Academic Advising
Academic advising of undergraduates in the A.B. program is centered in the seven residential colleges. The dean and assistant dean in each college have primary responsibility for the academic advising of first-year students and sophomores and for the non-departmental academic advising of juniors and seniors. Every first-year in the A.B. program is assigned to a faculty adviser who assists with course selection and other academic matters throughout the year, and who normally continues as the student's adviser through sophomore year. First-year students in the B.S.E. program are advised by faculty members in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. B.S.E. sophomores are advised by faculty members in their academic departments. In the upper-level years, all students are advised by members of their academic departments who also supervise their junior and senior independent work.
All students are encouraged to make full use of the academic resources of the University and to seek advice on specific academic matters from professors and directors of undergraduate studies in their particular areas of interest. The heads of college, deans, assistant deans, and directors of student life in the residential colleges are available for academic advising and for consultation about matters pertaining to other aspects of undergraduate life. The staff of the Office of the Dean of the College is available for discussion of academic questions or problems, and the staff of the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students is available for discussion of questions about undergraduate life outside the classroom.
Residential College Advisers
Every year approximately 90 students are selected to serve as residential college advisers (RCAs) who live in each of the seven colleges. Under the supervision of the heads of college and directors of student life, RCAs are responsible for advising first-year students and sophomores on many aspects of University life, including those related to diversity. RCAs are assigned approximately 12–20 first-year advisees, whom they assist in their adjustment to the University. They are also available to sophomores who wish to seek the counsel of an older student. While RCAs are immediately responsible for the first- and second-year students in their advising area, they also work as part of a small adviser team in order to combine advisers' strengths and give the students a choice of advisers in whom to confide. During the year, RCAs are expected to initiate a variety of activities, to facilitate friendships among advisees, and to foster a safe, inclusive, and welcoming community within the college. Through programming and mentorship, the RCA also promotes the community's sensitivity toward the experience of underrepresented groups, as defined by ethnicity, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and other personal characteristics. RCAs are familiar with University resources and can refer students to appropriate people and offices as necessary.
Peer Academic Advisers
Peer Academic Advisers (PAAs) foster academic community in the residential colleges by offering academic mentorship and programming to first- and second-year students. PAAs are affiliated with RCA groups for first-year students and serve an important role assisting with the academic transition of entering students. Representing a variety of academic paths at Princeton, PAAs offer advice to students in their colleges about selecting courses, creating a balanced schedule, exploring potential majors, and taking advantage of academic resources. Peer advisers are part of the advising community at Princeton, and their student experiences complement the advising available from faculty, the residential college staff, and published materials about various courses, departments, and programs.
Curricular and Co-Curricular Resources for Learning
McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning
Learning support, like that provided by the McGraw Center, is an integral part of all Princeton students' experience, learning, and success. As a new and unfamiliar context for students with a wide variety of ways of teaching and testing, Princeton academics require students to adapt how they learn, study, manage time, solve problems, etc. To assist in these adjustments, McGraw’s Undergraduate Learning Program equips students with the knowledge, skills, strategies, and ways of thinking their course work and independent work requires but which are not always taught. We do this by translating research on learning into practical Princeton-specific advice, collaborating with students as they reflect on how they approach academic life, and ultimately supporting students as they make adjustments to engage, learn, achieve, and thrive academically and holistically as they meet new challenges.
McGraw Center professional staff and dozens of peer tutors and learning consultants work with students in individual and small-group tutoring sessions, one-to-one coaching sessions, and workshops tailored expressly for students to help them overcome challenges and make the most of Princeton’s many opportunities. All center programs are welcoming, cost-free, convenient, and student-centered. McGraw's Tutoring provides academic support in a number of introductory STEM and quantitative problem-solving courses. Academic Life and Learning Consultations provide holistic advice and support for any course or issue. Advanced Academic Strategies Workshops tackle specific academic demands such as Princeton’s reading loads, managing time and tasks, overcoming procrastination, and developing advanced quantitative problem-solving skills, among others. We have also created many online videos, materials, and other resources designed to help students flourish as they transition into and through Princeton.
The Writing Center
The Writing Center offers student writers free, one-on-one conferences with experienced fellow writers trained to consult on assignments in any discipline.
Located on the second floor of New South, the Writing Center welcomes all Princeton students. Trained Writing Center Fellows offer 50- and 80-minute consultations for undergraduates working on essays for courses; juniors and seniors working on independent research projects; international students not used to the conventions of American academic writing; graduate students working on seminar papers or dissertations; students writing cover letters, personal statements, and grant applications for graduate school applications, jobs, or fellowships; and students crafting oral presentations.
