Residential Life

All first- and second-year students at Princeton live and dine in one of five residential colleges. Each college consists of a cluster of dormitories (housing between 450 and 500 students) and dining halls. The colleges have libraries and study spaces, game rooms, seminar rooms, coffeehouses, theaters, and computer clusters.

A senior faculty member serves as master of each college. Each college also has a staff that includes a director of studies responsible for academic advising and juniors and seniors who serve as resident advisers.

More than 97 percent of Princeton undergraduates live on campus. Approximately 75 percent of juniors and seniors take their meals at one of 12 private, coed eating clubs. Six are open to all students on a sign-in basis; five are selective; one is semiselective.

Other juniors and seniors cook their own meals in dormitory kitchens, dine in the residential colleges, join a cooperative, or make other arrangements. Princeton's Center for Jewish Life houses the University's kosher dining facility.

The Third World Center, the Women's Center, and the International Center are important resources and gathering places for Princeton students. In addition, the University recognizes more than 200 student organizations.

Athletics

Approximately 2,000 men and women (45 percent of the undergraduate student body) participate in intercollegiate (varsity and club) athletics on more than 60 teams and crews. Men and women compete in 37 varsity sports. There are also 31 men's, women's, and coed club teams.

In the past three years Princeton's varsity teams have won eight national championships and 33 Ivy League titles. Based on the final Ivy League composite standings in 33 sports last year, Princeton had the highest overall finish of any Ivy school for the tenth consecutive year. Men's teams topped the Ivy League for the ninth straight year, while women's teams have earned four of the last five first-place finishes.

Nearly 600 teams participate in the intramural sports program, which schedules team competition among eating clubs, residential colleges, independent groups, and faculty and staff. In addition, a wide variety of noncredit physical education activity courses are offered each semester.

Princeton offers students a wide range of competitive and recreational athletic opportunities and facilities. The University has two large gymnasiums, an ice rink, two swimming pools, extensive playing fields, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a boathouse and crew course, a field house, and other facilities on the main campus within easy walking distance of classroom buildings, dormitories, dining halls, and eating clubs.

ROTC

The Princeton University Army Officer Education (Reserve Officers' Training Corps, or ROTC) Program offers elective courses and activities that complement study in any academic field. The Army ROTC program prepares young men and women for a commission as an officer in the United States Army (active, Reserves, or National Guard) and teaches the leadership and management skills essential in either a military or civilian career.

Military science courses consist of one class meeting and activity per week (two hours) plus one weekend field trip per semester. Semester courses cover fundamental military skills as well as more advanced subjects such as American military history and professional ethics. Leadership labs provide the cadet practical management and military training. Cadets also participate in historical "staff rides" such as the tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield, winter survival/ski trip, and other adventure training courses.

Students may opt to belong to any of the ROTC extracurricular groups such as the Ranger Challenge Team or the Princeton Color Guard. Cadets can apply for special military training such as parachuting and mountaineering. Most cadets participate in other extracurricular activities and athletic programs without experiencing a conflict in meeting ROTC requirements.

Army ROTC offers merit-based scholarships worth up to $20,000 a year for tuition. The cadet also receives a monthly allowance of $150 for up to 10 months of a school year. It is important to note that a scholarship cadet has until the start of sophomore year before incurring an obligation for service.

Rutgers University offers Princeton students the opportunity to enroll in its Air Force ROTC Program. Twenty Princetonians were enrolled as cadets in the program during the 1995-96 academic year. Cadets are eligible to take ROTC classes at both Rutgers and Princeton. Currently there are 20 students who are benefiting from Air Force ROTC scholarships that are worth in excess of $20,000 per year.

Seniors' Plans

Of the 1,087 members of the Class of 1996 who filled out this year's Senior Survey, 51.6 percent said that they planned to go to work right away. Of the 27.2 percent who planned to continue their education immediately following graduation, 13.9 percent accepted admission offers to graduate schools and 13.3 percent accepted admission offers to professional schools. Of those planning to continue their education, 71 graduates had decided to pursue studies in medicine, 59 in law, 3 in education, 2 in divinity school, 1 in business, and 1 in the area of public policy. A total of 8 graduates listed other when filling out this survey.

Alumni

There are 69,720 living Princeton alumni, including 15,269 women and 17,833 Graduate School alumni. Princeton graduates live in all 50 states and 117 countries. In a typical year some 6,000 to 8,000 volunteers work for Princeton in class and regional association activities, fund-raising, programs in the local schools, a job placement network and internship program, and community service. Many serve in University advisory and leadership roles. Today there are 130 Princeton regional associations throughout the world.