How To Get Into Harvard College

Admissions Trends & Notes

• Applications jumped 7% for the Class of 2026.
• The average SAT for a recruited athlete was 1397. The non-athlete average was 1501.
• Legacy students actually had a higher average SAT than non-legacies .
• 20.5% of 2026 admits were Pell Grant-eligible.
• 20.3% of those admitted into the 2022-23 freshman class are first-generation students.
• Admitted students hail from all 50 States in the U.S. and 98 countries.
• The regular decision round acceptance rate was approximately 2.3%.

When Does Harvard Notify Applicants About Its Decision

Early action applicants will be notified in mid-December by Harvard. Regular decision applicants and people who were deferred from the early to the regular process will be notified around the end of March or the very beginning of April.

The team at Going Ivy is made up of graduates of the most selective schools in the nation. An elite college admissions preparation company, Going Ivy has helped many students with getting admitted into Harvard and the schools that make up the Ivy League. This page was created to help you understand how to get into Harvard. This page was created to help you understand how to get into Harvard. To learn more about the help that Going Ivy can offer, schedule your free consultation today.

What Classes Should I Take In High School To Get Into Harvard

Harvard states that there isnt a single path of academics that all applicants are expected to follow in high school. However, the school says that the strongest applicants take the most difficult courses that their schools have to offer. Harvard recommends that students should complete the following secondary coursework:

• Four years of English with a strong writing component
• Four years of mathematics
• Four years of science, including biology, chemistry, physics, and an advanced course
• Three years of history, including European and U.S. history
• Four years of the same foreign language

If your school does not offer some of the subjects on this list, there is no reason to be concerned. Harvard wants you to take the most challenging courses that are available at your school but does not count off if your school does not offer additional courses. For example, if your school only offers two years of French, and you take French I and II, that should suffice. Similarly, if your high school does not offer an advanced course in biology, chemistry, or physics, take what you can and do your best. You can also take supplemental courses at your local community college or university to make up for what your school might lack.

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Types Of Students Harvard Admissions Prefer

When they say they are looking for students with growth and potential, they want to see that a prospective student is on their way to ever-increasing heights.

At its most basic level, this means students should not only have near-perfect grades, but that the difficulty of their courses should also steadily increase each year.

Harvard expects students to exhibit exemplary growth and potential.

Assume that most Harvard applicants will have perfect grades.

How do you differentiate in this environment?

1. Those Who Seek Out Advanced Classes To Get Into Harvard

With the difficulty and quantity of your coursework. All 4.0 GPAs are not created equala 4.0 GPA that was achieved with all AP classes is superior to one that isnt.

Students looking for an edge should constantly be looking for ways to grow outside the available high school curriculum.

Supplement your high school curriculum with courses from your local community college in subjects more advanced or unavailable at your high school.

This demonstrates dedication to knowledge and intellectual curiosity.

Harvard is looking for students who will be the future best in their field, so what students choose to focus their growth and potential on should relate to their future aspirations.

2. Students Who Know What They Want To Do After Graduation

3. Passionate Individuals With Demonstrated Leadership

4. Students Who Dont Buy Into Club Collector Mentality

Dont have any?

Unfortunately, youre going to have to fake it.

However

How To Prepare For A Harvard Interview

Interviews at Harvard are very important. If you want to get admitted as a student, preparation must not be taken lightly. First, you must look professional. Ensure youre dressed well, as appearing shabby can leave a bad impression. Know what to say when asked a question. This is where practice comes in. Expect regular questions such as What can you tell me about yourself? and prepare a great answer that shows you off in a positive light.

Keep in mind that making a great impression doesnt mean bragging. Being genuine and down-to-earth will go a long way. As long as you allow your star personality to shine youre good. Prepare some good questions to ask your interviewer, they will like this. It can be nerve-wracking in an interview but try to be as comfortable as possible. Try practicing some common college interview questions with your parents or friends. Lastly, be respectful and thankful to your interviewer.

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Midyear School Report Faqs

• What if I’m applying Restrictive Early Action and I don’t have my midyear grades yet?

