This year, Ivy’s acceptance rate dipped significantly from last year, taking roughly 65 of 130 bickerees, according to sources within the club. Outgoing Ivy president Caroline Shifke ’12 did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Last year’s 70 percent acceptance rate was much higher than the usual range of acceptances rates, which has hovered in recent years between 50 and 60 percent.
Of the 207 students who bickered Tower this year, 106 were accepted. This year’s number of bickerees is a significant bounce from the 169 students who bickered last year and the record-setting 219 who bickered in 2010.
Outgoing Tower president Joey Barnett ’12 said he was pleased with the totals, especially considering the addition of Cannon Club.
“With a new club opening on the Street, we were aiming for between 180 and 220 [bickerees], and we fell right in the middle of that range, so we were really happy with it,” he said. Barnett is also a former associate opinion editor for the Daily Princetonian.
“Fortunately, I don’t think a lot of our membership crosses over with Cannon, so it [did not] affect us that much at all — no more than a handful [switched over],” Barnett said.
Tower’s Bicker numbers have oscillated each year over the past few years, with a 62 percent acceptance rate last year, 45 percent in 2010, 62 percent in 2009 and 48 percent in 2008.
Barnett attributes these fluctuations to a constant “seesaw” between Tower and Cap due to the similarity of their memberships.
“When one club has a big year, it gets really competitive, so the next year people tend to shift over to the other,” Barnett said. “Although, I feel that Cap has more of a crossover with Cannon, so they may have been a little more affected.”
This year, Cap accepted 93 of 157 bickerees for a 59 percent acceptance rate. The overall numbers are lower than last year’s Bicker class of 204 when Cap was the most selective eating club. Outgoing Cap president Derek Grego ’12 described the numbers as “fantastic.”
Cap had a 47 percent acceptance rate last year, which continued a trend of increasing selectivity for the club: It admitted 50 percent in 2010, 69 percent in 2009 and 76 percent in 2008. Grego attributed the changes in this year’s numbers to a variety of factors, he said.
“We just finished the renovations, so that generated a lot of excitement about the club, and I think the fact that there are 11 clubs now versus 10 also might have impacted our overall numbers,” he said. “The addition of any club was going to affect the numbers a little bit, but overall we still have way more bickerees than spots to fill, so we’re in great shape.”
Cottage Club accepted 80 of roughly 95 bickerees this year according to sources within the club. This year’s 85 percent acceptance rate was considerably higher than previous years. Last year, Cottage accepted 89 out of 132 bickerees, for a 67 percent acceptance rate which was slightly lower than 72 percent in 2010 and 71 percent in 2009. Outgoing Cottage Club president Rory Wilsey ’12 did not respond to request for comment.
Tiger Inn accepted 91 of 126 bickerees, 10 of whom were juniors. This year’s 72 percent acceptance rate is lower than the 83 percent admitted last year, but not quite as low as the 67 percent in 2010 and 64 percent in 2009.
“The goal of TI Bicker is not to attract a target number of people, but [to] find sophomores that best fit the club,” outgoing president Jeff Cole ’12 said in an email. “We did receive substantially more bickerees than last year, which is most likely due to the completion of our gorgeous new building and ridiculous fall social events.”
He added that he did not think the addition of Cannon had an impact on TI’s Bicker numbers. Cannon did not hold Bicker this spring.
Sources within the club also confirmed that TI had more females than males bicker the club.
Read More
Alumni-led fund aims to replace $210 million in funding cuts
Clara DochertyAn alumnus-led fund started by Patrick Ho ’08 seeks to replace $210 million in federal research cuts to Princeton.
An alumnus-led fund started by Patrick Ho ’08 seeks to replace $210 million in federal research cuts to Princeton.
Students boogie in the breeze at spring Lawnparties
Luke Grippo and Devon RudolphSpring 2025 Lawnparties was celebrated in style with a performance from A Boogie wit da Hoodie. Despite a particular windy day for Lawnparties, students enjoyed the festivities.
Spring 2025 Lawnparties was celebrated in style with a performance from A Boogie wit da Hoodie. Despite a particular windy day for Lawnparties, students enjoyed the festivities.
Environmental studies building to be named after Devon and Pete Briger ’86
Katelynn LeeBriger Hall is located on the west side of the new Environmental Studies and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences complex, set to open in Fall 2025.
Briger Hall is located on the west side of the new Environmental Studies and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences complex, set to open in Fall 2025.