activity of Princeton

Research at Princeton University has one of the highest priorities. Formally scientific activity divided into four general areas:

• engineering and applied sciences;
• humanitarian areas of science;
• natural Sciences;
• Social sciencies.

More than 1,100 teachers work at 34 academic faculties of the university and at 75 institutes and centers. This should also include two laboratories (Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab, Princeton Plasma Physics Lab) of a national scale.

Latest news and scientific achievements University laboratories of Princeton are regularly published on the official website of the university and its specialized subsections.

Campuses

Fine Hall is the most high building campus, on the territory of which the Faculty of Mathematics is located. The main campus covers an area of ​​approximately 2 km2.

The neighboring cities of Plainsboro and South Brunswick are united by the James Forrestal campus. In part, Princeton University owns some property in the township of West Windsor. The campuses can be reached in about the same time (one hour drive) from New York and from Philadelphia.

Nassau Hall (English name Nassau Hall, or Old Nassau) was built in 1756. It is the oldest building on campus and hosted the third Continental Congress. Traditionally, graduation ceremonies are held on the lawn in front of Nassau Hall.

The southern edge of the campus is bordered by Lake Carnegie. This artificial lake is named after Andrew Carnegie, who in 1906 financed its construction at the request of his friend, a Princeton graduate. Carnegie hoped that rowing would inspire university students to put aside American football. Carnegie believed that football was a sport not suitable for real gentlemen.

The headquarters of the rowers of Princeton University is still located on the shore of the lake, in the Shea Rowing Center.

Campus architecture

Scattered around the campus, a group of twentieth-century sculptures form the Putnam Collection of Sculpture. It consists of works that have been created by several authors:

• Alexander Calder and his "Five Disks: One Blank";
• Jacob Epstein "Albert Einstein";
• Henry Moore "Oval with dots";
• Isamu Noguchi "White Sun";
• Pablo Picasso Head of a Woman.

Near the Lewis Library and Princeton Stadium, between Peyton Hall and Fine Hall, you can see the sculpture of Richard Serra "The Hedgehog and the Fox".

Princeton Student Residences

At Princeton University, all students are provided with housing for a period of four years. An exceptional majority (98%) live in residence halls on campus. Freshmen and sophomores are settled in the so-called "dormitory colleges". Traditional dormitories are intended for third and fourth year students - only senior students live here.

Dormitories in Princeton are not much different from standard dormitories. The difference between dormitory colleges is quite significant - they have their own dining halls.

Every interested student has the opportunity to buy a "food plan" to eat in these dining rooms. Recently, students of the third and fourth years have been added the opportunity to live in dormitory colleges during their entire term of study at the university.

Senior students, if they wish, can choose the possibility of living in the city of Princeton. In most cases, they are deterred by the unchanging high prices for housing. Therefore, most students live on campus.

Dormitory colleges

There are six “dormitory colleges” in the structure of Princeton University, each of which is home to about five hundred freshmen and sophomores, a certain number of third-year students, fourth-year students and several senior students, “advisers”, in English residential college advisor.

Each dormitory college has:

• dining room;
• reading and assembly halls;
• theater platform;
• library, etc.

Two dormitory colleges were built in the 70s of the 20th century: Wilson College and Forbes College. Three more: Rockefeller College (Rockefeller College), Mathey College (Mathey College) and Butler College - (Butler College), began work in 1983. Construction on Princeton's sixth dormitory college, Whitman College, was completed in 2007.

Dining clubs and student organizations in Princeton

Students usually spend university social life in dormitory colleges and, as they are called, "dining clubs" (in English - eating clubs).

it unique phenomenon, characteristic of the Princeton student life. Students join one of the "lunch clubs" of their choice, usually in their second year.

Princeton's "dining clubs" are independent of university administration and are the most popular dining and party venues for students throughout the school year.

