Princeton University, USA

Highly prized for its research and commitment to undergrad education, Princeton (estb. 1746) is consistently ranked among America's top three varsities and top 10 worldwide

One of the world’s most renowned and respected institutions of higher education, Princeton University (estb.1746) is consistently ranked among America’s top three varsities and top ten worldwide. From 2001 to 2010, Princeton University was ranked either first or second among national universities by U.S. News & World Report.  The Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranks it eighth in its league table of the world’s best universities while in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Princeton is ranked fifth. Highly prized for its research and commitment to undergraduate education, Princeton currently offers under-grad and graduate instruction in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering to 5,000 undergrads and 2,500 graduate stud-ents. Its 1,100 faculty includes Nobel laureates, and the student-faculty ratio is an enviable 6:1 with 73 percent of classes hosting fewer than 20 students.

“From modest beginnings in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1746, Princeton has become one of the world’s foremost research universities engaged in graduate education while preserving its historic commitment to undergraduate instruction. We expect our faculty to be great scholars as well as great teachers, and offer our students a diverse yet close-knit community that gives them the widest possible scope for academic exploration and growth,” says Shirley M. Tilghman, Princeton University’s 19th president who assumed office in 2001.

Chartered in 1746 as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is America’s fourth oldest varsity. Over the past two centuries it has graduated a host of distinguished alumni including two US presidents (Woodrow Wilson and James Madison); hundreds of US and state legislators (the House of Represent-atives, for example, has hosted a Princeton alumnus every year since 1789) and 44 state governors, including 11 of New Jersey. Princeton was the first university in the US to eliminate loans from undergraduate aid packages, and follows a needs-based admissions policy for all (including foreign) students.

Yet Princeton’s defining characteristic is that it effectively combines the strengths of a major research university with the best practices of an out-standing liberal arts college. Undergrads in its BA programme must meet general education require-ments which include two literature and arts, science and technology, and social analysis study courses; one course each in episte-mology and cognition, ethical thought and moral values, historical analysis, and quantitative reasoning while all engineering students must clear seven courses in the humanities and social sciences.

Princeton. Located in Mercer county, New Jersey, Princeton is a township of 30,000 people. Ranked No. 15 among the top 100 towns ‘to live and work’ in the United States by Money magazine (2005), Princeton’s well-planned tree-lined streets, specialty shops, restaur-ants and parks offer students a safe and conducive academic environment.

Additionally, the township offers a rich variety of arts and cultural resources, sports events, and music venues. An excellent transportation network of bus, rail and highways connects Princeton with major cities including Philadelphia, Trenton (capital of New Jersey), Newark and New York — all within an hour’s drive. International airports are located in Philadelphia, Newark and New York.

Campus facilities. Encompassing over 500 acres, Princeton’s leafy campus is an aesthetic blend of Gothic and modern buildings constructed during the past 250 years. Nassau Hall, the oldest building on campus, is the symbolic centre of the university and houses the offices of the president and administrative staff. 20th century sculptures scattered through the campus form the Putnam Collection and at the southern edge of the campus is Lake Carnegie, a man-made lake named after steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie. The McCarter Theatre, art museum, university chapel, Richardson auditorium and Prospect garden are other campus landmarks.

The Princeton University Library is among the world’s most famous research libraries and comprises the Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library and ten special libraries in 11 buildings across the campus. The library’s collection includes more than 6.9 million books, 6 million microforms, 35,000 linear feet of manuscripts, rare books, prints and archives in addition to electronic resources.

Sports facilities include the Baker Rink (ice hockey), Clarke Field (baseball), Class of 1952 Stadium (field hockey, lacrosse), Class of 1895 Field (softball), DeNunzio Pool (swimming, diving, water polo), Dillon Gymnasium (volleyball, wrestling), Jadwin Gymnasium (basket-ball, squash, fencing, indoor track and field), Lenz Tennis Center, Princeton Stadium (football, sprint football), Roberts Stadium (soccer), Shea Rowing Center, Springdale Golf Club and Weaver Stadium (athletics).

In addition there are over 300 clubs and organisations offering students the opportunity to explore a wide range of interests. Moreover Princeton’s ten historic co-ed eating clubs serve as a hub for dining and social life.

Admission. Princeton’s admissions process is highly selective with the university admitting less than 10 percent (2,311) of the 26,247 students who applied last year. “Princeton’s admission process goes beyond looking for academically accomplished students. For each freshman class, we bring together a varied mix of high-achieving, intellectually gifted students from diverse backgrounds to create an exceptional learning community. We care about what students have accomp-lished in and out of the classroom,” says a university spokesperson.

The minimum eligibility criterion for admission into Princeton’s undergrad programmes is successful completion of Plus Two. International students must also submit official scores for TOEFL, either the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT (with Writing, where available). All applicants must also take two SAT Subject Tests. In addition the university expects applicants to have taken courses in English, mathematics, a foreign language, laboratory science and history.

International students are required to submit the Common Application, Princeton’s Supplement to the Common Application and Common Application International Supplement for under-graduate admission. These forms must be accompanied by the secondary school report, two essays, letter from guidance counselor, college advisor or school official, and letters from two school teachers. The last date for subm-ission of applications is January 1.

For further information contact Undergraduate Admission Office, 110 West College, P.O. Box 430, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08542-0430. Phone: (609) 258-3060 (609) 258-3060; fax: (609) 258-6743; e-mail: uaoffice@ princeton.edu; website: www.princeton. edu.

Accommodation. Princeton guarantees on-campus housing to students with 98 percent of undergrads and 70 percent of graduate students living on campus. The six residential colleges — Butler, Mathey, Whitman, Wilson, Rockefeller and Forbes — comprise a cluster of dormitories with a range of facilities, including dining halls, common rooms, academic spaces and arts and entertainment resources. Each college has a faculty master, dean, director of studies and director of student life to advise and counsel students. The colleges interact through social events and intramural sports. In addition, residential colleges organise out-of-class learning opportunities, such as shared meals with prominent professors, foreign-language discussion tables, film series, etc.

Degree programmes. Princeton offers undergraduate (bachelor of arts and bachelor of science in engineering) programmes across the faculties of arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, and engineering and applied science. In its undergrad programme, it’s mandatory for all students to write a senior thesis. A wide range of Masters and doctoral programmes are also offered (see box).

Summiya Yasmeen