What kind of students get into Harvard? Well, there is no one "type" of student that gets into Harvard. But the admissions committee does look for applicants who have excellent academic records, are engaged in their community, and will contribute to the vibrant intellectual culture on Harvard's campus.
Sound like you? Great! Then this post on the admissions requirements for Harvard University is going to help you understand how to put together a strong application. And to be super blunt, you're gonna need that, because the most recent admissions rate hit a record low of 3.19% after 61,220 students applied!
HOW HARD IS IT TO GET INTO HARVARD UNIVERSITY?
It is extremely difficult to get into Harvard University. The standardized test scores, like SAT and ACT, and grade point average of admittees are in the highest percentiles.
The Harvard acceptance rate is 3.19%, making it one of the most competitive universities in the world. Acceptance rate is an indication of how competitive a school is, but it is also an indication of how popular a school is. To get into a school like Harvard University, you will need to excel in almost every major college application factor.
The GPA requirements for Harvard University are between 3.9 to 4.1. You will need an incredibly high GPA and will likely be graduating at the top of their class in order to get into Harvard University. If you’re GPA is lower than suggested at the time you apply, you may have to perform above average on your standardized tests. If you’re grades aren’t as high as they could have been due to life experiences or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section.
The SAT requirements for Harvard University are a 1,500 to 1,600 composite score, combining the reading and writing, and math sections together. You will need an incredibly high SAT score and getting close to perfect scores in order to get into Harvard University. If you’re SAT is lower than suggested at the time you apply, you may have to perform above average on your standardized tests. If you’re grades aren’t as high as they could have been due to life experiences or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section.
The ACT requirements for Harvard University are a 34 composite score combing all English, mathematics, reading, and science sections. You will need an incredibly high SAT score and getting close to perfect scores in order to get into Harvard University. If you’re ACT is not what you’d hoped by the time you apply, you may have to make it up by getting above-average scores on the SAT and having an above-average grade point average. If you’re ACT wasn’t as high as you’d like because of difficulties or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section.
The Harvard University application deadline for regular decision is January 1st. Harvard University also provides an alternative form of application in addition to regular decision: restrictive early action. The application deadline for Harvard University’s restrictive early action is November 1st. Below is a table showing the deadlines for each of the steps of the Harvard University admissions process.
Prompts Above
We have a full guide to Harvard’s supplemental essays here, but here are some tips to keep in mind:
Tip #1 for Harvard University Supplemental Prompt#1
Treat this as a combo identity/community/background + why us prompt.
We offer a bunch of strong examples of “how will you contribute” essays in that guide, but essentially, think of this as showing a core part of who you are (and how you’ve become who you are), and then specific ways that this aspect of you contributes to the diversity of thought, culture, perspective, etc. of Harvard’s community.
Tip #2 for Harvard University Supplemental Prompt#2
Show “curiosity with legs.”
Meaning don’t just talk about a cool moment—show how that moment/experience caused you to dive deeply and explore. Help your readers to see your curiosity in action. And don’t feel like you need to only offer interesting answers: Very often, complex, maybe unanswerable questions that you feel driven to explore can demonstrate your intellect, curiosity, and values better than statements.
Tip #3 for Harvard University Supplemental Prompt#3
Write about something you haven’t talked about elsewhere (much or at all) in your application.
This is your classic short extracurricular essay. You’ll find an in-depth step-by-step guide at this link, with specific advice for the 150-ish-word format (plus some really great examples) towards the end. We recommend using that post to guide you as you’re writing.
But if you want to see the short version, here’s what to do:
Go to your Common App activities list and pick 2-3 of your most impressive or important (to you) activities.
Then, go through the Best Extracurricular Activity Brainstorm I’ve Ever Seen (AKA BEABIES exercise), either mentally or by filling out the chart. This will help you decide which topic might yield the most content for your essay. If you’re unsure, maybe do a simple outline for two different topics.
Write a draft. Then start revising.
Tip #4 for Harvard University Supplemental Prompt #4
Think of this as a specifically framed “Why Us.”
What will you do once you finish your education at Harvard? And especially, how does what Harvard offers help you on the path to achieving these things. Harvard is generally looking for students who want to use their educations to make a positive impact in the world—how might you do so with yours?
Tip #5 for Harvard University Supplemental Prompt #5
Show your personality.
This is pretty similar to Stanford’s fairly famous “roommate” prompt. And we actually have an entire separate blog post on that Stanford prompt we’d recommend reading.
The super short version?
Do this exercise.
Pick three that Harvard isn’t seeing elsewhere + that show your interests and (especially) personality.
Write. Then probably rewrite a bunch.
