Sports, eating clubs, parties, substances, and mental health: The Class of 2025 has lived through the many ups and downs of college life at Princeton, whether going to therapy, exercising at the Class of 1986 Fitness and Wellness Center, or partying at Terrace Club, the Class of 2025’s favorite nightlife destination.
First-year fall is a chaotic time for many, as students face a multitude of new college experiences; still, it’s when 40.6 percent of seniors met their closest friends. Even more seniors still have friends from orientation activities like Outdoor Action, Community Action, and Dialogue and Difference in Action. For some, residential college ties extend through senior year, as just over a quarter of seniors never lived in upperclass housing. That being said, seniors who are currently on the partial or unlimited University meal plan are the least likely to be satisfied with their dining experience. Among dining halls, Yeh/NCW is once again the favorite among seniors, winning over half of the votes.
28.7 percent of seniors received mental health counseling or therapy in college — a stark contrast to the 65 percent of Class of 2023 seniors who sought mental health support. The 36 percent decrease coincides with 44 percent of seniors reporting dissatisfaction with the mental health resources that Princeton offers, with another 30.6 percent stating they felt neutral. Those who joined an eating club were very slightly more likely to seek counseling: 27 percent of eating club members sought mental health services both on campus, particularly through Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS), and off campus. Moreover, 25.2 percent of A.B. students utilized counseling services compared to 18.9 percent of B.S.E. students, a 6.3 percent disparity.
With 24 percent of the club’s respondents, seniors in Ivy were the most likely to have been McCoshed — a rate twice as high as the class’s overall average of approximately 11 percent. In contrast, just over one percent of the Class of 2025 has been brought to the new Frist Health Center for alcohol consumption. Overall, just over a third of the class reported drinking alcohol once or twice a week, slightly less than previous class years. In contrast, the percentage of seniors who reported smoking marijuana once or twice a week is roughly in line with the Class of 2024 at 6.3 percent, slightly higher than the Classes of 2023 and 2022.
Around 77 percent of seniors have had sex, consistent with the past three graduating classes within one percent. However, the Class of 2025 has had sex less frequently than last year’s graduating class, with over 40 percent of the Class of 2025 responding that they have sex once or more per week compared to 36 percent of the Class of 2024. The Class of 2025 did have sex for the first time earlier, however, with 10 percent more respondents reporting having sex for the first time in high school or their first year of college than their Class of 2024 counterparts. Finally, more people will walk through FitzRandolph Gate in a relationship or situationship than single. Almost 40 percent of respondents reported being in a relationship with someone they had met at Princeton.
In light of the multi-phase restoration of Dillon Gym, nearly 70 percent of seniors exercised at least once a week. Nearly a third of the class reported participating in an affinity group on campus. Meanwhile, participation in community service activities saw a six percent decrease relative to the Class of 2024. Only 13 percent of seniors attended a varsity sport event at least once a month, with 9.3 percent of respondents being varsity athletes themselves. Employment rates have remained the same, as almost 85 percent of seniors reported holding a job during their time at Princeton.
Seniors most enjoy partying at Terrace Club. Tiger Inn is the second most popular party locale among the Class of 2025, yet was bickered by fewer respondents than Tower and Cap and Gown. In Spring 2023, when members of the Class of 2025 were first allowed to bicker, Cap and Gown had its first year with a sub-30 percent acceptance rate, while both Cannon and Tower increased their rates.