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Are you in the process of applying to college and are looking at applying to Princeton University? This post is here to give you their essay prompts so you can start planning and writing your essays. Princeton has two types of supplemental writing tasks - essays and short answers. Two essays have a word limit of 250 words, one essay has a word limit of 500 words and the short responses have a word limit of 50 words.
Princeton University Essay Prompts
Princeton values community and encourages students, faculty, staff and leadership to engage in respectful conversations that can expand their perspectives and challenge their ideas and beliefs. As a prospective member of this community, reflect on how your lived experiences will impact the conversations you will have in the classroom, the dining hall or other campus spaces. What lessons have you learned in life thus far? What will your classmates learn from you? In short, how has your lived experience shaped you? (500 words)
Reflect on what has shaped you as a person and how it makes your perspective unique.
Consider lessons learned and applied from your experiences.
Think about what you can share with others about your hometown, culture, religion, identity, race, or ethnicity that they might not already know.
Show the admissions officer how your experiences will influence the conversations you have and your contributions to the Princeton community.
- Explain how your lived experience will help you to engage better with your peers on campus.
- Show that you are open-minded to learning new information even though it may challenge your beliefs, and are willing to share your knowledge with others through meaningful discussions.
- Explain how you will use your lived experiences to form meaningful connections within the Princeton community.
Princeton has a longstanding commitment to understanding our responsibility to society through service and civic engagement. How does your own story intersect with these ideals? (250 words)
- Describe ways in which you gave back to the community, for example, any volunteering or outreach programs that you participated in.
- Describe what you learned from these experiences and how to plan on using your experience to continue social outreach in the Princeton community and beyond.
For A.B. or undecided applicants: As a research institution that also prides itself on its liberal arts curriculum, Princeton allows students to explore areas across the humanities and the arts, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. What academic areas most pique your curiosity, and how do the programs offered at Princeton suit your particular interests? (250 words)
- Discuss why a rounded liberal arts education is of interest to you.
- Explain how this will help you achieve your future goals.
- Identify some potential programs that you might be interested in pursuing, or any research groups within Princeton that you would like to work with.
Reflect on how a liberal arts education can make you more marketable in various fields, especially if you're undecided.
Discuss specific classes and academic programs at Princeton that you're interested in and why.
Demonstrate your enthusiasm for Princeton's academic offerings and the value of a liberal arts education.
For B.S.E applicants: Please describe why you are interested in studying engineering at Princeton. Include any of your experiences in or exposure to engineering, and how you think the programs offered at the University suit your particular interests. (250 words)
- Explain why Princeton interests you so much that you want to study engineering here rather than any other school. Is there a specific project you would like to work on?
- Talk about any past experiences you may have had in engineering, for example, an internship or job shadowing program that helped you develop skills in engineering.
- Talk about how these skills will help you when pursuing engineering at Princeton.
Highlight unique aspects of Princeton's engineering program that differentiate it from others.
Aim to convey a clear understanding of your interest and goals in engineering at Princeton.
Princeton University Short Response Prompts
What is a new skill you would like to learn in college? (50 words)
- Explain why you are interested in learning this particular skill and how it relates to your academic or career goals.
- Discuss how acquiring this skill will benefit you personally and professionally.
- Outline a plan or approach you would take to learn this skill, such as specific classes, workshops, or extracurricular activities you would participate in.
What brings you joy? (50 words)
- Share what truly brings you joy, rather than what you think the admissions committee wants to hear.
- Provide specific examples or experiences that bring you joy. This could include activities, hobbies, interests, or moments in your life.
- Explain why these things bring you joy and how they positively impact your life. Discuss the emotions or feelings they evoke.
- Reflect on how these sources of joy align with your values and aspirations.
What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment? (50 words)
- Explain why you chose this particular song. Discuss the lyrics, melody, or overall message of the song and how it relates to your life.
- Discuss how listening to this song makes you feel and the role it plays in your life. Explain how it influences your mood, mindset, or actions.
- Connect the song to your current life circumstances, challenges, or aspirations. Explain how it represents your thoughts, feelings, or experiences at this moment in your life.
We hope this helps you get started on choosing a topic and writing your essays, good luck!
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