The eating clubs’ primary function is to serve as places for upperclassmen to take their meals. The role of the eating clubs in social life at Princeton goes beyond food, however. Eating clubs are small communities within the larger student body, places for their members to hang out and to study. On weekends, they are also the primary party scene on campus. Most clubs host parties on Thursday and Saturday nights, though some have parties on other days as well. Depending on the night, some parties will be open to club members and their guests, while many others will be open to anyone with a University ID card.
A question that many of you may have is whether you will fit in with the eating club scene. While each of the 10 clubs has its own personality, students of all types are involved in the eating club system as a whole. This accessibility is related to the tendency of club life to be an outgrowth of participation in other activities on campus, such as student groups or sports teams. Being active in these groups and others will bring you into contact with upperclassmen, which will make the eating clubs more accessible to you as an underclassman.
The eating club system is not perfect, and critics have raised a number of valid concerns about club culture. The exclusivity of the five bicker clubs leaves students who are not admitted feeling left out. The cost, around $8,000 a year, may be prohibitive for some students, though the University factors a higher board allowance into financial aid awards for upperclassmen. Parties at eating clubs often involve alcohol, and some students may feel uncomfortable in this type of environment. Diversity is also an issue — since groups of friends tend to join eating clubs together, some clubs draw primarily from a limited subset of the student body.
While these and other concerns regarding the eating clubs are certainly understandable, many students — members and non-members alike — find them to be a positive social force on campus. The majority of upperclassmen become members of an eating club. For many of these students, the sense of community that is found within the clubs is one of their most cherished experiences at Princeton.
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