After watching last year’s seniors ceaselessly stress over college admissions, I’ve tried to avoid thinking about it. However, heading into my sophomore year of high school, it’s hitting me that college isn’t that far away anymore. Therefore, my friend sophomore Ava Howell and I decided to attend a lacrosse camp at Princeton University and scope out the college. Reflecting on the last few days, here are my thoughts:
Campus:
A town in New Jersey full of both historical and updated brick and stone buildings, Princeton’s campus was nothing short of stunning. Taking in the juxtaposition between the vibrant nature and large buildings, I couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the campus. We walked past many facilities, such as the top-notch Chemistry and Physics lab buildings. One of the best sights to lay eyes on was the football field, also known as Powers Field at Princeton Stadium, home of the Princeton Tigers. The tiger-striped end zones were surrounded by seats that could accommodate up to 30,000 people to roar in Princeton’s honor. The many local ice cream shops didn’t hurt either. My favorite was Thomas Sweets, an ice cream store located on campus.
Academics:
Princeton is an ivy-league school and it ranks very well academically. The school earned an A+ overall on Niche’s rankings and excels in many majors, including Computer Science, Economics, Engineering and Social Sciences. However, the university is extremely selective, with an acceptance rate of under four percent.
Food:
The campus dining did not disappoint. In the dining area, long tables with chairs placed below gorgeous chandeliers awaited. The food options were plentiful, varying from a salad bar filled with colorful vegetables to an ice-cream freezer where you could scoop whichever flavor you wanted. Other options included a variety of hot entrees, pizza, cereal, fruit, sandwiches and different drinks. The staff was open to accommodate any dietary restrictions and there is a campus wellness dietician to speak to for any concerns. My personal favorites were the salad bar options and cereal, but Howell would argue in favor of the rainbow sherbert. “My favorite food from Princeton was the rainbow sherbert, but I also liked the pizza and chocolate milk. I didn’t really like the brownie, but I didn’t try it with milk, which probably would’ve made it better,” Howell said.
Lacrosse/Sports:
Considering how sore I am while writing this, I would definitely say the lacrosse camp was one for the books. I enjoyed every minute of the lacrosse sessions, from practicing different shots with Princeton’s former head coach Chris Sailer to scrimmaging under the coaching of Coach Shanna Brady from Towson University. We played on the official lacrosse, soccer and field hockey fields and each one was well-kept. The lacrosse field had updated turf for optimal running conditions alongside gigantic bleachers for spectators to watch from. I also met players from across the country in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 grad years that I hope to see at future tournaments or showcases.
Overall, I would say Princeton’s elegance, facilities and elite academics definitely make it quite the university. If you are truly interested in applying, I’d recommend taking a visit to see for yourself but in my opinion, Princeton is a great place to earn your tiger stripes.