  Restrictive Early Action applicants are not required to submit the midyear report by the November 1 deadline. If you applied Restrictive Early Action and are deferred to Regular Decision, please submit the midyear report and transcript in February, or as soon as your midyear grades are available.

• I’m an international student and my academic year is different. Do I still need to submit the midyear report?

  If you study the IB curriculum or the A-level curriculum, then we expect that your school will send predicted grades, based on your current classroom work and the results of any internal or mock exams you have taken up to that point. If your school does not issue official or predicted midyear grades for your final year of school, then you do not need to submit the midyear report form, although the item may remain on your checklist.

• What if I have already graduated from high school?

  If you have already graduated from high school, you should ignore the midyear report requirement and simply ask your school to send a final school report if you have not already done so.

Harvard University Act Requirements

Harvard Universitys average ACT score is 100. To be a competitive applicant for Harvard University your ACT score should come close to the average. If youre closer to the 96, youre likely going to have a tougher time getting accepted. To consider Harvard University a target school you should aim for a score of 105.

How Hard Is It To Get Into Harvard University?

As you can see from the data above, Harvard University is exceptionally difficult to get into. Not only should you be aiming for a 4.18 but also SAT scores around 1515. Getting into Harvard University is no easy feat and you will need to set yourself apart with more than just numbers and data. Read on to learn how.

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Top 10 Hardest Colleges To Get Into

While Ivy League schools make up the majority of the hardest colleges to get into, other highly selective schools, like Stanford and MIT, have comparably low admission rates. They may not belong to the Ivy League, but they offer similarly extensive research opportunities and reputable degree programs.

Use the table below to see which colleges are the most competitive in the U.S. All data is for the class of 2026 unless otherwise noted.

With hundreds of schools going temporarily or permanently test-optional in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges are experiencing record application numbers. This has resulted in some of the lowest acceptance rates in U.S. history.

*Indicates class of 2025 data.

Harvard Supplemental Essay #1

Your intellectual life may extend beyond the academic requirements of your particular school. Please use the space below to list additional intellectual activities that 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.

This essay prompt is an invitation to show off a few qualities:

• Intellectualincluding artistic or scientificcuriosity

• Personal passion projects

Your child should always ask themselves this: What does the university want to know about me? Why are they asking this question?

Most strong applicants can find a way to address this question, because most strong applicants are always learning something. Here are a few examples of how some students chose to address this prompt.

Heres how Maneesha answered this prompt:

How much water have you used today? I used to see this sign in my summer camp bathroom. Our counselors wanted us to save water by taking quick showers. But water was hard to count! How could I know how much Id used, or wasted?

Heres what Maneesha does well in tackling this Harvard supplemental essay:

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Preparing A Stellar Application

Identify What The Admissions Committee Wants To See In The Prompts

Although you should not write your essays based solely on what you think the admissions committee wants to hear, itâs useful to identify the purpose of each prompt. All of the prompts above demonstrate different themes of your character and experiences.

Some of the prompts want you to showcase your personality and individuality, while others ask you to demonstrate an obstacle and how you overcame adversity. Other prompts will want you to demonstrate your personal and intellectual growth in the face of external factors, your leadership capabilities, and how your attendance at Harvard will benefit the school, your peers, and yourself.

Remember that Harvardâs mission is to prepare students to be future leaders who will positively impact the world around them. If you can tie in your response to the schoolâs mission and valued qualities in a candidate, youâre already well on your way to a stellar admissions essay.

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How Hard Is It To Get Into Harvard

Harvard is traditionally among the nations most challenging colleges to gain admission to and its only getting more difficult. Harvard welcomed just 1,984 students out of the 61,221 who applied for a record-low acceptance rate of 3.2%.

Of the 60,000+ applicants for Harvards class of 2026, 9,406 of them applied early action of those, 740 were accepted for a 7.8% early action acceptance rate.

While Harvards acceptance rate is incredibly low, your personal chances of acceptance depend on your profile strength. CollegeVine can helpour free admissions calculator uses your grades, test scores, and extracurriculars to estimate your odds of acceptance and give you tips to improve your profile!

