Princeton is a globally renowned university and member of the famed Ivy League. It is also one of the most popular schools in the United States for high-achieving international students. The university has become known for fostering a welcoming community for students from around the world while offering some of the most competitive academic programs on earth, literally. It shouldn’t come as a surprise then, that getting into Princeton is no walk in the park. Admissions is intensely competitive, and even more so for international applicants. In this post, we’re going to break down three steps prospective international applicants must be taking now to raise their odds of a Princeton acceptance. First, though, we’re going to get into some numbers.
Overall, of Princeton undergraduates are international students. That’s a high percentage for a top American college, underlining the important role international students play in the Princeton community. The admissions office at Princeton does not have ‘quotas’ from different countries, but they do look to bring in international students who represent a wide swath of experiences and cultures. International students in the Princeton Class of 2028 represent countries.
How do these students get in? It’s complicated, but it’s not a mystery. For the , they received 9,439 applications from international students and accepted 2.4%. Not great, but a smidge higher than some fellow Ivies. As appears pretty much standard for Ivies, the acceptance rate for U.S. citizens and permanent residents was twice that (at 5.14%). With those odds, getting into Princeton requires planning and execution. It doesn’t just happen without hard work. It also, though, benefits from serious strategy. That’s what comes next below.
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As we’ve been emphasizing, a key piece of any Princeton strategy for an international applicant is planning and taking clear and directed action towards your ultimate goal. Below, we’ve broken down three steps that prospective international applicants need to start now to truly set themselves on a course towards success.
Step 1: Plan in Advance
This first step is an obvious one, but it’s still important to start with. Planning in advance is crucial in college admissions. It is difficult, in fact, to start too early. Okay, maybe a 12-year-old making a dream college list is a bit of an overreaction. But what about a 14-year-old? For prospective international applicants, we don’t see 14 as too soon, and if an international student is older than 14 the best time to start is right now.
Starting the college process today doesn’t mean that a student should begin drafting essays. Rather, we guide our students towards becoming the type of applicant that their dream school would want on campus. That means pursuing long-term extracurriculars with opportunities for leadership (more on that in step 3), beginning to find internships that may be very simple to start with but that can become more ‘impressive’ in subsequent years, or even finding part-time employment that shows passion, commitment, and leadership.
Waiting to do these things means having less time to build up an impressive profile. The same goes for selecting elective courses or taking online courses. By starting early, prospective international applicants have time to progress further than they would be starting months, or even a year, before applying.
Next, we’ll get into Step Two, which positions international students to make the most of the time they have before it’s time to submit.
Step Two: Select Target Programs
Princeton is a big goal, but it isn’t actually specific enough. We advise our international students to dig into why they want Princeton. And, of course, it’s an educational institution so part of that why should be academically inclined. For Princeton admissions, the academic why is one of the most important, if not the most important thing they look for in an application. They want to see passion, academic pursuits, and extracurriculars that point towards an academic future at Princeton. This means picking a program (or two) well in advance of applying, such that the application can be ‘tuned’ towards the program, underlining that the applicant’s interest in Princeton goes beyond brand name.
Picking a program, or major, isn’t as simple as selecting one off a list, though. Or, at least, it shouldn’t be for international applicants passionate about Princeton.
as many students graduate from Princeton with a Bachelor of Arts as with a Bachelor of Science Engineering — the other undergraduate degree option at the university. Twice as many international students, specifically, graduate with a BA compared to a BSE.
This tells us that if an applicant really wants to go to Princeton, more than they want any specific major, the best way into Princeton is through a BA program. But what if an international applicant really wants a BSE? That’s okay, but they need to understand that the odds are slim as engineering and computer science are two of the most popular programs for international applicants, and are very competitive to get into.
Ultimately, we recommend that students look outside of the BSE silo for BA programs that align with their areas of interest and set them up for future success. Within the BA programs, graduate with a degree in Economics or Public & International Affairs. This doesn’t mean these programs are the only options for your application, but it is worth noting that large programs have room for lots of students. And, of course, an applicant isn’t stuck with the major they select on their application. If an applicant puts themself on the BA track, there is room to move around in the future.
If a student tells us that they are Princeton or bust and must go through the Bachelor of Science Engineering, we point them towards Computer Science. 40% of all students who graduated with a BSE in 2024 majored in Computer Science, the most of any BSE program. If a student is going to pursue their Princeton application with Computer Science in mind, step three is more important than ever.
Step 3: Pursue Extracurriculars with Depth
Top colleges in the United States, including Princeton, expect to see exceptional grades in the hardest classes a student has access to — especially in their potential major area. That isn’t enough, though, to get in. The most common weak spot we see for international students before they begin working with us is what happens in their life outside of the classroom. Sometimes this is because their school doesn’t offer many clubs, student organization, or other extracurriculars. Sometimes it is because those things don’t feel like a priority, even if they are offered. Let us be the first to tell you then, that the ‘activities’ one does outside of school are massively important for international applicants.
We encourage our international students to focus on a short list of 3-5 ‘themes’ for activities, not including athletics, that they can commit significant time to. A ‘theme’ may be a single club or organization, or it may be a small cluster of activities that are linked by subject or type. The most important aspect, though, is the long-term commitment to the theme. Themes should be pursued, ideally, for at least 2 years before an application is submitted. This shows Princeton commitment, but also opens up opportunities for leadership roles.
For example, if you are interested in literature a student may build a theme around literature that includes joining or starting a book club, interning for a book related company, and volunteering with a literature-oriented non-profit organization. Each of these experiences could be a few months, or stretch to a few years, and together they form a coherent narrative of focus and passion.
Successfully applying to Princeton as an international applicant requires just such focus and passion every step of the way, and we guide towards toward an acceptance by supporting them in being the most impressive, powerful, and passionate version of themselves.
If you want full access to our playbook and one-on-one application support, contact us.