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Getting Into Princeton in 1911 #509: Constantine Peter Arnold Papers

Princeton University, founded in 1746, is one of America’s oldest universities. For more than 200 years, only men were admitted. Well before the era of the SAT and ACT, prospective Princeton students had to complete a freshman entrance exam.

In 1911, the exam was thirty-six pages long. Half the test was devoted to Latin and Greek grammar and composition. There were more questions about Greek and Roman history than American history. Students had to translate from Latin and Greek to English and vice versa. Some proficiency in French was also expected. Students were quizzed on Shakespeare as well. One question asked for a short essay on the story of the caskets in The Merchant of Venice.

Science, Mathematics, and History were other, more practical topics covered. Students were asked to explain “Why is it easy to boil water but hard to boil an egg, at the top of a high mountain?” and “What is baking soda, and how does it make dough ‘light’?” An American History question asked for a comparison of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives.

Learn more by reading a 1911 Princeton entrance examination in the Constantine Peter Arnold papers at UW’s American Heritage Center.