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.
Harvard Acceptance Rate
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.
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Harvard University GPA Requirements
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.
Average Unweighted GPA: 4.22
GPA Distribution: Unweighted
4.0 = 75.76%
3.75-3.99 = 18.02%
3.50-3.74 = 4%
3.25-3.49 = 1.79%
3.00-3.24 = 0.32%
2.5-2.99 = 0.11%
2.0-2.49 = 0%
1.0-1.99 = 0%
Below 1.0 = 0%
What GPA should I have?
Applicants should be between 3.9 and 4.0 to be strong candidates for admission to this school. Having less than this will require compensating by increasing your SAT or ACT score.
Harvard University SAT Requirements
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.
Average SAT Composite Score: 1520
SAT Distribution: Score = Reading | Math
700-800 = 83.81% | 87.88%
600-699 = 15.49% | 10.82%
500-599 = 0.7% | 1.3%
400-499 = 0% | 0%
300-399 = 0% | 0%
200-299 = 0% | 0%
What SAT score should I have?
Applicants should score between 1,500 to 1,600 on their SAT to be strong candidates for admission to this school. Having less than this will require compensating by using a substitute ACT score or having an above-average GPA. Either an SAT or ACT score is required for application to this school.
Harvard University ACT Requirements
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.
What ACT score should I have?
Applicants should score between 30 and 36 on their ACT to be strong candidates for admission to this school. Having less than this will require compensating by using a substitute SAT score or having an above-average GPA. Either an SAT or ACT score is required for application to this school.
Average ACT: 34
ACT Distribution: Composite Score
30-36 = 95.27%
24-29 = 4.57%
18-23 = 0.16%
12-17 = 0%
6-11 = 0%
Below 6 = 0%
Harvard University Application Requirements
Harvard University Application Deadlines
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.
| Notification Plan | Application Material | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Restrictive Early Action | Submit Test Scores (optional) | October 31 |
| Submit Application and Financial Aid Application | November 1 | |
| Admissions Decisions Released | Mid-December | |
| Regular Decision | Submit Test Scores (optional) | Early November |
| Submit Application | January 1 | |
| Submit Financial Aid Application (if still pending) | February 1 | |
| Admissions Decisions Released | End of March |
Harvard University Supplemental Essay Prompts
Prompt #1
Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard? (10-200 words)
Prompt #2
Briefly describe an intellectual experience that was important to you. (10-200 words)
Prompt #3
Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are. (10-200 words)
Prompt #4
How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future? (10-200 words)
Prompt #5
Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you. (10-200 words)
Harvard University Application Essay Tips
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.
Special thanks to Ameer for contributing to this post.
Ameer is a freelance writer who specializes in writing about college admissions and career development. Prior to freelancing, Ameer worked for three years as a college admissions consultant at a Hong Kong-based education center, helping local high school students prepare and apply for top colleges and universities in the US. He has a B.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago and an M.A. in Spanish Linguistics from UCLA. When he’s not working, Ameer loves traveling, weight lifting, writing, reading, and learning foreign languages. He currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand.
Top values: Growth / Diversity / Empathy
