Princeton punches above its weight in ways that shouldn't be possible for a school its size. With just over 5,000 undergrads, it offers the kind of attention and resources you'd expect from a small liberal arts college—backed by the endowment and research infrastructure of a major university. The result is an undergraduate experience that's hard to match anywhere.
The eating clubs are Princeton's answer to Greek life, and they define the social scene in a way that's equal parts charming and baffling to outsiders. Academics lean heavily on independent work: every senior writes a thesis, and juniors in many departments do “junior papers” that push them beyond what any class could. If you like being handed problems and left to figure them out, you'll succeed here.
The campus is stunning—all Gothic architecture and manicured green spaces that look like they belong in a movie (because they literally have been in movies). The town of Princeton is small, walkable, and surprisingly good for coffee. New York and Philly are both about an hour away when you need to escape. At around 4% acceptance, Princeton is fiercely competitive, but the payoff—including one of the most generous financial aid programs in the country—is enormous.