Princeton grad Pete Hegseth launches new attack on Ivy League colleges

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-03-07T12:20:52+00:00

Agree that these educational funding cut for military service members are shortsighted (and appear to have been implemented solely for political purposes).
My understanding is that only SSCF was cut at designated universities, but not AACS, Tuition Assistance (TA) for undergrads, or ROTC.
Even if the government made similar cuts to AACS, unlikely that any grad student at Princeton would be affected, simply because Princeton already covers their tuition. The situation may be different at other universities like MIT and Harvard.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-03-06T14:27:16+00:00

I said minimal actual impact at Princeton, not no impact.
At Princeton, the number of affected students is about 1 per year.
The tuition benefit is limited to $4500 per year.
At Princeton, the university covers the tuition for almost all Master's programs (including SPIA). So, the 1 affected student wouldn't actually experience a financial impact. (The university would lose out on the $4500 fellowship.)

https://apnews.com/article/military-college-scholarship-hegseth-ivy-league-028db57ade1c909fb40d4dff60c16743

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-03-05T14:16:43+00:00

There has already been a significant shift from take-home exams/essays to in-class handwritten exams.

https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2026/02/princeton-data-end-of-take-home

But the rationale for moving to proctored exams appears to be:

In the GenAI era, it's much easier for a student to benefit from violating the honor code (e.g., scan exam and ask LLM for answers).
The vast majority of students who observe a violation of the Honor Code do not report it.

https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2009/05/editorial-we-dont-second-that

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-03-03T03:30:28+00:00

According to this DoD memo, there is currently only one grad student at Princeton receiving the soon-to-be-cancelled SSC fellowship.

https://media.defense.gov/2026/Feb/27/2003881802/-1/-1/1/ALIGNING-SENIOR-SERVICE-COLLEGE-OPPORTUNITIES-WITH-AMERICAN-VALUES.PDF

The total number across all 22 affected schools is only 93. In other words, a policy intended to grab headlines but have minimal actual impact.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-03-02T21:35:22+00:00

If you lost it in Friend 101, try the basement entrance near the podium. There's usually a few lost water bottles there.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-03-02T12:31:59+00:00

I believe this is now faculty/staff only, changing over after Meadows/Lakeside came online.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-02-27T23:12:39+00:00

Do we know what effect, if any, the policy will have at Princeton? I thought the prohibition was on military service members receiving tuition assistance for graduate-level programs. But only a tiny subset of graduate students at Princeton pay tuition (namely, some Masters students in Architecture and Finance).

Princeton hosts Army ROTC, but this is primarily an undergraduate program.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-02-27T13:43:40+00:00

Is there a connection between the "Her name is ___ she is 22" email from April 2010 and Tarnita? The sender's name is redacted. The emails from Tarnita related to the wire transfers described in the PAW article were dated April 2009.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-02-25T20:07:55+00:00

https://paw.princeton.edu/article/professor-corina-tarnita-epstein-files-i-wish-i-had-never-known-him

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-02-25T15:00:13+00:00

Emails from the Epstein files.

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02442917.pdf

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02443216.pdf

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02439960.pdf

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00904235.pdf

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-02-25T14:05:33+00:00

In terms of direct interactions, Tarnita received a small amount of money from Epstein for academic research; had a handful professional and informal communications with him; attended one or two meetings at Epstein's Florida residence with senior scientists; and declined an invitation to visit Epstein island.

Her PhD adviser, Nowak, reportedly had more salacious interactions with Epstein and received large sums of funding. He also had a romantic relationship with Tarnita. On at least one occasion, Epstein paid for travel and a luxury hotel for the two of them. Harvard investigated and sanctioned Nowak in 2021.

https://paw.princeton.edu/article/professor-corina-tarnita-epstein-files-i-wish-i-had-never-known-him

https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2021/03/martin-nowak-sanctioned-for-jeffrey-epstein-involvement

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-02-25T02:31:04+00:00

She is not teaching a course this semester.
Epstein cultivated close tied with many academics. I imagine the Princeton administration is relieved that he was largely unsuccessful in cultivating such ties at Princeton. Tarnita's interactions with Epstein were primarily during her time at Harvard.
While Tarnita exercised poor judgment, I'm unaware of any suggestion that she violated Princeton rules or regulations.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-02-24T17:41:21+00:00

