Princeton University Deadlines

Princeton will not require standardized testing for the 2022-23 application cycle due to a lack of testing sites (SAT or ACT). Read on to learn more about Princeton university’s deadlines.

There are three possible outcomes for regular decision admission decisions:

Accept admission, deny admission, or they will place you on the Wait List.

The regular decision deadline for Princeton University is January 1. You can expect the decision for admission to be made in early April. If you are granted regular admission, you have until May 1 to respond. The Princeton Financial Aid Application deadline for regular consideration is February 1.

If you are admitted in the regular decision and have completed the Princeton Financial Aid Application, you will be notified of any financial aid award at the time of admission, allowing you to compare your admission and financial aid offers with those of other institutions to which you have been admitted.

Princeton University’s single-choice early action process is nonbinding. If admitted, you have until May 1 to notify your intent to enroll. If you apply for single-choice early action, also known as restrictive early action, on November 1, you will be unable to apply to any other private college or university’s early programs.

Please keep the following in mind:

• You may apply to any public institution or service academy as early as possible, as long as the decision is nonbinding.
• You may apply early to any international institution as long as the decision is nonbinding.
• You may apply early to any college or university with a rolling admissions process that is non-binding.

There are three possible outcomes for your admission decision if you apply early action:

Offer admission, deny admission, or defer a final decision on the application and review it again in the regular decision process.

The deadline for applying to Princeton Financial Aid for single-choice early action is November 9. If you are admitted early action and have submitted the Princeton Financial Aid Application, you will be notified of any financial aid award when you are offered admission.

The Princeton University deadlines regarding Financial Aid will be in the middle of December. You will have until May 1 to respond, allowing you to compare your admission and financial aid offers to those at other institutions where you have been admitted through the regular decision process.

How Can I Get Accepted Into Princeton As an Undergrad?

The acceptance rate is the first thing to consider if you are asking: “How can I get accepted into Princeton as an undergrad?” This indicates how competitive the school is and how serious they take their requirements.

Princeton has a 5.5 percent acceptance rate. Only six out of every hundred applicants are accepted. This indicates that the school is extremely selective. Meeting their GPA and SAT/ACT requirements is critical to getting past their first round of filters and demonstrating your academic preparation. If you don’t meet their standards, your chances of getting in are nearly nil.

After you’ve cleared this hurdle, you’ll need to impress the Princeton admission panel with your extracurricular activities, essays, and letters of recommendation.

GPA Requirements at Princeton

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is frequently just the bare minimum to submit an application without being rejected right away. The GPA requirement that truly matters is the GPA required for a genuine chance of admission. For this, we look at the average GPA of the school’s current students. While most schools use a weighted GPA of 4.0, some report an unweighted GPA.

Princeton expects you to be at the top of your class with a GPA of 3.9. To compete with other applicants, you’ll need nearly straight A’s in all of your classes. Furthermore, you should be taking difficult classes – AP or IB courses – to demonstrate that college-level academics are simple.

If you are a junior or senior, it is difficult to change your GPA in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.9, you’ll need to improve your SAT or ACT score. This will allow you to compete effectively against applicants with higher GPAs than you.

Requirements for the SAT and ACT

Standardized testing requirements differ from school to school. Most schools require the SAT or ACT, as well as SAT subject tests. For Princeton admission, you must take either the SAT or the ACT. More importantly, you must perform well in order to have a strong application.

Princeton SAT Prerequisites

Many schools claim to have no SAT cutoff, but in reality, there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the average score at the school. Princeton’s average SAT composite score is 1505 on a 1600 SAT scale. Princeton is Extremely Competitive for SAT test scores with this score.

Analysis of Princeton SAT Scores (New 1600 SAT)

The New SAT 25th percentile score is 1440, and the New SAT 75th percentile score is 1570. In other words, a 1440 on the New SAT puts you below average, whereas 1570 puts you above average.

As a result, if your SAT superscore is currently less than 1570, we strongly advise you to consider studying for the SAT and retaking it. You have a good chance of improving your score, which will increase your chances of admission significantly.

Even better, thanks to the Superscore, you can concentrate all of your efforts on a single section at a time. If your Reading score is lower than your other sections, only prepare for the Reading section before taking the SAT. Then, for the next test, concentrate on Math, and so on. This will give you the highest possible Superscore.

Princeton ACT Prerequisites

Princeton, like the SAT, is unlikely to have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will be rejected. Princeton’s average ACT score is 34. Princeton is extremely competitive for ACT Scores with this score. The ACT score at the 25th percentile is 32, and the ACT score at the 75th percentile is 35.

