You've already learned about the basic steps for applying to Princeton, including using the Common or Coalition Application. However, Princeton's application process requires several unique materials that allow the admissions team to dive deeper into your academic abilities, personal passions, and how you think. These elements are key to their holistic review.

The Princeton-Specific Questions

These questions are supplemental essays and short answer prompts that you must complete in addition to the main application essays. They are designed to help the university understand your intellectual curiosity and your potential fit within the Princeton community.

The questions are typically broken down into a few main sections:

1. The Academic Interest Essay

1. A.B. (Arts and Sciences) Applicants: You'll be asked about the academic areas that most pique your curiosity and how Princeton's programs align with your specific interests.
2. B.S.E. (Engineering) Applicants: You'll need to describe your interest in studying engineering at Princeton, including any relevant experiences you've had and how the B.S.E. program suits your goals.

2. Community and Service Prompts

These longer essays ask you to reflect on your personal story:

1. Lived Experiences: Reflect on how your lived experiences will influence the conversations you have in the classroom, dining hall, or other campus spaces. What lessons have you learned, and what will your classmates learn from you?
2. Service and Civic Engagement: Discuss how your own story intersects with Princeton's commitment to understanding its responsibility to society through service and civic engagement.

3. Short "More About You" Questions

These short, fun questions require brief answers (often 50 words or fewer) to round out your profile:

1. What is a new skill you would like to learn in college?
2. What brings you joy?
3. What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?

The Graded Written Paper Requirement

This is a mandatory component that helps the Admission Office evaluate your writing and critical thinking skills in an academic setting. It shows them the quality of your work when you are not writing a personalized college essay.

Guidelines for Submission:

1. Source: The paper must be writing done for an academic course during your last three years of secondary school.
2. Subject Preference: They prefer papers from humanities courses, such as English, social studies, or history.
3. Content: It must be expository writing (such as an essay or research paper), not creative writing.
4. Required Markings: The paper must include the instructor's grade and any comments provided by the instructor.
5. Submission: You can upload the paper alongside your application or via your Princeton Applicant Portal.

The Optional Arts Supplement

If you have dedicated a significant amount of time and energy to the arts and have achieved a high level of skill, you may submit an optional Arts Supplement. This allows art faculty to consider your talent as part of your overall application.

Art forms accepted include:

1. Architecture
2. Creative Writing
3. Dance
4. Music and Music Theater
5. Theater
6. Visual Arts (including Film and Digital Video)

Be sure to adhere strictly to the specific requirements and deadlines for each art form, as these materials are reviewed by specialized arts faculty.

Applying through QuestBridge

Princeton is a partner in the QuestBridge National College Match program, which connects high-achieving, low-income students with leading universities.

Key points for QuestBridge applicants:

1. The Application: QuestBridge Finalists who rank Princeton for the National College Match use the QuestBridge application instead of the Common or Coalition application.
2. Supplemental Requirements: Even QuestBridge applicants must complete the Princeton-specific Questions and submit the Graded Written Paper.
3. Fee Waiver: All QuestBridge Finalists automatically qualify for an application fee waiver.

A Look at Selectivity

While the holistic review means there is no single cutoff, Princeton remains one of the most selective universities in the world. Recent admission cycles have seen an overall acceptance rate consistently near 4% to 5%. This high level of competition underscores the importance of every part of your application—especially those unique components like the Graded Written Paper and the Princeton-Specific Questions—to demonstrate your true academic potential and personal fit.

References

1. https://admission.princeton.edu/apply/princeton-specific-questions
2. https://admission.princeton.edu/apply/princeton-specific-questions/transfer-essay-questions
3. https://admission.princeton.edu/apply/graded-written-paper
4. https://admission.princeton.edu/apply/optional-arts-supplement
5. https://admission.princeton.edu/apply/questbridge
6. https://admission.princeton.edu/apply/admission-statistics