How to Get Into Harvard University
Many of our students pine for admission to top schools, such as those in the Ivy League. Gaining admission is notoriously difficult, and every year, admission rates decline further. With that said, admission is not impossible. Read on to learn how you can separate yourself from the competition, and gain acceptance to schools like Harvard.
Harvard Overview
Harvard, established in 1636, is known as the oldest university in the United States. It’s one of the highest ranked universities in the world, renowned for its academics and successful alumni. The school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, an urban setting near Boston.
Harvard espouses a liberal arts curriculum, as per the core of the school’s mission – “before students can help change the world, they need to understand it.” The undergraduate curriculum offers a foundation for intellectual and analytical engagement.
“The mission of Harvard College is to educate the citizens and citizen-leaders for our society. We do this through our commitment to the transformative power of a liberal arts and sciences education.” - Harvard Admissions
How Difficult is it to Gain Admission to Harvard?
It is extremely difficult to gain admission to Harvard University. The average GPA of accepted students is 4.18, which requires nearly straight As. Meanwhile, the average SAT score of accepted students sits at 1520. An oft-quoted remark is that the school can fill its class multiple times over with students that have perfect stats, as grades and test scores are only the bare minimum requirement.
While the school is extremely selective, chances of admission increase drastically for students that have completed a passion project, research, and that have compelling essays.
We recommend scheduling an initial consultation to discuss crafting a successful application.
What was Harvard’s Acceptance Rate in 2022?
Harvard’s acceptance rate dropped to a record-low 3.1%. The school received 61,220 applications, and only accepted 1965 students. This means that admission to school is fiercely competitive. For those with certain racial demographics, or international students, the numbers look even lower.
What is Harvard Looking For?
Harvard is looking for future leaders, changemakers, and experts in their area of interest. While grades and test scores are the bare minimum requirement for admission, the school is also interested in their activities, personal character, resilience, and other qualities.
The admission officers will assess your potential for personal and academic growth, and whether or not you stretched yourself, and ventured outside your comfort zone. The admission officers will want to know whether you have lived up to your potential. They will assess your personal characteristics: self-motivation, integrity, ambition, and empathy. In a nutshell, the admission officers will consider the person you are in high school, and the type of person you may become in college and beyond.
Special attention should be spent on the application, ensuring that the student stands out from the pack. A cursory examination of students’ college rejection stories online reveals the number of seemingly perfect applicants that are turned away every year.
“There is no formula for gaining admission to Harvard. Academic accomplishment in high school is important, but the Admissions Committee also considers many other criteria, such as community involvement, leadership and distinction in extracurricular activities, and personal qualities and character. We rely on teachers, counselors, and alumni to share information with us about an applicant's strength of character, his or her ability to overcome adversity, and other personal qualities.” – Harvard Admissions
How do I Submit an Application?
Harvard University uses the Common Application, and will request information regarding the following:
Family Information
Education History
Test Scores (Optional)
Extracurricular Activities
Personal Statement
Harvard-specific Questions
Supplemental Writing
What are Harvard’s GPA Requirements?
Harvard admission officers will look most closely to the unweighted GPA, not the weighted GPA. This is because of the variability of different schools’ curriculums. Students with an unweighted GPA of 4.0, and a class rank in the top 5%, have the best chance of getting accepted. A class rank of top 10% is nearly mandatory barring exceptional hooks.
Does Harvard Require AP or IB?
Students are strongly encouraged to take a rigorous, renowned academic curriculum such as AP, IB, or A Levels. If your school does not offer such courses, you are advised to self-study and take the exams independently.
What are Harvard’s Standardized Testing Requirements?
Harvard is currently test-optional for the college classes of 2027 through 2030. However, Ivy Brothers recommends sending test scores, unless they are abysmally low, as our data suggests that students who submit their test scores, even if slightly low, fare better in the admission process than those who don’t. This is especially true for students that are unhooked. For reference, unhooked means that the student doesn’t have a compelling admission advantage, such as being a recruited athlete or a child of a donor.
Students may submit either the SAT or ACT, and there is no advantage to one over the other.
What are Harvard’s SAT Requirements?
The minimum SAT score needed for Harvard is 1460, the 25th percentile. However, at Ivy Brothers, we suggest that students score in the 75th percentile for their desired school; for Harvard, this would mean an SAT score of 1570.
*SAT requirements are liable to change in future admission cycles
What are Harvard’s ACT Requirements?
The minimum ACT score needed for Harvard is 33, the 25th percentile. However, at Ivy Brothers, we suggest that students score in the 75th percentile for their desired school; for Harvard, this would mean an ACT score of 35.
