ACADEMICS

Despite the University’s commitment to remaining test-optional for the next three application cycles, 73.5 percent of respondents submitted SAT or ACT scores, with the SAT continuing to be the more popular option. Admits tended to do better on the ACT than the SAT: While 16.5 percent of respondents reported scoring 1390 or below on the SAT, 12 percent scored 30 or below on the ACT. A 1390 SAT score is equivalent to a 30 ACT score according to the official ACT/SAT Concordance chart. The ability to pay for test prep also seemed to correlate with higher scores, with those receiving no financial aid being more likely to score above a 32 on the ACT or above a 1520–1530 on the SAT than students receiving full aid.

In the classroom, nearly four out of five students surveyed (79.7 percent) attended high schools that offered AP classes. The top three most commonly taken AP tests were English Language and Composition, United States History, and Calculus BC (in that order), while the least commonly taken were Italian Language and Culture, Japanese Language and Culture, and 3-D Art and Design. Additionally, students did not have equal access to college counseling services — nearly half of the students in non-selective public schools did not have access to a school-provided college counselor, while 71.1 percent of private school (non-parochial) students not only had access to one, but regularly utilized those services.

Princeton continues to be a top destination for new admits. 72.9 percent of respondents ranked Princeton as their top choice school, though admits planning to study engineering were slightly less enthusiastic about Old Nassau than others. 39.5 percent of admits committed to Princeton even when offered admission to other schools listed on the survey. Additionally, a sizable amount (40.4 percent) were admitted through single-choice early action, which bars applicants from applying early to any other private schools. However, both Regular Decision and Early Action admits decreased compared to the Class of 2026, while QuestBridge admits increased from 7.3 percent to 8.2 percent. A majority of admits also received various levels of guidance on their college admissions journey, with 69.1 percent receiving assistance from a school counselor and 23.8 percent receiving private college assistance.

The most popular high school extracurricular reported by the Class of 2027 was community service, with 76.1 percent of students devoting time during their high school experience. 52.5 percent of respondents participated in honor societies and 52.5 percent took part in varsity athletics. 43.2 percent of respondents who participated in a performing arts extracurricular devoted more than 10 hours a week to it during the busiest times of the year, making it by far the most time-consuming of the extracurricular activities surveyed. Additionally, over 70 percent of respondents were employed at some point before arriving on campus, with 39.5 percent working jobs during the school year.

Cheating was prevalent at the high schools from which the Class of 2027 graduated. 63.6 percent of admits were at least aware of cheating at their schools, with 6.0 percent of those students following through with reporting the incident. Meanwhile, 19.4 percent of admits admitted to cheating themselves.

As STEM continues to grow at the University, just over 30 percent of first-years indicated that they intend to pursue a BSE degree. This represents a slight increase from the approximately 25 percent of respondents who applied for a BSE degree last year. Despite the confidence of the singular respondent (0.3 percent) who doesn’t anticipate taking notes at Princeton, the majority of respondents — 64.6 percent intend to write on paper or in a notebook.