49 Princeton Essay Samples

Prompt: Princeton has a longstanding commitment to service and civic engagement. Tell us how your story intersects (or will intersect) with these ideals.

The leaves crunched beneath my boots as I ascended the stone steps. Above me, squirrels zipped through the trees. I was hiking through Bach Ma National Park with my World Wildlife Federation group in search for traps and snares. The park was protected land, but illegal poaching was rampant. Wire traps were strung along the forest bed, ready to capture wild animals to be sold on the black market. It was just another threat to an animal population already endangered by expanding agriculture and infrastructure developments.

As we stopped for a break, our mentor told stories of how she used to roam the forests, waiting until sundown to see if the elusive saolas would come out. Her eyes lit up as she talked of their unicorn-like horns and striking white streaks. It seemed downright magical to me that such an animal was only discovered 30 years ago, and equally tragic that it had already reached critically endangered status in that time. 

Over a year has passed since this hike, yet I still think about it all the time. Our work inspired me to build an adaptive animal sound recognition system — one that could gather real-time data about fauna populations in a non-invasive manner. For me, the key to conservation lies at the nexus of innovation and policy. I'm eager to harness the power of technology to protect natural habitats. But I'm also excited to advocate for government initiatives that ensure these spaces remain sustainable for generations to come.

Essay by Rosie

Statistics & Data Science + Ethics, Politics & Economics (and Musician?) @ Yale :D

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Prompt: At Princeton, we value diverse perspectives and the ability to have respectful dialogue about difficult issues. Share a time when you had a conversation with a person or a group of people about a difficult topic. What insight did you gain, and how would you incorporate that knowledge into your thinking in the future?

"En mi opinión, los abortos son malos." I was in Spanish class when those words—meaning “In my opinion, abortions are bad”—came out of [Name Redacted]' mouth. In Spanish IV, we discussed challenging topics while speaking in Spanish. This day, we were talking about the restrictive abortion laws in Argentina. No one had asked [Name Redacted] to share his personal feelings; we were just discussing factual evidence. I began to share my argument: criminalizing abortions will cause unsafe DIY alternatives, many abortions are the result of sexual assault and not poor planning, etc. Surprisingly, [Name Redacted] didn’t talk over me; instead he listened to my points and then began explaining his position, which primarily focused on morals. I was slightly annoyed because I wanted him to use facts to change my mind, not ethical arguments. It was then I realized that neither of us were likely to change our minds—and that was okay. We still understood each other and had a respectful conversation. He acknowledged the accuracy of my statistics and never interrupted me; I saw how his argument reflected the value he placed on his religious and moral beliefs. This revelation changed the way I approached the debate. I could simply share my point of view and listen to his, with the only goal to gain a new perspective, not convert a peer. I want to continue exploring controversial subjects with people from across the spectrum. I can comfortably express my views; however, I will also be open-minded and listen to all perspectives instead of expecting people to either try and change my mind or convert to my way of thinking.

Essay by Kaya

Hey! I'm a sophomore at Princeton majoring in neuroscience on a premed track. I'm in an acapella group and several other clubs.

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Prompt: Briefly elaborate on an activity, organization work experience, or hobby that has been particularly meaningful to you.

As someone who finds joy in helping others, I value community service as an immeasurably rewarding experience to give back while gaining interpersonal skills. Despite these benefits, many of my peers do not have the time or resources to volunteer. As a part of Passion Impact’s Volunteer Event Program, I make community service accessible to every student by organizing monthly volunteer opportunities. We’ve facilitated 24+ service and civic engagement events over the past 1.5 years, immensely increasing community engagement within our student population. Recent events include writing letters to seniors, fundraising for Make-A-Wish, and packaging free period products. Particularly in 2020, I led online programming for students to connect and volunteer virtually during social isolation. By encouraging youth to become active volunteers, I strive to instill leadership, self-awareness, and community accountability within the next generation of changemakers. Moreover, my responsibilities within Passion Impact– planning events, speaking at fundraisers, leading nonprofit-wide meetings– have helped me build foundational leadership and career skills like public speaking and professional collaboration that I carry over to my other community work. Most importantly, I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the external and internal impacts of volunteerism that ultimately strengthens us as an individual, community, and world.

Essay by JenniferT

Yale + CS + Environmentalism!

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