An international graduate student at Princeton University.

The primary reason was my research interests that highly resonated with my prospective advisor. I also got offers from Northwestern University, Georgia Tech, TU Delft, and Purdue, however the deal breaker for me was the synchronization with my advisor.

Princeton University is one of the esteemed IVY league University, consistently remaining in the top 10 of several national/international ranking system. I have previously studied in the one of the best engineering schools in India and Europe. However, compared to my other alma maters, the curriculum at Princeton is highly interdisciplinary and the research projects mostly focuses on state-of-art ideas, out of the bounds of the conventional topics. The innumerable opportunities at Princeton for graduate student does not only confines to research and industry, but also to sports, social work, entrepreneurship, and so on.

My scores: GRE 152 Verbal 166 Quant 3.5 (GRE was waived off), TOEFL 110/120: Reading: 29; Listening: 29; Speaking: 27; Writing: 26. TOEFL cutoff was 100/120. In case you are accepted and if your speaking score is less than equal to 27, then you have to appear for English speaking test at University in the first year of enrollment. (It is quite simple!)

Princeton's alumni use their education and talents to wield influence in a variety of areas, embodying the unofficial motto, Princeton in the nation's service and the service of humanity. Princeton University has a notable list of alumni which includes Michelle Obama (Former First Lady of United States), David Mathews (Civilian Leader), Oliver Ellsworth (Former Chief Justice of United States), Jeff Bezos (Founder and CEO of Amazon), and Pete Conrad (Astronaut and Commander of Apollo 12). Around 60-70% of the Princeton's graduate alumni end up in academia, and rest ends up in industry and entrepreneurship.

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The total tuition fee for graduate student including the health insurance is $58,790 per annum. However, for Phd students it is part of funding for the first five years. The tuition fee for undergrad students is $48,502 per annum. The university provides several financial aids to undergrad students as well.

All the first-year Phd students at Princeton are awarded with University Fellowship that covers the tuition fees, health insurance, and all the rest of expenses (around $38000 per annum in addition to fee and insurance). The University also guarantees financial support in term of research or teaching assistant for the following 4 years of doctoral studies. No separate application is required.

The student-faculty ratio at Princeton University is 4:1, and the school has 77.6% of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most of the faculty are best in the world in their respective research field. Several Nobel Laureate comprises of Princeton faculty and alumni (in fact, 5 in 2021 only). The most wonderful thing about Princeton is that faculty are super amiable and most of the them has open door policies.

No matter what time of the year you are in Princeton, there are always events occurring on the Princeton University campus. The campus life is so dynamic that you can find seminars and events almost every few hours every day at some part of campus, including academic, art, or athletic. Moreover, more than 300 student organizations are created and run by students with support from the University. They run the gamut from music and dance to politics and debate, from service and social activities to cultural and educational interests. And if you can't find the exact group you are looking for, you can always consider starting your own.

One of Princeton’s defining characteristics is its small, residential community for undergraduate and graduate students. Nearly all of the University’s undergraduates and 70 percent of the graduate students live on beautiful campus, which creates a close-knit environment for living, studying and relaxing. The heart of undergraduate residential life at Princeton lies in our six residential colleges, groups of dormitories that form mini-communities within the University. The opportunities and resources provided at the colleges — from cultural events and intramural sports to study breaks — help students pursue their interests and get involved, with staff nearby for advising and support. Graduate students usually lives in graduate college or residential areas. The graduate students have their own room with shared bathroom or cooking and dining areas. The monthly rent (including all the provisions) may range from $700 to $1400 per month in University housing.