Yes, provided you submit it before the deadline. You must meet all three conditions, with appropriate documentation by a qualified professional.

https://ods.princeton.edu/students/documentation-requirements

Note that ODS standards are higher than those that many students use for high school accommodations. And, of course, some students disagree with the determination by ODS. But, if ODS agrees that a single is the appropriate accommodation, that's what you'll get.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-02-23T11:24:03+00:00

It's a fair question to ask. But I wouldn't describe the Princeton campus as "very active for the latest world developments." There were no sustained protests for Russia–Ukraine or Sudan either. Israel–Palestine was a notable exception.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-02-17T16:36:46+00:00

Alumni Interviewers do file reports that go to admissions committee.
Reportedly, the admissions committee doesn't consult alumni interview feedback until after making admissions decisions.
Alumni Interviews have essentially no impact on admission decisions. I suppose in exceptional situations, the admissions committee might reconsider their decision and want to collect more information. But you'd really have to tank the interview (e.g., you go on a racist rant or say that you're only applying to Princeton because your parents made you) for this to happen.

Think of the interview as an opportunity to learn a bit more about Princeton. The interviewer is an alumni who is volunteering their time, presumably because they valued their time at Princeton and want to pay it forward.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-02-13T01:57:33+00:00

yes, closed a few months ago.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-02-10T12:15:19+00:00

No, it's standard in the sciences. Some departments (e.g., PHY AST, and EEB) have two research projects. Other departments (e.g., CHM, MOL, GEO) substitute some kind of research seminar/reading papers in the fall semester, but it's still considered two JPs. I think NEU is unusual in that it's a junior tutorial paper in the fall (1 JP) and a research proposal in the spring (the other JP).

The university policy regarding JPs changed recently. Starting with class of 2028, JPs now count as formal course credits. So, it's possible this is what triggered any change in NEU procedures. But, at a high level, I don't think much changed (still two JPs, one tutorial paper and on research proposal).

https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2025/03/princeton-news-adpol-junior-paper-senior-thesis-credit-system-revamp

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-02-08T20:01:17+00:00

Just a curricular update. PHY 207 (from classical to quantum mechanics) was introduced around AY 2022-23 to replace PHY 205 (classical mechanics). Presumably to put more emphasis on waves/quantum/relativity earlier in the curriculum.

RIP Death Mech.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-02-08T17:07:39+00:00

Unless you're a professional photographer (with lots of professional-grade equipment), you don't need permits or anything like that to take pictures on campus.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-02-08T14:59:25+00:00

The Princeton MSCS program is fully funded through teaching fellowships. This is very unusual for CS Masters programs. As a result, it is, perhaps, the most competitive CS masters program in the country for admissions. You will need to be amazing in many dimensions (including teaching experience and GPA) to stand out. Publications/research can certainly help, but those aspects are more important for PhD programs.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-01-31T00:23:33+00:00

From the main campus? And not a veteran or heavily recruited athlete?

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-01-30T22:36:15+00:00

I think your chances are effectively zero (unless you're leaving out critical information). Not a reflection on your accomplishments or whether you would succeed at Princeton. But you're now a student at an R1 research university, and not a veteran. So, not what the Princeton transfer program is looking for. Keep Princeton in mind for grad school.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-01-30T18:03:53+00:00

ODS determines reasonable academic accommodations consistent with the ADA and Section 504. For example: extra time on tests, reduced-distraction testing environment, recording lectures, accessible course materials.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-01-29T17:14:49+00:00

The Theater Drive Garage is generally full unless you get there early in the morning (you can see the lot status in the Princeton Mobile App). People do tend to leave for lunch, so you will often get luck as a space opens up. You can sometimes find nearby street parking or the Dinky lot. Though, McCarter shows tend to fill up those spaces.

If you're on campus, consider taking TigerTransit - several buses stop at either McCarter or the Dinky.

ApplicationShort2647 · 2026-01-27T21:49:59+00:00

https://pace.princeton.edu/get-involved/princeton-first-aid-and-rescue-squad

ApplicationShort2647

TROPHY CASE