The Office of Admission is responsible for selecting the most outstanding undergraduate student body for Princeton from a national and international pool of candidates. The office implements the policies established by the president, faculty and trustees, and develops strategies to attract, admit and enroll students from diverse backgrounds, interests and all socioeconomic backgrounds.

Karen Richardson was appointed dean of admission at Princeton University, July 1, 2019. In this capacity, she serves on the president’s cabinet and is responsible for articulating the University’s mission to prospective students and their families. Dean Richardson works closely with all University constituencies and a 44-person staff, and serves as spokesperson for the admission office and for the University on admission matters.

Dean Richardson, a member of Princeton’s Class of 1993, served as dean of admission at Tufts University from 2016 to 2019. During her 11 year tenure at Tufts, she served as director of diversity recruitment and director of the then newly created Office of Graduate Admissions. Her career in admission began here at Princeton in 2002 when she served as an assistant dean. Dean Richardson’s work in education extends into the K-12 sphere as she served as deputy superintendent in the Boston Public School system with direct responsibility for the Office of Family and Community Engagement. She holds a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and has been a member of the board of directors for The Common Application since 2018.