Photo Provided by Grace Raskopf ’25

Grace Raskopf was thrilled to visit the school during their admitted students day.

With college commitments happening this week, it’s always fun to hear about where Royals will be headed in the fall. One Royal in particular, Grace Raskopf ’25, is braving the New Jersey weather and heading to Princeton University. Retiring the red and gold for orange and black, Raskopf is sure to flourish during her time at Princeton. Such a big accomplishment begs some questions that I couldn’t help but ask her:

Picking a college is always hard, especially when you are unsure where you fit best. I was curious as to what attracted Raskopf to Princeton, so I asked her what drew her to apply. She told me, “The amazing academics and the area! It was always my dream to go to an Ivy League, and Princeton in particular has a super accomplished mock trial team that I want to join as well as a lot of really great teachers and courses. I also really like that Princeton is entirely undergrad—other than the usual graduate opportunities, they don’t have a law/med/etc. school—so all of the resources, endowment and focus goes towards my undergraduate experience.”

But has Princeton always been the dream? Raskopf assured me, “Yes! I first toured it when I was 15 and I immediately fell in love with it; the campus was so so pretty, and I loved everyone that I met. I kind of shut it down as a pipe dream, but it was always my number one choice. It was the very first school I ever visited or applied to, and it was the very last decision letter I opened, which I think is very full circle.” It’s always nice when life works out like that.

Princeton has so much to offer, so there’s no doubt Raskopf already has plans lined up. She shared, “I really want to join an ‘eating club,’ which is basically just their version of Greek life (maybe they just eat a lot), and I am also super excited to meet a bunch of new people and live on the East Coast since I’ve always wanted to move there. Also, it’s only an hour train ride from NYC, so I’ll definitely be taking weekend trips. I also want to study abroad!”

It’s no surprise that Princeton has such an extensive and knowledgeable staff, with 11 of them holding Nobel Prizes. So, I asked Raskopf if there’s any teachers she’s looking forward to meeting during her time in college: “There are a few! Mrs. Ward actually recommended I take a class with Professor Kevin Kruse, who is a history professor that teaches courses focusing on racism in modern America and religious/civil rights. I also intend on taking Latin courses because I want to pick up a minor in Classics, so I met the freshman Latin professor, Ilaria Marchesi, earlier this month at an admitted students day; she was super nice and is excited to see me in the fall.”

When asked if there’s any classes she’s eyeing on the course catalog, Raskopf shared, “I know they offered a First-Year Seminar course on Bob Dylan’s life last year, so hopefully they keep that going because I’d love to take that after watching A Complete Unknown.” Who knew Princeton knows how to cater to the masses?

One can’t go to college without having some sort of vision for their future. On how she believes Princeton will set her up for success in her future career, Raskopf detailed, “I eventually want to go to law school and work as an adoption lawyer, and Princeton offers a lot of really great pre-law opportunities. They offer paid internships to undergraduates to work as real attorneys for various non-profit organizations, and the university also has a super extensive alumni network, which will provide me with a lot of really great resources and contacts. Their career center is also wonderful and hosts a lot of job fairs. Also, the name itself will likely help me in applying to law school and in the job field when I eventually start looking for work!” The prestige of the university will surely take Raskopf far in the future.

Raskopf is an accomplished student and is sure to do great things during her time at Princeton. Her time at Rosary has prepared her well and has no doubt set her up for success. Congratulations to Grace for this accomplishment, and good luck for her future endeavors. Go Tigers!