Reply to Princeton has 8 suicides in 3 years

Forum Index » College and University Discussion

Reply to "Princeton has 8 suicides in 3 years "

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm a Princeton alum as well but I differ somewhat from the previous poster. When I attended there was a strong sense of "separating the wheat from the chaff" in a way that I suspect differs from most peer schools. I think this is most concretely epitomized by grade deflation and also by the hierarchy of eating clubs and extracurricular activities on campus. In general, hierarchy was inescapably both academically and socially. Maybe this is true at most elite schools, but I'd never experienced hierarchy like that before Princeton and honestly haven't experienced it at any time in my adult life since. Comparing notes against colleagues who attended peer schools, I tend to think that Princeton's focus on hierarchy is uniquely intense.

I believe that grade deflation was just a manifestation of the school's culture of hierarchy. At least academically, there's a very strong sense of meritocracy - which depending on perspective is a good thing. However, it often comes along with a sort of Puritanism on the part of administration and faculty where academic achievement is presented as the end all be all of life and as being "moral." In some way, it makes sense since the institution is the closest I know of to being a true "ivory tower." Most peer institutions are strongly influenced by professional schools and ties to industry, whereas Princeton exists in relative isolation from the rest of the world. It is a much more "pure" version of academia. I think this is excellent for students who intend on entering academia but inappropriate for most others.

During my time at Princeton, I couldn't help but feel that the grade deflation policy arose from some sense of being high and mighty or "holier than thou." There was a sense that Princeton needed to deflate grades to preserve its purity. A clear pecking order among students needed to be strictly enforced in order for administration to feel they were upholding their moral obligations. I think this manifests in other core elements of the Princeton such as the Honor Committee, which is essentially a tribunal of overzealous pre-law students who enforce Princeton's sometimes draconian academic codes.

Unfortunately, the hierarchy of extracurricular activities and eating clubs also meant there wasn't much social escape from the pressures and academic culture. Additionally the relative geographic isolation made it difficult to find an escape outside of the college. During my time there I at least personally felt trapped and am glad that college is now in the distant past. I think that the campus is beautiful and the teaching quality is exceptional. However, the culture(from the top down) is deeply unhealthy.  My time at Princeton crushed my confidence in my early twenties and I think that the grade deflation policy had meaningful professional consequences in my early career. I've since built a successful career but I don't credit Princeton for it in the slightest. I am actively discouraging my own children from applying.[/quote]

Prior Princeton PP here.  You seem thoughtful and introspective, and I respect your opinion.  It's the only school I attended as an undergraduate, so I can't really comment on whether Princeton was or remains uniquely "meritocratic" or hierarchical compared to other top universities.  When I was there, the grade inflation at other Ivies wasn't as conspicuous or well-known, so there wasn't a lot of attention on whether Princeton was intent on "grade deflation" to distinguish itself from other Ivies (it has since largely disavowed that policy, although the average GPA may still be somewhat lower than at other Ivies).

For me, it mostly felt like drinking from a water fountain of opportunities.  My first economics professor had worked for the Council of Economic Advisors and the second subsequently won a Nobel Prize.  I took an upper-level French class as a freshman that was taught by a professor who could not have been more entertaining and encouraging (and was subsequently elected to the French Legion of Honour).  My thesis advisor helped me turn my senior thesis into a shorter paper that was published professionally and is still quoted years later.  Other professors were equally committed and helpful.  Meanwhile, I got to meet kids from all over the country (and world), take trips to New York City (which I'd never visited before college), play journalist, and hang out at an eating club that certainly wasn't Ivy or Cap & Gown, but nevertheless always seemed to book bands right before they got famous.  At no point did I feel like I was being crushed, and at many points I was being elevated.  Subsequently, having a degree from Princeton was absolutely beneficial when it came to securing later jobs.

Neither my spouse nor I pushed our kids to attend our alma maters (spouse also attended a T10 school), as neither seemed like a good fit, but the kids of my classmates who later attended Princeton seemed to have had very good experiences.  For the right kid, I can't think of anywhere else that would provide a better experience. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics