Princeton requires a graded written paper, plus several supplemental essays. Here are the prompts, expert advice, and sample essays.
Prompt 1: Academic Interests (A.B. Degree Applicants or Undecided)
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 or fewer)
Q: How to pick academic areas?
A:
Identify specific questions you pursue.
Not "biology," but "how CRISPR impacts gene expression."
Show intellectual drive.
Q: How does Princeton fit my curiosity?
A:
Link to Princeton's liberal arts.
Show how humanities and sciences combine.
Mention specific interdisciplinary centers.
Example: "Humanities Sequence fuels my philosophy interest, combined with computational social science."
Q: What Princeton programs/faculty to name?
A:
Research specific courses, professors, labs.
Example: "Professor X's work on Y in the Z Institute."
Example: "Lewis Center for the Arts studio courses."
Show deep dive.
Q: How to connect interests to Princeton?
A:
Show how your past work extends at Princeton.
Example: "My high school research on A continues in Princeton's B lab."
I am driven by a single question: why do people knowingly act against their own long-term interests? This question lies at the intersection of cognitive science and public policy. I plan to explore it by concentrating in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) while pursuing a certificate in Neuroscience.
Professor Eldar Shafir’s course, “The Psychology of Scarcity,” is the first place I want to start. His research on how poverty taxes cognitive bandwidth directly informs my interest in designing more effective social programs. For my senior thesis, I hope to work with the Kahneman-Treisman Center for Behavioral Science to investigate how choice architecture can improve financial decision-making in low-income communities. Princeton’s liberal arts structure is the only way I can merge empirical lab work with human-centered policy analysis to find my answer.
My goal is to design silent, efficient propulsion systems for next-generation drones. While building a quadcopter for a science fair, I solved the challenge of flight stability but could not overcome the high-pitched whine of the motors. This noise is a major source of pollution. The problem isn’t just thrust; it’s fluid dynamics.
At Princeton, I plan to major in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering to solve this. I am specifically interested in Professor Marcus Hultmark's research on turbulent boundary layers. His use of nano-scale thermal anemometry probes is a technique I believe could map the acoustic signatures of drone propellers. I want to spend my first year mastering the fundamentals in his lab and then apply that knowledge to my own project at the Keller Center for Innovation. Princeton offers the perfect blend of foundational theory and entrepreneurial application to turn my obsession into reality.
Prompt 3: Your Voice
...reflect on how your lived experiences will impact the conversations you will have in the classroom, the dining hall or other campus spaces... (500 words or fewer)
Q: What lived experience to focus on?
A:
Choose one experience that shaped your perspective.
Example: navigating cultural differences in a new school.
Example: leading a diverse team on a complex project.
It must be a shaping force, not just an event.
Q: How has this experience shaped you?
A:
Detail specific lessons learned.
Example: how a debate taught you to listen, not just speak.
Example: how a project failure taught you humility.
Focus on internal growth.
Q: How will this impact campus conversations?
A:
Connect your experience to specific campus spaces.
Example: "In dining hall debates, I share my perspective on X."
Think classroom, dorm, clubs.
Show concrete interaction.
Q: What will classmates learn from you?
A:
Identify specific insights or approaches you offer.
Example: "My peers will learn conflict resolution from my debate experience."
Show how your perspective challenges ideas, sparks new thought.
My grandmother’s kitchen is a place of culinary warfare. Her traditional Greek recipes are sacred and measured by “feel,” not by cups or grams. When I introduced her to a digital scale for her famous spanakopita, she nearly disowned me. The argument that followed was not about technology. It was about tradition versus precision. I learned that innovation is only effective when it respects the culture it enters. I convinced her by showing how the scale could guarantee her exact recipe would be perfectly preserved for future generations.
At Princeton, I will bring this lesson to every conversation. In a history seminar discussing societal change or a late-night talk about campus traditions, I will be the one asking what deeply held beliefs are behind a perspective. My classmates will learn from me that progress is not about proving someone wrong, but about finding a shared language that honors both the past and the future.
Prompt 4: Service and Civic Engagement
...How does your own story intersect with these ideals? (250 words or fewer)
Q: What service experience to highlight?
A:
Focus one sustained, impactful experience.
Example: launched a voter registration drive for low-income communities.
Example: tutoring underserved youth.
Show consistent engagement, not one-off events.
Q: How does your story intersect with service?
A:
Connect your experience to a personal value.
Example: "My tutoring stems from a belief in education access."
Show the emotion that drives this value.
Show motivation, not just action.
Q: How did you show civic engagement?
A:
Describe how you addressed a community need.
Example: "Advocated for local policy change regarding youth programs."
Show active participation in community improvement.
Q: How does Princeton fit your service goals?
A:
Name specific Princeton service initiatives or centers.
Example: "I will join the Pace Center for Civic Engagement to expand my voter registration work."
Every Tuesday, I volunteer at a legal aid clinic, translating for Spanish-speaking families facing eviction. I quickly learned that my role was not just to translate words, but to bridge a gap in power. I saw families agree to unfair terms simply because they were intimidated by legal jargon and the courtroom’s formal atmosphere.
My service became civic engagement when I created a one-page "Know Your Rights" glossary in simple Spanish. It explained terms like "stipulation" and "adjournment." I worked with the clinic’s lawyers to ensure accuracy. Now, families walk into mediation with a tool that helps level the playing field. At Princeton, I want to continue this work through the Pace Center's Breakout Trips to explore how communities address systemic inequalities. I believe service is not just about helping people navigate a broken system, but about giving them the tools to change it.
Prompt 5: More About You (Short Answers)
Please respond to each question in 50 words or fewer. Be yourself!
What is a new skill you would like to learn in college?
What brings you joy?
What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?
Q: What new skill to learn? (50 words)
A:
Explore non-academic pursuits.
Consider: pottery, coding, wilderness skills.
Explain the "why" behind the skill.
Example: "Learn pottery to honor my grandmother's craft."
Q: What brings you joy? (50 words)
A:
Name a specific, unexpected source of joy.
Avoid clichés like 'friends' or 'family'.
Explain why it brings you joy.
Example: "The hum of a vintage amplifier as it warms, signaling a night of obscure jazz."
Q: What song represents your life? (50 words)
A:
Pick a song with a personal connection.
Explain its meaning to you in this moment.
Example: "'Bohemian Rhapsody': its shifts reflect my varied interests."
What is a new skill you would like to learn in college? I want to learn the art of bookbinding. The idea of constructing a story's physical home by stitching the signatures and setting the cover appeals to me. It feels like a tangible, meditative counterpoint to a life spent in the world of abstract ideas and digital text.
What brings you joy? Perfecting a cup of pour-over coffee. The meticulous process of weighing the beans, timing the bloom, and spiraling the water is a quiet ritual. That first sip, when all the variables align to create a moment of clarity and warmth, is a small, repeatable moment of pure joy.
What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment? "Dog Days Are Over" by Florence + The Machine. Its slow, quiet start builds into a powerful, cathartic explosion of sound. It perfectly captures the feeling of finishing a long, difficult chapter and sprinting headfirst, with joy and relief, into whatever comes next.