Common Sat Questions And Comparisons

• Will I get into Harvard University with a 1400 SAT score?Assuming you have the same GPA as an average admitted student, you have an 42% chance of getting accepted at Harvard University
• Will I get into Harvard University with a 1200 SAT score?Assuming you have the same GPA as an average admitted student, you have an 25% chance of getting accepted at Harvard University
• Will I get into Harvard University with a 1100 SAT score?Assuming you have the same GPA as an average admitted student, you have an 13% chance of getting accepted at Harvard University
• Will I get into Harvard University with a 3.9 GPA?Assuming you have the same GPA as an average admitted student, you have an 39% chance of getting accepted at Harvard University
• Will I get into Harvard University with a 3.5 GPA?Assuming you have the same GPA as an average admitted student, you have an 25% chance of getting accepted at Harvard University
• Will I get into Harvard University with a 3.2 GPA?Assuming you have the same GPA as an average admitted student, you have an 14% chance of getting accepted at Harvard University
• Will I get into Harvard University with a 3.0 GPA?Assuming you have the same GPA as an average admitted student, you have an < 10% chance of getting accepted at Harvard University
• Will I get into Harvard University with a 2.5 GPA?Assuming you have the same GPA as an average admitted student, you have an < 10% chance of getting accepted at Harvard University

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How To Get Into Harvard And The Ivy League By A

Harvard Alum Getting into elite schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and others is a goal of many high school students. How exactly to accomplish this is often a mystery to students and parents going through the admissions process. Lots of unhelpful and vague advice abound, especially from people who have never gained admission themselves to these schools.

In high school, I got into every school I applied to, including Harvard, Princeton, MIT, and Stanford,and I attended Harvard for college. I also learned a lot about my classmates and the dynamics ofcollege admissions in ways that were never clear to me in high school. Now I’m sharing this expertisewith you.

Here Ive written the most comprehensive guide to getting into top schools that Ive everseen. Im going to explain in detail what admissions officers at Ivy League schools are really lookingfor in your application. Importantly, Im going to share an actionable framework you can use to startplanning how you can build the most compelling application thats unique to you.

Brief Overview

If theres one central takeaway from this article, its that most students are spending their time onentirely the wrong things, because they have a wrong view of what top colleges are really lookingfor. If youre struggling to stay afloat with a ton of AP classes in subjects you dont care about, asports team, SAT/ACT prep, and volunteering, youre hurting yourself, and youre probably incrediblyunhappy.

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Which Undergrad Is Best For Med School

Which Undergrad is best for med school? Attending medical school, which calls for a degree earned from an undergraduate program as a prerequisite, is the first step for anyone thinking about a future in the medical field.

Students can better prepare themselves for medical school and a future in the medical field by earning one of the many various degrees offered as pre-med at Harvard. Youll be able to make significant judgments about which undergraduate programs to enroll in if you take the time to research the many sorts of degrees that are open to you.

If you want to get into medical school, picking the appropriate major in pre-med at Harvard is essential since it can help you get the most out of your preparation and improve the quality of your application to medical schools.

Build Relationships With Your Teachers

Harvard requires two teacher reports as part of your application.

In order to receive truly valuable letters of recommendation, your teachers need to know you as a person. Maybe your AP Biology teacher was also your soccer coach for three years, or your English teacher runs a local charity that youve given your time to. Ideally, your letters of recommendation should come from teachers who can speak to both your academic abilities and your character.

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When Should I Start Preparing To Apply To Harvard

If you think that you might want to attend Harvard, you should start preparing as early as possible. If you are still in junior high, you are at an advantage with preparing for Harvard. If you are in high school, start preparing during your freshman year if possible. Harvard will want to see that you have been a stellar student during your entire high school career.

If you are a sophomore, junior, or senior, it does not mean that it is too late. Your time frame will be shortened, and you will have much more to do in less time. Juniors and seniors who have decided that they want to attend Harvard will not be able to do much to raise their GPAs. If you are at this point in your high school career, you hopefully will have earned top grades and can concentrate on preparing for and taking the standardized admissions tests of your choice. Seniors who have earned good grades and test scores will need to concentrate on their applications and keeping their grades up during their senior year.

The key to having enough time to prepare for applying to Harvard is to start as early as possible. If you are reading this article, you have hopefully already begun. If you havent, start preparing now.