*SAT requirements are liable to change in future admission cycles
“Standardized tests provide a rough yardstick of what a student has learned over time and how that student might perform academically in college - but they are only one of many factors considered.” – Harvard Admissions
What are Harvard’s English Language Proficiency Requirements?
Harvard requires a strong, fluent knowledge of English. Proficiency exams are not required, but international students are welcome to submit them, such as TOEFL or IELTS.
What are Harvard’s Common App Essay Prompts for 2022-3?
Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
These prompts are intended for admission officers to better understand your background, goals, character, integrity, and other positive characteristics. The essay should be vulnerable, and should be unique. One of the biggest pitfalls we see in students’ essays is the topic being cliché and dull. To see some examples of successful essays, please schedule a virtual consultation with us.
What are Harvard’s Supplemental Essay Prompts for 2022-3?
Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.
Your intellectual life may extend beyond the academic requirements of your particular school. Please use the space below to list additional intellectual activities you have not mentioned or detailed elsewhere in your application. These could include but are not limited to supervised or self-directed projects not done as school work, training experiences, online courses not run by your school, or summer academic or research programs not described elsewhere.
You may wish to include an additional essay if you feel that the college application forms do not provide sufficient opportunity to convey important information about yourself or your accomplishments
Harvard requires supplemental essays in addition to the Common App Personal Statement. Harvard allows you to write on a topic of your choice, or use a prompt as a starting point. Overall, Harvard is looking to better understand you, as a person, and what you will bring to the school.
Once again, to see some examples of successful essays, please schedule a virtual consultation with us.
What are Harvard’s Extracurricular Activity Requirements?
Harvard seeks students who will be engaged in their community or field of interest, and will make an impact on campus and beyond. This is an area where many students go wrong. You should develop a spiked passion in a particular field of interest, rather than a laundry list of unrelated activities. Here are some examples of extra-curricular activities of past, successful students in the admission process:
Started a Small Business
Deep Convolutional Neural Network for Predictions of Several Aspects of Trees with respect to Air Quality via Ardunio Sensors
Created a Novel Technique to Write and Run Neural Networks in C on x86_64 CPU Architecture
Wrote a Research Paper on Climate Policy in China versus Taiwan and Submitted to the Journal of East Asian Studies
ISEF Finalist
USACO Gold
Quantified Human Lung Toxicity During Space Travel by Regolith in Project Funded by NASA
Create a Literary Journal that Focuses on Mental Health
These are examples of top-tier extracurricular activities. If your activities do not resemble something similar, then we suggest scheduling a consultation to learn how we can create a game plan for your activity section. It is important to schedule a consultation to tackle this part of the process sooner rather than later. You don’t want to look as if you are doing projects last minute just for the college application.
What are Harvard’s Application Deadlines?
Restrictive Early Action: November 1st
Regular Decision: January 1st
Does my Race or Ethnicity Affect my Acceptance Rate at Harvard?
Yes, Harvard considers race and ethnicity. Students who identify as East Asian, Southeast Asian, or South Asian have significantly more difficult chances at admission. Many of our students fall into this category, and we make it our mission to help them stand out in a highly competitive pool.
This is backed by data from the National Centre for Education Statistics. Below is a graph that shows how, even as the Asian American population increases, the % of enrolled students has remained constant at top schools.
Does my Choice of Major Affect my Acceptance Rate at Harvard?
Yes, Harvard will compare you to other students who are seeking similar majors. In general, students will face the highest level of competition, and lowest acceptance rates, in majors such as Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, and Physics.
What is the Average Salary of a Graduate of Harvard University?
Harvard graduates, on average, make $84,918. This number is dependent on the choice of major and career. The top 10 percent of Harvard grads are making upwards of $250,000 by the time they're 32, and graduates who enter fields like consulting, technology, or finance regularly make a starting salary of $120,000 to $200,000.
For all students, the price of professional help in the admission process is well worth it in terms of return on investment. The last thing you want is for your student’s hard work in high school to go to waste.
Please see the following graph below published on the Washington Post on annual earnings distributions for schools in the Ivy League.
Final Thoughts
Gaining admission to top schools is not an easy feat. Harvard is looking for students who will contribute positively to their campus, upholding the school’s values, and who are ambitious and yearn to contribute to their field of interest.
Ivy Brothers helps students to stand out in the competitive admission process through one-on-one mentorship. Schedule an initial consultation to learn how we help students achieve their educational and career goals.
