Forbes College

Dear Parents and Families,

We are delighted that your son or daughter will be affiliated with Forbes College for his/her career at Princeton.  We welcome you - along with your child - to the Forbes community. Forbes College is located at the western edge of campus, overlooking the Princeton Golf Course.  Across the fields, you can see the gothic towers of the Graduate School.  Of the six residential colleges, we definitely have the best views!  The main building of Forbes College was originally the Princeton Inn, a hotel built during the Roaring Twenties. The spirit of an artistic and culturally rich lifestyle is palpable, and Forbes still has a bit of an “Inn” flavor.  Forbes is a special place: After all, how many students go off to college, and have the good fortune to spend their freshman year living in a Resort Hotel on a golf course?

Among the residential colleges, Forbes is the furthest from the center of campus – a full 2 minutes (!) further than the next runner up.  Many of us see this location as ideal: When we cross Alexander Road after a busy day of classes, Forbesians – more than their classmates at other colleges -- “go home” to the Inn.

The staff at Forbes College (http://www.princeton.edu/forbescollege/people/) has one main goal: To enhance the intellectual, cultural, and social experience of our students.  We oversee a rich and stimulating program, and to ensure that students participate in these programs, we have the best food on campus.

As a father of two college students (one who graduated recently and another who just finished his sophomore year), I am familiar with the mixed feelings of pride and anxiety associated with a child's going off to college.  I assure you that your student is in good hands.  After a brief period of transition he/she will thrive and deeply enjoy living in this College - like the 25 cohorts of Forbesians before them.

We know you have many questions and concerns about your child’s upcoming adventure, and we have done our best to anticipate them.  On the Forbes website, there is a special site for parents and families: http://www.princeton.edu/forbescollege/parents-families/ with a link to Frequent Questions about Move-In and Orientation.  As the term progresses, you will find links to Term-time INNformation.   You can also find information about the University and a Welcome from Valerie Smith, the Dean of the College, at http://path.princeton.edu/

I personally look forward to welcoming you and your student to Princeton.

Best regards,

Michael Hecht, PhD. 
Professor of Chemistry & Master of Forbes College