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The Dartmouth
July 25, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Princeton Eating Clubs

To the Editor:

In regards to Rachel Osterman's January 25th piece, "Yale and Princeton have residential college systems", I simply wanted to point out an inaccuracy regarding her statements on the living situations of Princeton upperclassmen. 95% of upperclassmen live on campus, while only approximately 5% live in eating clubs or off-campus. The few students who do live in eating clubs (between 75 and 100 total) are club officers and actually pay a great deal less for their housing than if they were to live on campus.

The primary purpose of the eating clubs is obvious; the majority of upperclassmen do eat their meals in clubs. While these clubs do cost substantially more ($1000-2000) than a University dining contract, each club hires their own professional chefs, and the meals have much less of a cafeteria feel to them than those of the University. Some clubs offer scholarships or a variety of meal plans, and the Financial Aid office is incredibly helpful in giving low-interest loans to students interested in joining a club.

While of course I am biased towards the Princeton system, I have also followed the fraternity issues at Dartmouth with great interest, since no administration ever appears content with any form of perceived alcohol abuse. The Dartmouth system as it stands now is an excellent one; I believe the College does a fantastic job with their current dining options and that the Greek houses are a positive social outlet for the majority of Dartmouth students.