Even if Princeton claims to have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 32 or lower, you’ll have a very difficult time getting in unless you have something else very impressive in your application. Because there are so many applicants scoring 34 and above, a 32 will appear academically weak.

Policy for Sending ACT Scores

If you take the ACT instead of the SAT, you have a significant advantage in how you send scores, which has a significant impact on your testing strategy.

You have complete control over which tests you send to colleges when you send ACT scores. You could take ten tests and only send the best one. In contrast to the SAT, many schools require you to send all of your previous tests. This means you have more opportunities to improve your ACT score than you realize.

To try to meet the school’s ACT requirement of 35 or higher, you should take the ACT as many times as possible. When you have a final score that you are satisfied with, you can send that score to all of your schools.

Policy on ACT Superscores

Most colleges do not, on average, superscore the ACT. Superscore means that the school takes the best section scores from all of the test dates you submit and combines them to produce the best possible composite score. As a result, most schools will only accept your highest ACT score from a single sitting.

If they were unable to locate the school’s exact ACT policy, it suggests that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can send in your best ACT score to Princeton, so prepare until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 35.

Requirements for the SAT/ACT Writing Section

The SAT and ACT both include an optional essay section. The SAT Essay/ACT Writing section is required for Princeton admission. They’ll consider this as another factor in their admissions decision.

Subject Test Requirements for the SAT

The SAT subject test requirements vary by school. Typically, selective schools require them, whereas the majority of schools in the country do not. Princeton has stated that admission will require SAT subject tests.

Your SAT/ACT and GPA are typically weighted far more heavily than your SAT Subject Tests. If you have the option of improving your SAT/ACT score or your SAT Subject Test scores, improve your SAT/ACT score. Because this school is extremely selective, having a high SAT/ACT score and GPA is essential for admission. If you do not meet their SAT/ACT and GPA requirements, they will most likely reject you without much thought.

To have the best chance of admission, aim for the 75th percentile with a 1570 SAT or a 35 ACT. You should also have a GPA of 3.9 or higher. If your GPA is lower, you must make up the difference with a higher SAT/ACT score. You’ll also need to impress them with the rest of your application for a school as selective as Princeton.

However, if you apply with a SAT or ACT score less than 1570, you will begin with the odds stacked against you and will have a slim chance of admission. There are simply too many students with high SAT/ACT scores and strong applications to compete with, and you must compete with them.

How to Get Into Princeton As an International Student?

Princeton accepts applications from students from all over the world. The Office of Undergraduate Admission website has information for international students applying for undergraduate degrees. International students interested in pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree can learn more on the Graduate School’s website.

Princeton takes both US citizens and non-US citizens into account during the admissions and financial processes. Indeed, Princeton is one of only a few schools in the country that does not limit financial aid for international undergraduates, instead treating international and domestic students equally in the financial aid process.

Applicants from Undergraduate Programs

Regardless of citizenship or country of residence, the Office of Undergraduate Admission reviews all applications in the same manner. You apply to Princeton rather than a specific department or school for undergraduate admission. The undergraduate admission website contains information on how to get into Princeton as an international student.

Financial Assistance

All admitted international students’ needs are met in the same way that students from the United States are. The Princeton admission decision is not influenced by your family’s ability to pay for your university education. The financial assistance program is entirely need-based. Princeton University does not provide academic or athletic merit scholarships.

Proficiency in English

If English is not your native language, and you are attending a school where English is not the language of instruction, you must take the TOEFL, IELTS Academic, or Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) in addition to the SAT or ACT.

Application and Testing Needs

We encourage you to visit the Office of Undergraduate Admission website for a helpful undergraduate application checklist, as well as information about standardized test requirements and Princeton University deadlines.

What Is Required to Get Admitted to Princeton’s Graduate School?

To be eligible for admission to Graduate School, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or its foreign equivalent from an accredited college or university before enrolling. In some cases, foreign equivalents may have a normal program length that is shorter or longer than four years. No degree that is less than three years in length will be considered equivalent to a bachelor’s degree.

The applicant is only permitted to submit one application per year. This single application can be for a single department, program, or combination of programs. An applicant seeking a second Ph.D. in the same or similar field of study will not be admitted to Graduate School.

Princeton University does not discriminate based on age, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, or veteran status in any phase of its admission or financial aid programs, or in any other aspect of its educational programs or activities.

Princeton University’s Graduate School encourages interested individuals to explore their fields of study in order to find the field that best fits the applicant’s academic and professional goals. More detailed information, including faculty listings, is typically available on individual department and program websites. You may check their webpage on what is required to get admitted to Princeton’s graduate school.

Faculty in the applicant’s proposed field of study make graduate admission decisions at Princeton University. The Graduate School coordinates the admissions process and establishes minimum admission requirements. Princeton University deadlines for application and additional requirements differ by department and degree program.