The total number of dormitory colleges at Princeton University is six. Dormitory colleges host many different guests, all the diverse life of students takes place. Dormitory colleges arrange trips to New York to the theater, performances, ballets, operas, productions on Broadway, interesting exhibitions and sports competitions.

There are ten dining clubs at Princeton University. Those that are located on the street "Prospect of the City of Princeton" unite both girls and boys of senior courses. Most third- and fourth-year students prefer to eat in "lunch clubs".

As of 2011, there are about three hundred student organizations and other student clubs in Princeton.

Princeton conferences and events

As part of political and public life, Princeton University hosts Model United Nations conferences (in English - “Model United Nations”, abbreviated as MUN).

In autumn or winter, a similar conference for schoolchildren PMUNC is held at the university, and in the spring the PICSim (Princeton Interactive Crisis Simulation) conference is held for students.

Every year in November, Princeton students organize a conference for schoolchildren in the US capital, Washington, called the "Small Congress" (eng. "Model Congress").

The history of Princeton University began on October 22, 1746, when the Legislative Council of the British colony of New Jersey, on behalf of King George II, granted the request of a group of Presbyterian pastors and granted them permission to form a college for the education of youth in languages, liberal arts and sciences. The College of New Jersey became the fourth educational institution in the British North America after Harvard, William and Mary College and Yale. Although the new college was founded by Presbyterian priests, it was written in the charter that adherents of any religious movements could study in it, since students here are prepared for the service of the church and the state. For the then educational institutions British colonies in North America, this tolerance was phenomenal. However, the religious orientation of education still dominated. The motto of the university still bears traces of this phenomenon - "Prospers under God's power."

Initially, the college, which had only ten students, was located in the house of Dickenson in the city of Elizabeth. However, in 1747, the patron died, so the entire community moved to Newark, where he was sheltered by the local Presbyterian pastor Aaron Burr, who became the new president of the educational institution. Here, three years later, the first three bachelors graduated from the college walls. In 1756, Burr achieved the transfer of the educational institution to Princeton, where a special building was built for students and teachers with donations collected in Great Britain. It was named Nassau Hall and is now a listed building.

Princeton played a prominent role in the events of the American Revolution: its rector, John Witherspoon, signed the Declaration of Independence, and a sixth of the participants in the Constitutional Convention were Princeton alumni.

Princeton University is part of the so-called. The Ivy League is an association of the eight oldest universities in the United States. Initially, it was founded as a sports association, but then it grew into something more. ancient origin and high level the prestige of these universities allows them to be somewhat condescending towards their less eminent brethren.

The sport that plays huge role in the life of American universities, began to actively develop in Princeton since 1859, when the first gym was built there. Since the early 60s of the XIX century, students began to wear orange sports uniforms. Students printed the numbers on T-shirts with black ink, and as a result, orange and black became Princeton's signature colors. This tradition is still observed: university students strive for these shades to be present not only on sportswear but also in casual wear.

Another university tradition belongs to the same times: the combination of orange and black gave rise to an association with tiger skin. This is where the traditional nickname for the university's sports teams, the "Tigers", came from. Princeton fans began to greet their teams with the exclamation of "Tiger!" Since 1882, undergraduates began to publish the comic magazine The Princeton Tiger, and in 1893 the university cafeteria was renamed the Tiger Inn.

By the 1970s, many-sided successes had placed Princeton next to such famous educational institutions like Harvard and Yale. In 1877, the college founded a magistracy, and in 1896 it received the status of a university, which, in gratitude and appreciation to the city community, was named Princeton University. In the same year, orange and black were officially recognized as the colors of the university.

In 1902, Thomas Woodrow Wilson, the future president of America, became rector of Princeton. He led a sharply secularizing policy under the slogan "Princeton - in the service of the state, not the church!". He perfected learning programs, dividing them into general education (during the first two years) and specialized (in the next two years). During his reign (1902–1910), they completed the creation of a separate college for the preparation of masters, and doubled the number of faculties.

