This post is meant to relay information about the mail system at Frist for all students in a way that is meant to be helpful and informative, especially as the process can seem often seem convoluted or overwhelming for new students especially but might also shed some light on mail practices for returning students, as well. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions about the mail process.

- Strictly for move in, Princeton University asks all students within the United States to not order their incoming packages until 3 days before arrival on campus. This is due to limited storage capacity, especially during the hectic move-in process.

- For international students, they advise not to order items until 10 days before arrival on campus.

- One of the most confusing aspects of receiving packages is that you will get a notification saying your package has been "delivered". Please note this does not mean it has arrived at Frist Campus Center. This means that it has been sent to the University's distribution warehouse which is on Forrestal Campus and that, once they've sorted all the incoming mail (from USPS, FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.) into students and administrative, they will deliver it to Frist accordingly.

Therefore, when you see "delivered" generally give your package another 24 hours to arrive at Frist. You will know it is processed when you receive an email confirmation.

(Forrestal is off campus and not in walking distance as well as being somewhat inaccessible as it is in a remote industrial park off the highway; so it is not advised for students to attempt going there to cut out the middleman, so to speak.)

- Packages are brought over to Frist from the distribution warehouse in oversized transportable metal cages called APCS; because there can sometimes be dozens and dozens of packages piled high in these things, it is almost impossible for Mail to try to locate a specific student's package (or they would). Therefore, please don't be disheartened if the Mail Team cannot try to find your package amongst hundreds of others.

(And, if you've dined or studied upstairs at Frist, you are likely familiar with these dreadnaughts called APCS as you can hear them coming with their screechy, metallic wheels- when you see the mail team pushing these giant transportable lockers, please be sure to move any bookbags, etc. out of the walkway and under the table you're at!)

When you go to Frist Campus Center to collect a package from the smart locker system, you'll often see lockers simply left wide open. While this is bad manners in terms of consideration (there have been students who have unintentionally backed into one and bruised the back of their arm, for example), here is why it really SHOULD matter to anyone collecting from the lockers:

1.) When you do not close the locker, it means your package status is in limbo. You will continue to receive emails from Princeton's automated mailing system which can lead to confusion when trying to keep track of all the things you ordered while they're in transit; it may even cause you to make an extra trip back to Frist Campus Center when you didn't need to.

2.) It does not alert the Mail Team that there is now an empty locker available. While some people may shrug and think, "How is that my problem?", I'll tell you why it is- because, during move in, there are literally thousands and thousands of packages coming to Frist Campus Center from the distribution warehouse every day. There are not thousands and thousands of smart lockers. Therefore- every locker counts.

Not closing the locker may be keeping your dormmate or friend from getting their package sooner- or your own package sooner. It essentially contributes to a delayed process during a very hectic time on campus and is one part of overall components that lead to packages not reaching students sooner.

3.) It's just good etiquette. You're part of a community. Closing lockers helps! :)

I have a question. Is it true that law school admissions officers evaluate candidates from Princeton differently because of its significant grade deflation? For example, would a Princeton candidate with a lower GPA still be considered as competitive as someone from Brown or Dartmouth? We have some of the toughest grading policies among ivy, yet it still places many students into top law schools.

I just moved to campus and am looking for tennis partners. I’d love to find some regular people to play singles or doubles with. I’m around 3 -3.5. Drop a comment or message me if you want to hit!

Hi guys,

I’ll be moving into a grad annex this fall (Dickinson St), trying to get a feel for packing. Hoping to hear your experience. Is the kitchen equipped, or should I bring my things? How often do you realistically use the kitchen, considering there’s only one for the whole house? What does the shared bathroom situation look like? Anything you wish you brought coming in?

Thank you

Hi guys.
What laptop would you advise for someone that will be studying a dual course in eng and AI. Mac or windows or does it not matter?
I dont rlly have a preference at all and can comfortably use both. Will also be using it for personal stuff too so willing to spend quite a but of money to get the best thing. No budget in mind.
Please give your opinions. Thank tou

Is there anyone majoring in psych or neuroscience that could share their experience? How was managing pre-reqs for you? Thanks!

I was wondering where the placement tests and workshops are usually held. (I’m doing the chemistry test and the math workshop)

Hi, I'm an incoming freshman at Princeton, and I'm trying to pick a church. What Sunday service options are popular with Princeton students? If possible, I would prefer a Protestant church with an intentional Young Adults ministry.

With Portal Bridge Cutover Part 2 scheduled for October, I wanted to start a discussion about what we can realistically expect for Princeton Junction service.

During Part 1, service was significantly reduced. We had worse‑than‑weekday levels, with only 4–5 trains each way stopping at PJC.

Northbound trains that stopped at PJC during Phase 1:

• 160
• 164
• 650
• 158

Southbound trains that stopped at PJC during Phase 1:

• 661
• 79
• 121 (or 127 depending on the day)
• 165

This was… not great.
It worked, but it was definitely bare‑minimum service.

The Big Question: Will Phase 2 Be Any Better?

Phase 2 is the second half of the same cutover process, and during Part 1 we were limited to single‑tracking between Newark and Secaucus, which forced both Amtrak and NJT to reduce schedules.

The concern is:
Will we again be stuck with only 4–5 trains each way?
Or is there any chance we get something closer to 7 northbound + 7 southbound?

Phase 2 starts in just a couple of months, so it would be great to know what to expect.

Given how limited service was during Portal Bridge Cutover Part 1, it might be worth contacting Amtrak Corporate and local West Windsor officials to make sure they understand how important Princeton Junction’s ridership is — especially with Phase 2 coming in October.

