Contents and Arrangement Collection View
Description:

Series 1, History, 1854-1978, is a documentary record of admission policy divided into chronological timeframes. Documents include articles, entrance exams, entrance requirement guides, guides to assessing applicants, guides to specialized degree programs, histories of admission policies, press releases, reports, and sample correspondence. These folders were originally labeled "documents."

Organized chronologically.

Description:

Series 2, News, 1920-1998, includes news clippings, press releases, and articles about admission to Princeton. These news items are filed in chronological order. Much of this material consists of stories about the yearly admission statistics and admission trends at Princeton. Some articles, however, discuss admission controversies such as practices limiting or benefiting athletes, "bookworms," and racial minorities, and errors like the acceptance in 1988 of a convicted felon, James Hogue, who masqueraded as a ranch hand to gain admission.

Organized chronologically.

Description:

Series 3, Publications, 1889-2001, contains admission booklets, pamphlets, notices, and application forms for prospective students. The series is organized alphabetically by the title or the content of the publication. In addition to the general viewbooks and undergraduate application forms, this series includes information for prospective minority, international, and transfer students, as well as some matriculation forms.

Organized alphabetically.

Description:

Series 4, Reports and Policy, 1911-1998, consists of reports by or about the Admission Office as well as documents related to the formulation of admission policy. The reports chronicle general admission policy, history, and yearly statistics. The folder entitled "Women" contains admission notices and internal documents relating to the rushed and uncertain admission process for the first female undergraduates in 1969.

Organized alphabetically.

Description:

Series 5, Confidential Reports and Minutes (Redacted), 1931-1969, consists of reports and minutes that were selected and photocopied from Series 6. The names of applicants contained in this material have been blacked out to protect their privacy.

Organized alphabetically.

Description:

Series 6, Confidential Reports and Minutes, 1931-1970, are photocopies of admission reports and minutes damaged in a flood at New South. Portions of the original volumes were destroyed; the surviving pages were photocopied and the originals discarded. Many of the pages are partially or totally illegible and out of order. While the reports convey statistical and policy information, the Committee on Admission minutes describe the committee's reasoning and final decisions in many specific difficult admission cases. However, there are passages in the reports that candidly discuss the general applicant quality and the admission policy regarding various groups, including alumni sons, athletes, and disadvantaged students.

Organized alphabetically.

Description:

Series 7, Princeton School Committee Slideshow, circa 1970, consists of 121 slides, a slide carousel, a script, and an inventory of slides. The theme of the slideshow is "Excellence and Diversity," and the slides depict Princeton University student life as it pertains to academics, athletics, extracurricular activities, residential life and the campus and its buildings. The slideshow documents the Admissions Office's efforts to recruit minority students in the 1970s.

Original order of materials has been maintained.

Description:

Series 8, July 2009 Accession includes reports, alumni association conference materials, administrative files and subject files that pertain to Princeton matters and to broader topics of university admissions.

Original order of materials has been maintained.

Description:

Series 9, September 2012 Accession, Slides for Admissions Office Publication, circa 1999 includes approximately 300 slides of the campus, students and faculty, most likely for the "Princeton At a Glance" publication.

No arrangement action taken or arrangement information not recorded at the time of processing.

Description:

Series 10, September 2013 Accession, Summary Statistics for Classes 1970 through 2008, consists of statistics (represented anonymously) including but not limited to applicants' SAT scores, class rank, race, socio-economic background, geographic origin, and legacy status.

No arrangement action taken or arrangement information not recorded at the time of processing.

Description:

The Admissions website contains information for prospective students including an overview of the Princeton undergraduate experience, application and financial aid information, faculty and staff profiles, the Princeton Viewbook publication, and a student blog, as well as information for parents and guidance counselors.

No arrangement has been imposed on this series.

Description:

Contains applications from the World War II period, with declines or denials. Much of the correspondence is addressed to or written by Director of Admissions Radcliffe Heermance.

Scope and Contents

Consists of a documentary record of Princeton University admission policy divided into chronological timeframes and includes material such as entrance exams and requirements, press releases, admission booklets, pamphlets, reports, sample correspondence and statistics. Series 5, Confidential Reports and Minutes (Redacted), 1931-1969, consists of reports and minutes that were selected and photocopied from Series 6. The names of applicants contained in this material have been blacked out to protect their privacy. Series 7 consists of a slideshow that documents the office's efforts to recruit minority students.

Collection Creator Biography:

Princeton University. Undergraduate Admission Office.

Until the middle of the nineteenth century, admission decisions were based primarily on an oral examination given at Princeton. The president made the final admission decisions and sometimes administered the exam himself. Written examinations gradually replaced oral examinations, and after 1888, they could be taken at a number of locations throughout the country.

A flood of applicants after the First World War forced the University to limit enrollment and institute a selective admission policy. The trustees decided to create the Admission Office in 1922 and charged it to apply the new admission policies. Until that year, students who passed the exams--proving competency in classical languages, mathematics, and other core subjects--were admitted automatically. From the establishment of the office until 1950, director Radcliffe Heermance shaped modern admission procedures (such as mailed applications, consideration of standardized assessment scores, and alumni interviews) and established lasting relationships between the Admission Office and secondary schools, alumni, and the faculty admission committee. Since 1950, Admission Office directors have overseen the recruitment of disadvantaged and minority students (since the mid-1960s), the introduction of women into the applicant pool (in 1969), and the soaring application rates of the late twentieth century.

Acquisition:

Portions of this collection, specifically Series 6 and Series 8, were transferred to the University Archives from the Admission Office. Series 7 was donated by Alexander W. Wellford in 2008.

Appraisal

No appraisal information is available.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Matthew Reeder in December 2002. Finding aid written by Matthew Reeder in December 2002.

Conditions Governing Access

Series 1 through 4, 7 and 9 are open for research. Series 6, Confidential Reports and Minutes, contains the names of students, faculty, and staff. These documents are closed for the lifetimes of the individuals to whom they relate. A redacted version of Series 6 (Series 5) is open; however researchers must sign a consent agreement to view these materials. The materials in Series 8 and 10 are closed for 30 years from the date of their creation.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. The Trustees of Princeton University hold copyright to all materials generated by Princeton University employees in the course of their work. For instances beyond Fair Use, if copyright is held by Princeton University, researchers do not need to obtain permission, complete any forms, or receive a letter to move forward with use of materials from the Princeton University Archives.

For instances beyond Fair Use where the copyright is not held by the University, while permission from the Library is not required, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Admission Office Records; Princeton University Archives, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/8623hx736
Location:
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
65 Olden Street
Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
(609) 258-6345
Storage Note:
  • Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Box 1-42
Related Materials

See the Registrar's Grade Books Collection, AC116, for President's Admission Books covering admitted students from 1872 to 1890.

Other Finding Aids

Full text searching of this collection's archived website is available through the Archive-It interface.

Subject Terms:
Universities and colleges -- United States -- Admission.
Genre Terms:
Correspondence
Examinations.
Minutes.
Press releases.
Reports.
Slides (photographs).
Web sites.
Names:
Princeton University
Princeton University Administration.