More than 4,500 students and 1,500 graduate students study at Princeton University. Teaching and learning is carried out according to individual plans, and is closely related to research work.

The number of teachers is more than a thousand, of which more than 400 are professors, 7 Nobel laureates. The rector of the university is Shirley Tilgman. In 1969, the university began to admit women for the first time.

The University provides training at the following faculties: School of Technical and Applied Sciences, Architecture and Urban Planning, Public and International Relations; departments of astrophysical sciences, physics, mathematics, geological and geophysical sciences, biological, chemical, economic, philosophy, politics, sociology, psychology, religion, Romance languages and literature, Germanic languages and literature, physical culture and education and others, as well as the Research Center. J. Forrestal (departments of aeronautics, space research, technical sciences, laboratory of plasma physics, etc.).

Famous graduates and professors of Princeton - Woodrow Wilson and James Madison, US presidents, John Nash, Nobel Prize winner in economics, mathematician Andrew Wiles, who proved Fermat's theorem and many others.

History in facts:

2007 Representatives of Princeton University said they have reached an agreement with the Italian government to return 8 pieces of ancient art. Negotiations about this lasted about a year and a half. According to the agreement, four exhibits from the university museum will be sent to Italy immediately, and four more will be rented by Princeton University for four years.

The governments of Greece and Italy have been fighting since 2005 to return some of the antiquities from the US to Europe, because they believe that the exhibits were exported to America illegally.

2007 Princeton University has joined Google program for digitizing books. The university has over six million printed works, five million manuscripts and about two million other materials in its vaults. Google plans to digitize about a million books whose copyright has expired.

The scandalous Google project was opened in 2003, and many American publishers blamed the search engine for putting entire texts of books on the net, preventing them from making a profit. In addition to Princeton, California, Harvard, Stanford, Oxford Universities, New York public library. So far, only Michigan and Texas universities have agreed to transfer books for digitization, for which the copyright has not yet expired.

Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard, Yale, MIT are universities that, in the mind of an ordinary student, are in a different reality: with green lawns, wise professors, ancient libraries and tidy campuses. T&P tell how much tuition costs, what the admission procedure looks like and what requirements the world's top universities impose on applicants. In this issue, Princeton University.

Princeton University is the fourth oldest university in the United States, it was founded in 1746 and is part of the prestigious Ivy League. More than 30 Nobel Prize winners have studied and taught here, including Professor John Nash, a mathematician and the hero of the film A Beautiful Mind. AT top universities world by Times version Princeton is ranked seventh.

There are a total of 36 chapters in Princeton, and 50 programs are run jointly by the chapters. The most famous schools are the liberal arts Woodrow Wilson School of Public Affairs and the technical School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Princeton is known for having an equally high level of teaching in both the exact sciences and the liberal arts. It was at Princeton, for example, that another Nobel laureate, American playwright Eugene O'Neill, who, however, was expelled. Lewis Center For the Arts is a structural subdivision of the university, which allows students to master writing and acting skills, choreography, pass practical courses on the basics of musical theater and cinematography. The approach to the formation of these programs is no less serious than on the main ones. academic courses: modules are aimed at providing participants with the necessary theoretical base and practical skills. The certificate of the center is issued only upon successful attendance of a certain number of theoretical and practical modules, as well as active participation in extracurricular activities and master classes.

Courtney Alice Jones

Princeton graduate

“I studied philosophy and theater for four years at Princeton. At the end of my first year, I entered the Lewis Center to complete a theater program, and at the end of my second year, I decided on my main specialty - philosophy. Lewis Center really offers a very good additional education in the field of theater, dance, cinema, painting. The courses include continuous practice, and in addition, each student is required to submit great job upon completion of the course. This gives chances to get into the media - journalists are invited to evaluate the work. Many graduates then become professional artists and artists or continue their education in this area.”