Here are some helpful hints for applicants to consider:

1. Please read the description of the degree program and the department’s requirements carefully before submitting the application. Applicants are also encouraged to review the file upload requirements to ensure that their applications are submitted successfully.
2. Examine the appropriate deadlines and fees, as departments and programs have different application deadlines. Please keep in mind that no late applications will be accepted, and there will be no refunds for application fees paid.
3. Ensure that the statement of academic purpose outlines graduate study objectives.
4. Complete your resume/curriculum vitae.
5. Before submitting the application online, collect the email addresses and full names of three recommenders. An electronic recommendation service will be used to submit letters of recommendation.
6. Arrange for the submission of prerequisite test results to Princeton.

All applicants whose native language is not English and who did not complete their undergraduate education in a country where English is the native language must submit scores from one of two internationally recognized assessments of English language proficiency, the TOEFL or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

7. Obtain transcripts.

The Graduate School recognizes the significant disruption caused by COVID-19 and will account for it in transcripts beginning in spring 2020.

While a final transcript submitted by an admitted applicant must still indicate that an undergraduate degree or its international equivalent was obtained prior to enrolling in the Graduate School, we recognize that many applicants currently enrolled in degree programs will pursue pass/fail or other non-standard grading options during this extraordinary time.

From September to December, applicants can apply for admission beginning in the fall term of the following academic year. They do not accept applications that are submitted after the deadline. The Princeton University deadlines for graduate study have no spring admission and are only available full-time.

Applicants can only apply to one academic department per year for one degree. There is no refund for the application fee. An applicant seeking a second Ph.D. in the same or similar field of study will not be admitted to the Graduate School.

Princeton guarantees full tuition, fees, and a stipend for all years of regular program enrollment for degree-seeking Ph.D. candidates, subject to satisfactory academic performance. Master’s applicants must submit a Statement of Financial Resources as part of their application and will be considered for any available funding. The application procedure is entirely electronic.

How to Transfer Into Princeton University?

If you are looking into ways how to transfer to Princeton University, you may check Princeton’s Transfer Program. It seeks a small group of exceptionally well-prepared students from diverse backgrounds, and we especially encourage applications from students from low-income families, community college students, and US military veterans.

The transfer admissions program involves a highly personalized holistic review of each applicant’s achievements, talents, and potential to contribute to learning at Princeton, with the expectation that admitted students will thrive in the diverse and rigorous learning environment. Students who have the equivalent of one or more years of full-time postsecondary transferrable credit by the spring prior to enrollment may transfer for fall entry.

• Students with one year of eligible transferrable course units may enter as sophomores; students with two years may enter as juniors.
• Transfer students must have completed at least one full-time year of postsecondary education at the time of enrollment.

Students with less than one full-time year of experience at the time of application are encouraged to apply as first-year students.

Through the first-year admission process, no course credit can be transferred.

• Students may not transfer for higher standing after the fall of their junior year.
• Students who are simultaneously enrolled in high school and college should apply as first-year students.
• Students who earned college credits before graduating from high school are not eligible to transfer those credits to a Princeton undergraduate degree.
• Students who have already earned an undergraduate bachelor’s degree or its equivalent are ineligible to apply for transfer or first-year admission because Princeton does not grant second bachelor’s degrees.

Students with an associate’s degree, on the other hand, are eligible to apply for transfer admission. Princeton faculty and college deans determine eligible transferrable course units and the year of entry in all cases.

Transfer of Credit

A course must be completed at an accredited post-secondary institution in order to transfer for credit. Transfer credit is prioritized based on the completion of Princeton’s general education requirements. In general, transfer credit cannot be used to fulfill departmental requirements for majors and certificate programs.

Is It Easier to Get Into Princeton Early Action?

Early decision is not available through Princeton University; however, the university does provide early action. The Princeton University deadline such as for Early Action submissions is November 1, which is quickly approaching. For the enrollment in the Early Action program, rest assured it will be communicated by Princeton no later than December 15.

About 15 percent of students who apply for early action and 6 percent of students who apply by any other deadline are admitted to Princeton. The previous year, out of the 5,386 early action applicants, Princeton granted admission to 791 students.

Is it easier to get into Princeton early action? Some high school students submit their college applications early because they believe doing so will improve their chances of being accepted.

Applying before the early deadline demonstrates that you have a strong interest in the institution, and it ensures that your application is reviewed before any of the regular decision applicants submit their materials. This may increase your likelihood of being accepted.

Visit AdmissionSight or schedule a consultation with us if you’re curious to learn more about the Princeton University deadlines. We are eager to assist you in your college application process.