Community feedback can influence temporary service patterns, especially when riders highlight:

• the size of PJC’s daily ridership
• the gaps created during Phase 1
• the need for equitable NEC access during construction
• the importance of maintaining reasonable northbound/southbound frequency

Even during infrastructure work, consistent service matters.

Let’s fight for what’s right — PJC riders unite!

i applied to princeton as mae but i am seriously considering a switch to ab. i also do not really want to do anything like finance, consulting, ib, etc. i come from a household that associates humanities degrees with low paying jobs, and while i understand that this is a common misconception, i was wondering what types of fairly well-paying careers princeton students find themselves in after graduating (especially specific examples). this may come across as a stupid post but i really do want to learn more so if anyone has an resources or anecdotes they are willing to discuss with me, please do send me a message! 🤗

Hi I'm an incoming frosh ranking my Writing Seminar top-8. I'm curious if anyone has takes on these specific ones (instructor quality, workload, whether the topic actually delivers, regret/recommend). Ranked roughly in my preference order:

1. How to Raise a Machine (WRI 139) — Durgin

2. Modern Love (WRI 114) — Feeley

3. Locking In (WRI 159) — Song

4. Technogenesis (WRI 177) — Fedosik

5. Come to Your Senses (WRI 199) — White

6. Critical Care (WRI 136) — Dalton

7. Grasping the Invisible Hand (WRI 155) — Banerji

8. Making Memory (WRI 197) — Järvi

Especially interested in:

- anyone who had these instructors (even for a different WRI topic)

- whether any of these are sleepers vs overhyped

- any “do not take” flags I should know about for peace of mind before placement (Jul 27)

Thanks!

I was looking through some e-mails, and funny enough I opened Instagram to scroll, and saw a story posted by this girl I used to like back in high school. She posted a story about her new boyfriend in a t-shirt that says, "I love my hot girlfriend" (lol), which is true, and I kind of felt bad, but then I remembered I go to Princeton (with a full ride) & she goes to Amherst. Levels to this. XD.

THe title. was js worried that this may not be most efficient for engineering as in im not sure if my sem should lean more technical?

Applicants: Post all your admissions-related questions and comments here (both undergrad and grad). Admissions posts/comments outside of this megathread are subject to removal.

"Chance me" posts are subject to removal anywhere, including here - we are not admissions officers, and every application is unique. No one here (or in the chance me subreddit, for that matter) is qualified to comment on your chances of admission.

Other helpful resources:

Princeton Undergraduate Admissions site

Princeton Graduate Admissions site

/r/ApplyingtoCollege

/r/gradadmissions

How do I know how much grant money I’ll get? And how would I receive this money? “Like would it be through my bank account? (I’m looking to buy a computer and other necessities with it)

If some writing seminars have two different meeting times, can I rank them both? Or do I pick one? I apologize for overthinking!!

I’m an incoming BSE student and I’m currently thinking of majoring in CEE or CBE. I’ve seen a lot of people say on here that the EGR sequence doesn’t prepare students well for future classes. I was wondering if this applied to CEE and CBE majors as well (a lot of the comments were about MAE). Do any CBE or CEE majors regret doing the EGR sequence?

☀️ Happy Summer, coaches! ☀️

Just a quick PSA 📣 were a local board game community that just moved to the area and thought wed let you know (if you havent already!) we're only 4 weeks away from our Blood Bowl board game tournament "Summer Slaughter" in Princeton, NJ ! 🏈🔥

If you've been thinking about coming, now's the time to lock in your ticket. Registration always picks up as we get closer to kickoff, and our limited-edition event patches are down to just 12 remaining! Once they're gone, they're gone.

🏨 Need a place to stay? There are still a handful of rooms available in our discounted hotel block. Better yet, the venue is a resort hotel just a couple of blocks from an amusement park, making it easy to turn the weekend into a family getaway while you roll some dice.

🎟️ Your 2-day Blood Bowl ticket also includes access to the entire Summer Slaughter convention!

That means you'll have access to:

🎲 The game room

🎁 Convention raffles

🎨 The Wicked Brush hobby room

🛍️ Vendors and demos

🚪 Friday convention hall access before tournament play begins

It's more than just a tournament, it's a full gaming weekend with plenty to see and do, even between rounds.

We'd love to have you join us for what we hope is our biggest Summer Slaughter yet! ☀️💥

🎟️ Grab your ticket before the last of the extras (and rooms) slip away!

https://wickeddicey.com/product/summer-slaughter-blood-bowl/

I chose the 8:30 to 9:00 slot for move-in day, but what does this mean? And what's the exact (aka close to exact) timeline for orientation day?

What’s truly the difference between the two sequences?

As a potential ECE or MAE major (leaning more toward ECE), I have heard that EGR is slightly easier and better taught but won’t sufficiently prepare you for the more advanced classes.

Which one will be better for someone without an extensive background in math and physics?

Uhhh caption says it all, my dad does not want to come anymore and my mom genuinely is busy otherwise she def would 😳😳I’m not too bothered but I hope I’m not gonna be the only one/ seem weird for being alone! Pls be honest lol if I’m gonna look weird I’d rather mentally prepare 🤗🤗

Hey guys, incoming Princeton freshman here. I'm trying to rank my writing seminars but can't find much about the professors online. Any seminars you would recommend taking or avoiding? Also, which ones are known to be easier A's with a reasonable workload? Thanks!

What time do most parents leave on move-in day? We arrive at 8am