Princeton has 8 suicides in 3 years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know something about Princeton's insane pressure-cooker attitude.
Princeton cares most about one thing: its #1 position at the top of the rankings. Anything a student does to possibly damage that reputation is dealt with severely by the administration.
Also the "we're #1 in the world" (not just the US, BTW) attitude is pervasive. It breeds incredible workaholic behavior that's very single-minded, the total opposite of what a broad liberal arts education is supposed to produce.
My heart goes out to the families of these students. No amount of "prestige" is worth losing your life over.

That's kind of a disconnect because the things that result in the top ranking are not things that any individual student could undermine. US News doesn't ding a school if a student gets a B- on a test or makes a critical You Tube video. On the other hand, the university taking steps to support students so that they return as sophomores and eventually graduate, or reducing their debt burden, bolster the ratings.

[Anonymous]

When I attended UF in the 1970's /1980's someone jumped from the tower once a semester for years. It was horrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Allegedly the final batch of decision are coming out today at 5pm. This school is a high reach for my child so we are not expecting an acceptance. So I just want to be armed with a few reasons that Carnegie Mellon is not a good school (we will be on an incredibly long road trip when the decision comes out). The only things that I can think of is that it is extremely expensive, located in Pittsburg and is known for being highly cutthroat (rather than collaborative). Other than that, I have nothing.

The dorms smell

no t40 cares less about personal hygiene than cMU

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our youngest is at Princeton. It feels like there are far more rules and the administration is far less understanding and flexible compared to our oldest child's experience at another Ivy. For instance, Princeton students are forbidden from getting outside tutoring if they are having difficulty in a class (it is considered an honor code violation). The students are supposed to use the student tutors provided by the school, but there aren't nearly enough to go around. So a student having difficulties in a class who is unable to secure one of the few tutors is left to completely flounder or risk getting an honor code violation by seeking outside help. That doesn't make sense to me.

This is our experience. It is not a loose and easy place. It's very regimented.

[Anonymous]

I went to Princeton in the 90s. So many of us were slackers. Drank (and other stuff) A LOT. Skipped classes. Not necessarily proud of this. But had fun. I wonder if this still happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our youngest is at Princeton. It feels like there are far more rules and the administration is far less understanding and flexible compared to our oldest child's experience at another Ivy. For instance, Princeton students are forbidden from getting outside tutoring if they are having difficulty in a class (it is considered an honor code violation). The students are supposed to use the student tutors provided by the school, but there aren't nearly enough to go around. So a student having difficulties in a class who is unable to secure one of the few tutors is left to completely flounder or risk getting an honor code violation by seeking outside help. That doesn't make sense to me.

This is our experience. It is not a loose and easy place. It's very regimented.

There are extensive resources available through the university to provide academic support, so they don’t permit students to pay outside tutors to do their work for them. It’s a perfectly sensible policy, and those who chafe at it should be taking other courses or enrolled elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Sadly, it's everywhere. Look up NC State, Worcester Polytechnic for starters.

[Anonymous]

. It’s a perfectly sensible policy, and those who chafe at it should be taking other courses or enrolled elsewhere.

DP here. Having gone to Princeton, it’s less about that specific policy and more about the general culture surrounding the “honor committee” and “academic standards.” It can feel very witch-hunty at times. Princeton does not f around.

[Anonymous]

Pressure cooker schools aren’t the issue.

Anxiety fueled by parents (whether intentionally or unwittingly) shapes your kid’s health, behavior, everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our youngest is at Princeton. It feels like there are far more rules and the administration is far less understanding and flexible compared to our oldest child's experience at another Ivy. For instance, Princeton students are forbidden from getting outside tutoring if they are having difficulty in a class (it is considered an honor code violation). The students are supposed to use the student tutors provided by the school, but there aren't nearly enough to go around. So a student having difficulties in a class who is unable to secure one of the few tutors is left to completely flounder or risk getting an honor code violation by seeking outside help. That doesn't make sense to me.

This is our experience. It is not a loose and easy place. It's very regimented.

There are extensive resources available through the university to provide academic support, so they don’t permit students to pay outside tutors to do their work for them. It’s a perfectly sensible policy, and those who chafe at it should be taking other courses or enrolled elsewhere.

The policy makes no sense. Tutors can help but they are not taking midterm or final exams for the kids. Some kids need extra support

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isolation is a key factor . Princeton seems cold, clinical, and drab in terms of campus life or having a college town feel. UPenn, Columbia, Yale, Cornell seem to have more energy

This is true

[Anonymous]

I worked at a firm where the managing partner of the office, a task master with a stern demeanor, was a staunch Princeton grad active in the alum community. His son had attended Princeton and seemed like a nice kid. The kid went to law school, trying to follow in his father’s footsteps but very tragically committed suicide prior to taking the bar exam. It seemed the weight of trying to uphold someone else’s legacy can be too much in some cases.

[Anonymous]

A friend of mine turned down a professorship at Princeton and went to another Ivy League school (not Harvard or Yale). She hated the location although it seems like a nice place to live as a professor to me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pressure cooker schools aren’t the issue.

Anxiety fueled by parents (whether intentionally or unwittingly) shapes your kid’s health, behavior, everything.

This

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our youngest is at Princeton. It feels like there are far more rules and the administration is far less understanding and flexible compared to our oldest child's experience at another Ivy. For instance, Princeton students are forbidden from getting outside tutoring if they are having difficulty in a class (it is considered an honor code violation). The students are supposed to use the student tutors provided by the school, but there aren't nearly enough to go around. So a student having difficulties in a class who is unable to secure one of the few tutors is left to completely flounder or risk getting an honor code violation by seeking outside help. That doesn't make sense to me.

This is our experience. It is not a loose and easy place. It's very regimented.

There are extensive resources available through the university to provide academic support, so they don’t permit students to pay outside tutors to do their work for them. It’s a perfectly sensible policy, and those who chafe at it should be taking other courses or enrolled elsewhere.

The policy makes no sense. Tutors can help but they are not taking midterm or final exams for the kids. Some kids need extra support

Again, there are plenty of resources available through the university for students wanting assistance or needing academic support. What you can’t do is pay an outside tutor to come write your program, finish your labs, or complete your problem sets.

I suggest you find another place where you can just dial it in or buy a useless degree.