Princeton is an Ivy League university in Princeton, New Jersey, and is known globally for advances in science and mathematics. Albert Einstein worked on the Princeton campus, and that isn’t even the most impressive aspect of the university’s legacy. Professors (and students) continue to make groundbreaking discoveries and advances that shape our world. The school brings great minds together in a tight-knit and collaborative community, and is extremely selective.
If you’re reading this post, chances are that we don’t need to sell you on Princeton, though. You were likely among one of the nearly 40,000 applicants who vied for a place in the first-year class. During the 2022-23 application cycle, 1,710 students were offered a place on the waitlist. Of that group, 1,348 accepted the spot in Princeton admissions limbo, or 79%. Zero (yes, 0) were eventually admitted. So, if you weren’t part of the initial admitted class (a <6% acceptance rate), and were instead offered a spot on the waitlist, you are facing daunting odds.
But it isn’t actually all bad news. Some years, like in 2017, Princeton accepts more than 100 students off the waitlist. Although, in 2018, it was 0 again. That isn’t because the waitlist was particularly strong in 2017 or weak in 2018. Instead, it is because forces outside of the control on any one person on the waitlist (yes, including you) were in play. What forces? That’s hard to tell, as whether the waitlist comes into play ultimately rides on the decisions teenagers are making — and those decisions aren’t particularly predictable. Basically, it’s hard to tell how things will go each year and there’s only one thing you can control: what you do next.
This post will be your step-by-step guide to what to do if you’ve been waitlisted by Princeton. If you want an expert guiding hand through the process send us an email, too. We’re pros at this.
Get on the Waitlist
First, you need to get on the waitlist. You’ve been offered a spot, but you don’t actually have that spot on the waitlist unless you accept it. The waitlist is unranked and isn’t ‘first-come first-serve’, so don’t stress if you haven’t accepted your spot yet — but better to accept it sooner rather than later just to keep your nerves in check.
Line up a Backup
Once you’re on the Princeton waitlist, you need to accept a spot (and place a deposit) at a school you were accepted to that you would be happy to attend. You will not hear back about the Princeton waitlist until at least early-May, so you can’t just twiddle your thumbs and hope it all works you. From 2003 to 2020, the acceptance rate off of the Princeton waitlist has averaged less than 6%, so it’s more likely you won’t get in than it is that you will. Lining up a school gives you security, even if you don’t have certainty yet.
Reinforce Your Interest
After accepting a spot at a school you’d be happy to attend, it’s time to submit a letter of continued interest. Princeton has not historically asked for this specifically, so it’s important to remind them that you’d be perfect for Princeton without pushing so hard that it puts a bad taste in their mouth. This letter should have four parts, and be less than 400 words — often far less. The shorter the better, really.
But what should be in it? Let’s break that down.
Formal Greeting: Unless you have a previous thread of communication with an admissions officer (not the office in general) and Princeton, you’ll be submitting this letter through the applicant portal. Because it’ll be going into a general inbox, you should start it with a formal but general greeting, like “Dear Princeton Office of Admission,”. First part, done.
Reinforce Interest: Next, you need to underline and bold that Princeton is still your first choice. Don’t do this literally — bold has no place in a letter of continued interest, and neither does underlining — but the point that we’re making is that there should be no doubt in their head that you want to be a member of the Princeton class. This section should be no more than two sentences.
Short Update: After reinforcing your interest, you have the opportunity to provide a short, less than 200-word, update on anything that has happened since you submitted your application. You should not include anything in here that was already stated in your application, and should only include highly-notable honors, awards, recognitions, or new leadership positions you’ve taken on. These should be stated matter-of-factly without fluff, similar to how you would include something on a resume. If you find yourself struggling to figure out how to format this part of the lesser, send us a note.
Professional Closing: Once you’ve given the update, all you have left to do is to close things out in a professional and polite way. Keep it short with a closing sentence reinforcing how you want to be at Princeton one more time and then a simple: “Sincerely,”.
Once you’ve written your letter, edit it then set it aside for a few days. Then, circle back to it and give it one more review before submitting.
Follow Instructions
After submitting your letter, you need to keep it cool. Do not call the office of admission. Do not pester them. Do not write them letters, and do not risk making yourself known to them in a bad way. The worst thing you could do right now is given them any reason not to consider your application seriously if a spot opens up. So, follow instructions and keep your cool.
Be Patient
The last step is to be patient. Remember, almost no one gets into Princeton off of the waitlist. Sometimes, no one at all. There is no way to know ahead of time how many — if any — applicants will be admitted off of the waitlist. Last year, remember, it was zero. So, there’s no use in running the numbers over and over again. Torturing yourself will not, in fact, increase your chances of admission.
You’re going to have to wait until after May 1, likely until well into summer, to hear back from Princeton about whether you’ve made it off the waitlist. You need to keep your cool, but you also need to plan as if you won’t get in. Remember, accepting a spot at a different school just in case will not impact your chances of getting into Princeton. Give yourself a back-up you’d be happy with, and get excited for freshman fall!
If you want to increase your chances of getting into Princeton off of the waitlist, send us an email. We help students chart paths for success.