Writing Center Fellows can help with any part of the writing process: brainstorming ideas, developing a thesis, structuring an argument, or revising a draft. The goal of each conference is to teach strategies that will encourage students to become astute readers and critics of their own work. Although the Writing Center is not an editing or proofreading service, fellows can help students learn techniques for improving sentences and checking mechanics. Writing Center conferences complement, but do not replace, the relationships students have with their teachers and advisers.
Study Abroad Program
The Study Abroad Program enables qualified students to spend either one term or a full academic year abroad for Princeton credit. The program is open to spring-term sophomores, juniors in either or both terms, and fall-term seniors. Students with a compelling reason and faculty support may petition to study abroad in the fall of sophomore year. To qualify, an applicant must meet the minimum grade requirement established by the Faculty Committee on Examinations and Standing, normally a grade point average of 3.00 for the fall and spring terms of the academic year prior to studying abroad, and present evidence of competence in a language when applying to most programs in non-English-speaking countries. Approval to study abroad may be withheld because of an unsatisfactory University disciplinary record. Students on financial aid at Princeton will continue to receive aid while participating in the Study Abroad Program.
Students should discuss their plans for study abroad with the staff of the Office of International Programs (link is external) and, when appropriate, with their director of undergraduate studies, no later than the beginning of the term prior to the proposed period of study overseas (but it is recommended to do so much earlier for the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge due to their early application deadlines). The Study Abroad Program approves requests for study abroad on behalf of the Faculty Committee on Examinations and Standing. Normally, the deadlines for submitting proposals to study abroad are the last Friday in April for the fall term or academic year and mid-October for the spring term (except for Oxford and Cambridge, for which deadlines are earlier).
Applicants must submit in Princeton University’s Global Programs System (GPS) a program application, a list of proposed courses, and, if an upper-level student, a plan for completing independent work. As part of the application process, the director of undergraduate studies must approve the program of study and arrangements for completing independent work.
The regular rules for degree progress apply to students while they are participating in term time study abroad. All students studying abroad must remain enrolled in the equivalent of at least three Princeton courses each term, and credit for term time study abroad depends on the completion of approved courses with the equivalent of a grade of D or better (or, in those cases in which the host system may not feature a grade of D, whatever passing grade is above the D grade, which is normally in the C range). Grades for courses completed at other universities abroad must be certified by an official transcript from the host school or similar report. Independent work, if required, must also be conducted while studying abroad as per a student’s departmental requirements and must be submitted by the assigned deadline.
Students returning from a semester or year of study abroad may provisionally enroll in Princeton courses for the subsequent semester, pending confirmation of the study abroad grades. However, if late-reported grades from a study abroad term indicate that normal degree progress requirements have not been met, the student may be required to withdraw, cancelling the provisional enrollment.
Study abroad for Princeton credit is also possible during the summer either through Princeton-sponsored programs or programs offered by other institutions. All courses taken through other institutions must be preapproved for credit. A student taking a preapproved non-Princeton course for transfer credit, either during the summer or while on leave, must earn at least a C to receive credit for the course.
Program for Community-Engaged Scholarship
The Program for Community-Engaged Scholarship (ProCES) is a curricular program that supports community-engaged teaching, learning, and research by building community partnerships, advising faculty on course design, and providing community-engaged academic opportunities for undergraduate students across disciplines. Since 1997, ProCES has helped connect Princeton University faculty, students, and communities in New Jersey and beyond to foster collaboration in the effort to co-create knowledge. Students may participate in service- or civic-oriented community-engaged learning in courses, in community-based internships, or in funded junior or senior independent research work. Depending on the context, students might develop a theater piece with local youth, create a film, analyze data, or review the scholarly literature on a key issue for the staff of a nonprofit organization. Some students will work with faculty and community leaders to conduct a research project and share their conclusions with organizations that can utilize their work. ProCES courses also equip students with a theoretical or historical foundation for ethical engagement and reflection with communities.
Preparation for Teaching
The Program in Teacher Preparation provides information and advice on the numerous pathways to enter teaching at the middle and secondary levels, in both public and private schools. Students interested in earning the program certificate or the state license for teaching in public schools should contact the office or consult the program's website for information about Princeton's certificate program options for teaching.
The program provides advising support to any student who is interested in teaching and P-12 education. Program staff are available to provide guidance on both teaching and nonteaching job opportunities in education and graduate study relating to education. The office also provides workshops to help students find teaching jobs in both the public and private sectors, and the program administers several fellowships for teaching abroad after graduation. Interested students should inquire at the office for information on job opportunities related to teaching.
The program's introductory courses (TPP 301 Seminar on Student Learning and Methods for Teaching and PSY 307 Educational Psychology) are open to any student interested in teaching and/or P-12 education. Nonprogram students interested in taking either course should contact the Teacher Prep office to be added to the course permissions list.
