33% of the class of 2026 declared a CS Major: https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2024/10/princeton-data-blog-frosh-survey-2028-results-analysis-chart-crosstab-longitudinal

Surprising Princeton has such an uninspiring student body.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Went to Harvard and have done a lot of hiring and I will say Princeton, hands down.

Times have changed. Engineering has expanded and nearly 30% of Princeton students now major in engineering. To say the least, the word “polished” no longer comes to mind.

That is not true. Nowhere near 30% of princeton majors in any subject.

Princeton engineering school (which includes CS): 412/1284 is 32% of all students.
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Princeton&s=all&id=186131#programs

So we have 1/3 majoring in the engineering school alone (which is still expanding; the proportion will significantly increase to the next few years).

This is only students on financial aid. Operations research is also very different from engineering. It’s estimated that much fewer students are in the school of engineering.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Went to Harvard and have done a lot of hiring and I will say Princeton, hands down.

Times have changed. Engineering has expanded and nearly 30% of Princeton students now major in engineering. To say the least, the word “polished” no longer comes to mind.

That is not true. Nowhere near 30% of princeton majors in any subject.

Princeton engineering school (which includes CS): 412/1284 is 32% of all students.
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Princeton&s=all&id=186131#programs

So we have 1/3 majoring in the engineering school alone (which is still expanding; the proportion will significantly increase to the next few years).

Anonymous wrote:Naval Academy

This is the only correct answer - and NOT because the students are “polished” themselves but because the Academy “polishes” them from day one: always in uniform (especially when it is dress white), extremely polite in every interaction with outsiders with “Sir” and “Ma’am”, and just everything.

I suspect that the other Service Academics are similar but only have a first hand experience with the Naval Academy.

Spelman

Consistently impress as ready for the workforce: West Point, Naval Academy, and Morehouse. Interesting too that their students come from a very wide range of backgrounds.

Anonymous wrote:I’m wondering, what college do you think has the students that are the most cultured, well spoken, and overall intelligent. The kind of kids who have impeccable manners and know how to act in exclusive spaces.

UMD, VT, JMU

Anonymous wrote:I’m wondering, what college do you think has the students that are the most cultured, well spoken, and overall intelligent. The kind of kids who have impeccable manners and know how to act in exclusive spaces.

SMU

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Went to Harvard and have done a lot of hiring and I will say Princeton, hands down.

Times have changed. Engineering has expanded and nearly 30% of Princeton students now major in engineering. To say the least, the word “polished” no longer comes to mind.

That is not true. Nowhere near 30% of princeton majors in any subject.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Went to Harvard and have done a lot of hiring and I will say Princeton, hands down.

Times have changed. Engineering has expanded and nearly 30% of Princeton students now major in engineering. To say the least, the word “polished” no longer comes to mind.

Yeah…engineers aren’t know for their interpersonal skills and social polish

My DC attends Emory. We are consistently impressed with how put together the student body is.

Naval Academy

Top SLACs hands down. Probably find what you are looking for at NESCACs, Swat, Pomona, Carleton, etc.

Anonymous wrote:To me polish is having eye contact, strong verbal skills, confidence, etc. Zero to do with income level and doing that post about Ivies rude. I’ve seen plenty of spoiled rich kids that can’t hold a conversation with an adult or make a phone call. FGLI learned those skills young being leaders in their families.

I think what you’re describing is extroversion and natural charisma. My extroverted daughter could and did interact with both peers and adults, using those traits, since preschool. While those traits may have been “polished” over the years, adding formality and nuance to her interactions, her underlying social ease is just the same as it always was. On the other hand, despite an upbringing that focused on manners and included a wide range of social interactions including not only my peers, but those of my parents and grandparents, as well, and a college education (admittedly not Harvard), as an introvert, I always feel stressed and awkward in social situations.

Colleges may educate but not necessarily “polish.” It’s probably more important how you were raised and your family values and priorities.