In keeping with the rest of the Ivy League, the small liberal arts school just outside of Boston more commonly known as Harvard is now test-optional for the upcoming round of applicants. Before you jump for joy, please understand that it will still be extremely difficult to get into Harvard this year. Even harder than last year. This is because more people will be applying in light of this recent shift. At TKG, we have made our stance on applying to Ivy League schools “just because” quite clear. If you’re planning on applying to Harvard, you need to have already been working towards this goal long before the school went test-optional. It is worth noting that Harvard will still consider your scores if you send them in, which means that you should definitely send your scores in if you did well. Keep reading for our tips on applying to Harvard this year:
Start your common app essay today:
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: 2020 is the year of the essay. In the absence of test scores, all other aspects of your application are going to be much more important. Grades, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation will matter – but your essay is where you’ll make yourself stand out. For the purposes of essay brainstorming, strip away your academic achievements and think about what personality trait you want to highlight. Are you introspective, the person your friends call for help, or perhaps creative? Your common app essay should speak to those qualities in a way that shows what you might bring to the Harvard community. Harvard is going to be reading more common app essays than ever before this year, so you need to put forth your best writing effort and edit your essay until it is perfect.
Make your summer count:
The profile of a typical Harvard student does not include a penchant for chilling all summer long. Staying productive over the summer is not about adding things to your list to make yourself ~seem~ busy, it’s about focusing on your academic passions and outside of school interests in a way that is meaningful. There is a misconception that top tier schools are looking for students who are involved in well, everything. That’s not true. Your goal is to show focus and growth in a few areas.
Figure out exactly why you need to attend Harvard:
Everybody wants to go to Harvard, but not everybody should go to Harvard. What specifically draws you to the school? As we said earlier, Harvard is in the market for students with a clear picture of their academic goals. They are not looking for students who want to go to Harvard to figure things out along the way. It’s not too early to do the research! Pretty soon, and by that we mean in August, you’re going to be writing your supplements. It’s helpful to start familiarizing yourself with that information now and getting clear on your goals. That way, you can make a case for yourself as to why you truly belong at Harvard.
Do their optional supplement:
Looking ahead here, but this needs to be submitted. There is no such thing as an optional supplement. Last year, only 4.5% of students who applied to Harvard got in. We are willing to bet that every single one of those students completed all of their supplements. We’ll be publishing a how-to guide for Harvard’s supplements in August.
Like we said up top, getting into Harvard this year will not be easy. Let us know if you have any questions.
Contact us here if you’d like to work with someone one-on-one.