A Simpler Time for Applying

When I applied to Princeton in 1962 there were pterodactyls in the air, both over Princeton and San Juan, Puerto Rico, where my family had moved when I was 5. No college counselor, no SAT consultants, no Princetonians to interview me, no money to go visit the campus. I wanted to be a math major (came to my senses later) and it was either Princeton or MIT in my mind.

I got into Princeton, didn’t get into MIT. Good luck for me on both counts. I arrived on campus in September 1962 knowing exactly no one and never having been there before. I found three wonderful roommates who still are close friends to this day.