Deadline for submission of documents

The university has two application schemes: Single Choice Early Action Option and Regular Decision. The first option was created for those who do not plan to apply to other universities: they have an earlier deadline (November 1), but they will also know the decision of the university faster (until mid-December). Those who enter several universities at once apply according to the second scheme. In this case, deadline- January 1, the decision of the university - until March 31.

Admission procedure

Princeton University uses the common university form Common Application. In addition to the main document, Princeton applicants must complete the Princeton University Supplement. Foreigners additionally fill out the International Supplement. You will also need a translated certificate from the school with grades, results for the last six months, characteristics from two teachers for various subjects and SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or ACT (American College Testing) exam results. AT exceptional cases When an interview with a candidate is required, it is conducted by the Princeton Alumni Committee outside the university.

Entry requirements

In terms of formal selection principles, Princeton is one of the most liberal universities: minimum requirements to academic achievement and the exam results here do not exist. They categorically do not consider the documents of those candidates who have already entered or are studying at another university. Foreigners whose first language is not English and who have not attended an English-language school will be required to submit TOEFL results.

It is assumed that applicants at school studied English, mathematics, foreign language(for those whose native English is English), physics, chemistry and history. The university's admissions office also draws attention to the fact that most of the successful candidates were engaged in some form of art - for example, dancing or acting skills. Target admission committee- evaluate the candidate's abilities on the basis of his individual achievements. Therefore, applicants are recommended to actively try their hand at all areas before admission: academic initiatives, volunteering, office work and any other interesting experience are taken into account.

Courtney Alice Jones:

“The application process was very difficult because it is quite lengthy and involves passing several standardized tests. This is important for selection, and it is desirable to score the maximum number of points in addition to good grades from school. The admission procedure turned out to be more difficult than I expected, but the university helped a lot, and at every stage.

Most Princeton students already lived in the States, but we had quite a few foreign students: the university has several international communities and special groups providing support to foreigners. In addition, foreign and American students mixed up very quickly, and there were almost no problems.”

Entrance tests

SAT or ACT (if possible, with written part), SAT exam in two subjects, TOEFL and two essays. If the SAT and ACT are not held in the applicant's country of residence, the university is ready to consider documents without them, but candidates are warned that in this case it will be difficult to fully assess their abilities. Topics for two essays (for example, comment on a quote, talk about a person or event that affected the applicant special influence) may overlap or even overlap, so applicants are advised to carefully ensure that there is no repetition when choosing a second topic for an essay.

Cost of education

In 2016-2017, tuition costs average $63,420 per year, including course fees ($45,150) and accommodation ($8,285).

Available grants

Scholarships at the university are distributed solely on the basis of financial need - the university has a Financial Aid Program, in which all students and applicants can participate, regardless of citizenship. To find out the results simultaneously with the decision of the selection committee, apply for financial support needed along with the main set of documents. If the financial situation has changed unexpectedly, you can apply for support during the learning process. There is a calculator on the university's website that can roughly calculate whether you qualify for the program, but the questions in it are mainly designed for citizens of the United States and Canada.

Campus

Like any old university, Princeton starts on campus. Now on campus, in addition to classrooms, library and museum, there is a church, a park, several theaters and exhibition halls, as well as a cinema, restaurants, cafes and bars for extracurricular activities. Students live on campus in dormitories, which in Princeton are called colleges.

The university library is located in eleven buildings on campus and is divided into the main, Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library, and ten specialized libraries. The general library collection contains a wide variety of sources: from 8 million books to manuscripts, the total length of which is 49,000 feet, and Aztec maps can be found in the cartographic department. The University Museum of Art has Byzantine, African, Asian, American and European collections, as well as collections dedicated to contemporary art, prints and photographs. You can get access to the exhibits both during exhibitions and in educational purposes- by agreement with the curators.

