Are you a student? Perhaps, you have not heard about Princeton University before? Whatever your answer might be, you have got to read this article. With this article, you will learn about one of the best institutions of higher learning in the nation. But if I may ask you, when you hear the words “Ivy League,” what words exactly come to your mind? I guess: This is a complete guide on Princeton University Acceptance Rate.
Intelligence? Respect? Success?
As a matter of fact, there is a reason why those words have become synonymous with Ivy League schools. With roots that date back before the founding of the United States, the Ivy League counts as its members some of the oldest and most revered institutions in the country.
Undoubtedly, schools such as Harvard and Yale belong to the Ivy League. These are universities that have trained Nobel laureates, presidents, and business leaders.
However, as impressive as those names might seem, Princeton University stands above them all.
So, founded in 1746 as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is generally received as the best institution of higher learning not just in the United States, but in the whole world.
As it is, it is very hard for people to be accepted into Princeton University. Just as its Ivy League sisters, thousands of hopefuls apply to Princeton every year and only a small fraction of applicants receive letters of acceptance.
That is also the case with transfer students, if not worse. Those who want to leave their current institution for Princeton, especially in their sophomore year, need to provide the school with a good reason to allow the change.
However, it is not completely all bad news. Even if they only accept a few transfer students each year, the fact remains that Princeton usually allows people to transfer to their school.
So, to have the best chance of success, you need to know what Princeton requires from those transfer hopefuls, the application, and grade requirements. Meanwhile, it will never be an easy task, but this information ensures that you will have a chance to study at one of the best schools in the world.
Princeton University Transfer Acceptance Rate – Princeton University Acceptance Rate
In 2021, Princeton University gave admission to only 16 out of 1,349 transfer applicants. This gave the school a transfer acceptance rate of just 1.2%.
As a matter of fact, that is a very low rate. On the other hand, it is not out of step with other Ivy League schools. However, out of the Ivies, Princeton has one of the lowest acceptance rates. Hence, it offers admission to just 3.98% of the applicants.
Notwithstanding, as low as those numbers may be, they are actually higher than what it was some years back. In fact, Princeton did not even accept transfer applications for some years. They only reversed the policy in 2018.
You may wonder why the reluctance to accept transfer students?
Of course, there is no one clear answer to that question. In some cases, the reason is that the University wants to mold students through their system. In other cases, there may be some doubts about a student’s commitment.
However, whatever the reasons, Princeton tends to prefer transfer applications from members of the military or low-income students.
Application Requirements & GPA for Princeton Transfers
Hence, Princeton does not have a minimum GPA requirement. However, given the school’s minimal transfer acceptance rate, it is safe to assume that you need to have a nearly perfect grade to be accepted.
So, according to Princeton’s website, the school uses a “highly individualized holistic review of each applicant’s achievements, talents and potential to contribute.”
In other words, Princeton needs only transfer students who can bring something substantial and unique to their student body.
Hence, to assess their potential, Princeton requires transfer students to follow a three-step application process.
In the first place, students need to submit to the school an application, together with a transfer supplement. In this supplement, students will explain their reason for leaving their current institution for Princeton. Also, students must also pay an application fee, or apply for an application fee waiver, if applicable.
Together with their application, students must provide a written paper from a class taken within the past two years. Of course, the paper must be graded and should come from either an English or history course. However, students can provide a paper from a humanities or social sciences course in some cases.
Again, students must secure transcripts not only from their current institution but also from their high school and any other higher educational institution they have attended. In the same vein, students will need a midterm report from their current institution to demonstrate their most recent grades.
Similarly, as they find their transcripts, students should also secure letters of recommendation. At least one of these letters should come from a college professor or teaching assistant in one of their core subjects. Such subject includes English or maths.
Finally, if students wish to submit their ACT or SAT scores, they should plan to send them to Princeton while completing their application. On the other hand, they should keep in mind that Princeton has temporarily suspended the requirement for standardized test scores. However, high scores will help your application, so you might consider sending particularly strong results.
