Several years ago, Ivy Coach reacted to the prolonged legal battle Princeton University faced to prevent the release of its admissions records, which they claimed contained “sensitive applicant and admissions information.” Princeton ultimately maintained secrecy around its admissions process and kept these files confidential despite allegations that this policy violated the Freedom of Information Act. Seven years later, Princeton is reeling from the SCOTUS decision overturning the use of Affirmative Action in college admissions, in which the same group that challenged Princeton’s admissions records policy, Students for Fair Admissions, won in a prolonged case against Harvard University.

Princeton can no longer explicitly weigh race-based admissions criteria. Still, they will undoubtedly continue to do so by taking advantage of the Roberts Loophole, which keeps the door open for students to write about how race has impacted their lives in college admissions essays. Amid these admissions woes, does Princeton still have to worry about students sending out erroneous requests to view their admissions files? The short answer is no! Nor will they have to any time soon!

Princeton Keeps its Admissions Records Top Secret

Since the case against Princeton was dismissed by Students for Fair Admissions, the Ivy League school has kept its admissions records behind locked doors. According to a report by The Daily Princetonian, Princeton considers those records equivalent to “trade secrets” that they must keep confidential to avoid invasions into “personal privacy.” We at Ivy Coach couldn’t agree more! Princeton’s unique admissions process is not for public consumption (although we wouldn’t call it that much of a secret — Ivy Coach has been helping students earn admission to Princeton for decades because we understand the specific criteria they use to evaluate applicants).

Some speculate that Princeton deletes applicant admissions files as soon as students enroll to avoid any requests for this information. Note that this policy is relatively unique within the Ivy League. At Harvard, for example, current undergraduates are allowed to request the details of their admissions records, requests which the university begrudgingly obliges. Students at Princeton do not have such luck.

Don’t Waste Your Time Reviewing Your Princeton Admissions File

Students who request to see their admissions records pose a major logistical hurdle to Ivy League universities and are often hurt and disillusioned by what they find! Curiosity does kill the cat, as they say. The reality is that elite college admissions can be a very dehumanizing process. Everything comes down to strategy and numbers, meaning an applicant’s admissions odds are highly quantifiable depending on the specifics of their application. Many students cannot handle the truth revealed by their unearthed admissions records.

Even students who get into Princeton are torn down by admissions committees and reduced to a rote total of characteristics and statistics. You may be scarred by the brutally honest things they write about you (though colleges are writing less in the wake of the SCOTUS ruling against Harvard). The most you would get from an admissions record request is the perverse satisfaction of knowing how a group of highly-trained professionals evaluated you against a pool of lesser peers. Take us at our word. It’s a waste of time!

It’s not worth going through this sort of self-harm for the sake of clarifying what they saw in you. The point is that they did see something in you! You’ve made it through the door. The hard part is over. Now, go on and enjoy your college experience! Make friends! Discover your passions! Party like it’s 1999! But whatever you do, leave all this admissions nonsense in the past where it belongs.

Assistance with Admission to Princeton University

If you’re the parent of a high schooler and feel daunted by these harsh realities, leave the burden of helping your child get into a top school to us at Ivy Coach! If you want to optimize your child’s chances of admission to Princeton, fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch.