How to get into Princeton University
How to get into Princeton: undergrad focus + the research culture
4.6%
Acceptance rate
$62,688
In-state cost
What makes Princeton University admissions different
Princeton is the most undergraduate-focused Ivy. No medical or business school competing for faculty attention. Every applicant should understand and reference this — the senior thesis, junior independent work, and small-class culture are the actual differentiators. If you don't care about undergraduate research, Princeton isn't your school.
What an actually competitive application looks like
- 1.
Reference Princeton's undergraduate research culture specifically in the supplement. 'Senior thesis' and 'JP' (junior paper) are the keywords.
- 2.
Identify departments and faculty whose research aligns with yours and name them in essays.
- 3.
Maintain top stats: 3.95+ GPA in rigorous coursework, 1510+ SAT / 34+ ACT.
- 4.
Apply Single-Choice Early Action if Princeton is your clear #1 — 4-5% acceptance lift for unhooked applicants.
- 5.
Get a teacher rec from someone who saw you do original work (research project, capstone, independent study).
Common mistakes that hurt applicants here
- ✕
Generic 'why Princeton' essays. Readers can spot a copy-pasted Ivy essay immediately.
- ✕
Listing graduate-level interests Princeton doesn't really offer (medicine, business, law).
- ✕
Ignoring the residential college system in your application. Princeton is one of the few schools where the residential college you'll join is part of admissions consideration.
If you're on the bubble
Princeton's biggest differentiator from Harvard and Yale is the financial aid: families under $100k pay nothing. If you're low-income or first-gen, your application gets read with that context. Princeton's diversity push is real and policy-backed.
Next steps
Last updated: November 2025. Acceptance rate and cost data refreshed nightly from college reporting.