Courtney Alice Jones:

“The campus is very self-sufficient and many spend 75 to 80 percent of their time here or near campus. Dormitories range from huge to small. Depending on who you want to live with and when you have a draw line (distribution of places according to certain dates- like in a lottery), you can get a room that corresponds to an expensive apartment in terms of level. We have a longstanding rivalry with Harvard, and only then with Yale. First of all, our American football team strives to beat these two teams in the annual competition, and the student and alumni attendance at these tournaments is enormous.”

Myths and legends

Numerous local legends are carefully passed down from generation to generation: special excursions are held for freshmen at the beginning of their studies, on which guides not only acquaint them with the surroundings, but also elaborate on university myths associated with a particular building. Quite often, students and guides themselves are engaged in myth-making, which leads to curiosities. So, once a Princeton graduate who visited the university with her granddaughter, exposed the guides who claimed that Einstein taught in one of the university auditoriums. The vigilant grandmother immediately wrote a letter to the campus newspaper, noting that the great physicist was unlikely to appear there more than once.

Although the university is very proud of its rich history and especially involvement in the American Revolution (in Nassau Hall in 1783 a meeting of members of the Congress of the Confederation was held), amateur myth-making gives the administration a lot of anxiety. After the release of the book "Rule of Four" in the late 90s, the plot of which unfolded on the territory of the university, students believed in the existence complex system tunnels under campus. In 2008, the leadership specifically appealed to the students, urging them to stop searching, since the tunnels do not exist. However, the students did not calm down and were right - the tunnel system was still found. Alas, according to eyewitnesses, there was nothing interesting in them.

Other university-wide myths include the claim that 60% of Princeton graduates go on to marry or remarry university acquaintances. In this regard, a serious study was even carried out, which, however, showed that the percentage of "intra-university" weddings is only about 17% of total number graduates. Some students also say that if you leave the territory through FitzRandolph Gate before graduation, you may never graduate at all. Of the less pleasant stories for Princeton, the bulldog in the ornament of the university church is indicative - a symbol of Yale, according to one version, he was left to the university as a souvenir by a vengeful architect.

Clubs and secret societies

Undergraduates at Princeton can choose between dining at college cafeterias, cafes and restaurants, and one of ten university dining clubs. Both freshmen and senior students can join them. Each club functions simultaneously as a dining room and a platform for communication and, most importantly, intellectual debate. Five clubs accept newcomers solely on the basis of availability, but in the rest there is a special selection procedure known as bickering - current members of the club meet and discuss each candidate separately. The cost of attending a club exceeds the standard cost of meals, so the university has the foresight to include the average cost of meals in dining clubs in student financial assistance.

Club traditions do not lose their relevance - exclusion from the lunch club for many is still a serious blow, and the conflict over the closure of the Cannon Club, transformed into a writers center in 1973, continues to this day. Another university legend has it that when the members of the club learned of its imminent closure, they threw a farewell party during which they spent $10,000 on Oreo cookies.

Princeton is famous for its secretive secrets. student societies. This is attributed to the fact that the 28th President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, a Princeton graduate who served as rector of the university in 1902-1910, threatened to expel anyone who was seen participating in such organizations. However, the societies did not break up, but only finally went underground, having developed multi-stage precautionary measures. For example, in the Phi society, which arose in 1929 on the basis of two discussion clubs and still exists, no more than ten people can simultaneously consist. The society usually invites third-year students, and invitations to candidates are sent anonymously. Newcomers and their predecessors almost do not intersect - the new composition meets graduates only once, on the first of June, shortly before they leave the university.

In addition, Princeton, like most other Western universities, has free app iPrinceton, available from iTunesU. Also on the site you can subscribe to individual podcasts and watch videos about the latest student projects: from new production contemporary dance troupe and building a library in Ghana before the news academic life and plays about science written by students.

Icons: 1) iconoci, 2) Vignesh Nandha Kumar, 3) Catalina Cuevas, 4) James Kocsis, 5) Roy Milton, 6) NAMI A, 7), 10) parkjisun, 8) Kate Kobielsky, 9) Nick Novell, 11 ) Alfredo Hernandez - from the Noun Project.