Princeton University Transfer Deadline
Hence, the deadline for applying to transfer to Princeton University is March 1st every year. By that date, they must submit the transfer application and supplement, as well as the graded written papers. In the same vein, letters and transcripts must be submitted by that date as well.
In the same development, transfer students must take note of this date, as it differs from the one usually used by Princeton. So, for those applying to enter as freshmen, the university has January 1st as the deadline.
On the other hand, transfer applicants have a full two months extra to complete their applications.
So, with that extra time, transfer hopefuls can put in some extra work to ensure that they construct the best possible application.
As a matter of fact, those two months can be used to secure recommendations from qualified instructors. These recommendations carry a great deal of weight with the admissions committee.
Meanwhile, Princeton also has additional deadlines for other parts of the application. Hence, those who would like to apply for financial aid must complete all paperwork for scholarships and grants and submit the same by March 9th. If transfer applicants wish to send their SAT or ACT scores to Princeton, they must be submitted by March 31st.
What is the Decision Date for Princeton University Transfers?
Princeton University will notify transfer applicants of its decision sometime in mid-May. Those lucky few who receive letters of acceptance will need to reply by the end of May.
As a matter of fact, that comes much later than the university’s regular date which is January 1st. On the other hand, incoming freshmen have much more time to respond to the school, as their decision to accept the admission offer does not need to be finalized until late May.
Meanwhile, this disparity should not come as too much of a surprise. After all, the transfer process is much different from a standard admission. The University needs to carefully examine all of the possibilities before determining if a student meets the requirements for such an extraordinary request.
In some cases, accepted applicants will not even need the full two weeks to decide if they will transfer to Princeton. Anyone willing to go through the rigorous process of applying must know that they really want to attend Princeton.
Deciding Whether You Should Transfer to Princeton University
In fact, it is good, to be honest. It is very difficult to transfer to Princeton University. Not only does the school put a long list of requirements before those who want to transfer, but it has an unbelievable low acceptance rate.
So, with a rate of just 1.2%, it means 99 out of 100 applicants will be rejected by Princeton.
Even though that might seem like a good reason to give up, those numbers need to be put into perspective. Although Princeton’s transfer acceptance rate is low, it’s not that much lower than its usual rate. Once only a moderately selective school, Princeton has recently become one of the most competitive schools. Hence, it accepts only 1,498 freshmen in 2021.
In other words, it’s always hard to get into Princeton, no matter if you are coming in as a freshman or a junior. Even at that, people continue to apply. Their reason is that Princeton is one of the best schools in the world.
According to U.S. News and World Report, Princeton ranks number one among all universities in the United States.
Hence, for many years now, Princeton has directly affected world politics, graduating U.S. Presidents Madison and Monroe, and U.S. Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Samuel Alito, and Elena Kagan.
Also, Projects such as the Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory are changing the world with its research on nuclear physics and new energy.
Is it hard to transfer to Princeton? Of course yes.
But is it worth it? Actually is worth it.
RECAP: How to Apply As a Transfer Student to Princeton University
Hence, the first thing to keep in mind when transferring to Princeton is that the school has some of the highest standards in the world. So, to change to Princeton, you must ensure that you have the highest grades and the most robust possible materials.
Since Princeton only accepts 1.2% of its transfer applicants, therefore, it is only the best of the best who will be admitted.
In that case, before March 1st, you must provide the university with transcripts from high school and every college you have attended. This also includes your current institution. In the same vein, you must as well fill out an application form, which includes a special transfer addendum.
In the same way, Princeton requires transfer students to submit a graded paper from one of their college classes and two letters of recommendation from academics.
As a matter of fact, all of these materials should not only show how smart you are but also what unique abilities you will bring to Princeton as a transfer student.
Even though it will not be easy to gain admission as the chances are slim, it will be a thing of joy for you to study at one of the world’s best colleges.