Tiger tales: Why we chose Princeton

This weekend pre-frosh are spending time at the University to see if Princeton is the place for them. To help them, 'Prince' staff writer Molly Gulland asked some current undergraduates why they chose Princeton.

Narin Dickerson '03:

What I enjoyed most was sitting in the room of the people hosting me and talking about seemingly random things. I still occasionally talk with the person who was my host. I thought, having spent my sophomore and junior summers [in high school] living on a university campus, that I had an idea of what college life was like, so I spent a lot of time exploring the campus — which is what made me decide to come to Princeton.

Deirdre McGinty '04:

Although I had already decided to go to Princeton before I attended the pre-frosh weekend, my experience was such that I became extremely confident I had made the right choice. I never thought I could have had so much fun with a group of complete strangers. My hosts were great — extremely friendly and outgoing. Their honesty and candor regarding their Princeton experiences was refreshing and interesting.

In all of those cheesy brochures and packets you read that Princeton students work hard and play hard — I always thought that was the worst cliche in the book. Yet after my three days here I realized the truth behind that statement. During my visit, my hosts wrote Spanish presentations, a 10-page art paper and two lab reports, yet they still managed to stay up until 3 a.m. one night playing truth or dare and to entertain me in such a manner that it seemed like they weren't killing themselves with work at all.

Michaela Tyson '04:

As soon as I arrived on campus I handed in my 'Yes!' to Dean Hargadon because I'd already decided to attend. The purpose of my visit wasn't to convince me of Princeton's greatness, [but] to get a preview of where I'd be spending the next four years of my life. As an international — Jamaican — student that was particularly important to me.

My pre-frosh experience was great because of my host — she was also Jamaican and we clicked. She took me with her to a few lectures, classes and social activities, where she introduced me to several other students. By the time I arrived in September I knew quite a few students at least by face if not by name.

The portion of the weekend organized by the administration was understandably biased. We attended forums in which they showed us slides of statistics proving that Princeton was the best Ivy League for pre-meds or pre-laws. We heard panels of students who sang the un-ending praises of Old Nassau. Panelists declared OA [and] UA as the greatest program since sliced bread.

Others insisted that the 'Street' was by no means a big deal at Princeton, and that being independent was gaining popularity. However, these forums didn't serve as a huge deciding — or confirming — factor for me because they were clearly designed to make Princeton look good and impress the parents attending. I was far more impressed with the microchip in the prox card and the a capella arch sings.