A department entered after arrival
Princeton says students apply to the University, not to departments, and A.B. students choose a major in the spring of the sophomore year.
Undergraduate · Princeton
Princeton Mathematics: proof-based study with a junior seminar and a senior thesis
Princeton admits students to the University, not to a department, and Mathematics is one of the majors A.B. students choose in the spring of the sophomore year. The department describes proof-based introductory courses, at least eight upper-level mathematics courses, a junior seminar and a senior thesis. This guide makes no claim of a separate application to Mathematics.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Princeton says about Princeton Mathematics
Taken from the Princeton Department of Mathematics' undergraduate program and requirements pages, Princeton Admission's Academics, Standardized Testing and International Students pages, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Princeton's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Proof-based starts
Future majors generally begin with an introductory proof-based course; others start in Numbers, Equations, and Proofs, Vector Calculus or One-variable Calculus with Proofs.
Eight upper-level courses
Majors take at least eight mathematics courses at the 300 level or higher, with up to three cognate courses allowed.
A junior seminar and a thesis
MAT 397 in the junior year and a senior thesis across the senior year.
A senior thesis or independent project
Princeton says every senior writes a thesis or, in some engineering departments, undertakes a substantial independent project.
The SAT or ACT is required
Princeton says fall 2028 first-year applicants need to submit either SAT or ACT scores.
Official sources
- Princeton Admission: Academicsadmission.princeton.edu
- Princeton Department of Mathematics: undergraduate programmath.princeton.edu
- Princeton Department of Mathematics: requirementsmath.princeton.edu
- Princeton Admission: Standardized Testingadmission.princeton.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on the Princeton Department of Mathematics' undergraduate program and requirements pages, Princeton Admission's Academics, Standardized Testing and International Students pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Princeton's Undergraduate Announcement, the course lists, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The department
What the department says the major requires
The department's pages say majors are expected to arrive with a background in calculus and linear algebra and at least some experience with rigorous proofs, and that future majors generally begin with an introductory proof-based course. Majors take at least eight departmental courses at the 300 level or higher, a junior seminar (MAT 397) and a senior thesis (MAT 498 and 499), alongside the University's general requirements, which include a freshman writing seminar and foreign-language proficiency. This guide does not list individual courses.
Is it the right department?
Mathematics beside Princeton's other quantitative majors
Princeton describes these separately, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
Mathematics fits if
you want proof, theory and independent work as the core of your degree.
ORFE fits if
you want mathematics for decisions under uncertainty. Avandy's Princeton ORFE guide covers it.
Computer Science fits if
you want computing as the main subject. Avandy's Princeton Computer Science guide covers it.
Admission and testing
A Princeton application and the SAT or ACT
Princeton asks for an academic record that includes internal grades and marks from external exams such as A levels or the IB, with predicted or achieved results sent as they become available. It says first-year applicants for fall 2028 will need to submit either SAT or ACT scores. The department is chosen after enrolment, not applied for separately. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Princeton's.
Do you enjoy proof and theory?
Introductory courses and the thesis are proof-based.
Are you ready for a junior seminar and a thesis?
Both are required.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT with your A levels or IB?
Princeton says fall 2028 first-year applicants need to submit one of them.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Princeton's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Princeton's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 1 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Princeton has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Princeton for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the department page and the Undergraduate Announcement entry, and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Princeton University or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Princeton University. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Princeton Mathematics?
No. Princeton says students apply to the University, not to individual departments, programs or schools.
Do I need to have studied proofs before arriving?
The department expects at least some experience with rigorous proofs, and offers proof-based introductory courses.
Is there a thesis?
Yes. The department lists a senior thesis across the senior year.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Princeton says first-year applicants seeking to enrol in fall 2028 will need to submit either SAT or ACT scores.
Do A levels and the IB count?
Princeton asks for marks from external exams such as British A levels or the International Baccalaureate, with predicted or achieved results as they become available.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Princeton's wording with no entry-year label. Check Princeton's pages again when Princeton publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Princeton Mathematics
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their mathematics, their interest in proof and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.