Advising Resources for Post-Graduate Study
Advising for Major Fellowships
Fellowship Advising, housed within the Office of International Programs, assists undergraduates and recent alumni as they navigate the process of identifying and applying to fellowships and scholarships. Designated faculty members and administrators are available to counsel students who are interested in applying for the Churchill, Dale, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), Fulbright, Gates, Goldwater, Hertz, Labouisse, Luce, Marshall, National Science Foundation, Rhodes, Sachs, Truman, and other scholarships or fellowships. All except a handful like the Dale, Labouisse, and Sachs, which are available only to Princeton seniors, are awarded on the basis of national competition. Many applications are submitted early in the fall of senior year, but students are encouraged to attend information sessions and meet with a fellowship adviser in early spring of their junior years. Several awards are available to undergraduates prior to their senior year, including the Goldwater and Truman Scholarships. Further information on the fellowships and eligibility requirements, the names of the advisers for each fellowship, and appointment scheduling links are available from the Office of International Programs.
Preparation for Graduate Study
Students intending to pursue graduate studies should seek guidance from faculty advisers and directors of undergraduate studies throughout their undergraduate careers. In general, for admission to a Ph.D. or academic master's degree program in a particular discipline, candidates must show scholarly distinction or definite promise in their undergraduate studies in that discipline or in a closely related one. Moreover, as fields of study become more interdisciplinary in nature, applicants from a relatively wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds may be encouraged to apply. (Interested students should check directly with the particular department or program.) Graduate programs normally require official transcripts of all prior undergraduate and previous graduate work, three letters of recommendation from faculty who know the applicant well, a detailed statement of academic purpose, and scores from the Graduate Record Examination General Test. Individual departments may additionally require scores from a relevant subject test. International students whose native language is not English may be asked to take and submit scores from an English language test such as TOEFL or IELTS, or may be required to submit a "proficiency in English" form. Students applying to joint Ph.D. and professional school programs may also be asked to take the GMAT or LSAT, or other similar exam. Many programs also require a reading knowledge of at least one language other than English. Increasingly, graduate admissions committees require, in the case of humanities and social science disciplines, samples of the applicant's written work and, in the case of science and engineering disciplines, evidence of prior research experience. The Center for Career Development is available to assist students as they prepare and plan for graduate and professional school.
Preparation for Law School
The Center for Career Development supports students and alumni interested in applying to law school and exploring legal careers. Their advisers are available to help students understand their options, navigate the application process, prepare their materials and more.
Visit their website to learn more about support for pre-law students, including a pre-law guide, applicant statistics, career paths in law, and more.
Advising
Students considering law school should make a pre-law advising appointment using Handshake. Their advisers can help understand the application process, including how to investigate a career in law and maximize their academic, leadership, and professional experiences at Princeton.
For students considering law school, pre-law advising can help:
- Choose courses, concentrations, certificates and co-curricular activities
- Investigate careers in law
- Understand the application process
- Maximize academic, leadership, and professional experiences at Princeton for future applications
For students planning and completing applications, pre-law advising can help:
- Learn how to acquire strong recommendation letters
- Develop unique personal statements and essays communicating backgrounds and skills
- Identify appropriate schools to apply to
- Network effectively with law school admission professionals, faculty members, and attorneys
Academics
Law schools do not recommend a prescribed course of study for pre-law students. Students should choose courses and majors that interest them. Developing strong analytical, communication, research and writing skills will prepare students to succeed in law school and the legal profession.
Princeton offers many law-related courses that may be of interest to explore legal issues and learn more about how the law is developed and applied. Through internships and campus leadership and community engagement experiences related to law, policy, and government, students can engage in practical experiences that will offer them a greater understanding about the legal profession.
Preparation for Business School
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree that provides course work and training in a variety of business and management disciplines. MBA programs are generally offered as full-time (typically two years) or as part-time (three years) to accommodate working professionals. Although there are a number of institutions that offer the MBA, the more competitive universities do not commonly accept applicants without several years of relevant post-undergraduate work experience except for deferred MBA admissions programs.
Business schools do not require a specific undergraduate course of study. However, they do place value on well-developed oral and written expression, and demonstration of analytical and quantitative abilities. Applicants should also possess experience gained from internships, study abroad, fellowships, or post-college employment. Students considering an MBA should make use of the many resources available from the Center for Career Development, including scheduling a one-on-one appointment with an adviser.
Preparation for Medical, Dental, and Other Health Professions Schools
The Office of Health Professions Advising (HPA) encourages all students who are considering a career in the health professions to familiarize themselves with the resources of the office as soon as possible. A strong application will demand careful planning, both of the student's curriculum and academic year and summer activities. For detailed information about prehealth course requirements, please see "Preparing for a Career in the Health Professions," which is available as a handout in the Office of Health Professions Advising on the HPA website under "Prehealth Prep." Prehealth students are encouraged to meet with an HPA adviser early in their college years to discuss both academic and non-academic preparation.