So, you want to get into Harvard? What, like, it’s hard? Yes, it's hard. It's really hard. In case you live under a rock, Harvard is an Ivy League university in Boston… sorry we mean Cambridge, Massachusetts. It wouldn’t be a leap to say that Harvard is the most famous college in America, and maybe the world, and with good reason. They have fabulous academics, high-class research, and a tradition of excellence. They are also extremely hard to get into, with just a 3.4% acceptance rate last year.
Harvard publishes a long list of FAQs about admissions, but many of them are not the most helpful. So, we wanted to break down what you actually need to do to be a good candidate for Harvard. Warning: it’s a lot.
So let’s talk about it. Strap in, folks.
What is Harvard looking for?
Harvard uses a holistic admissions model. This means they look at multiple factors and your application as a whole. Schools publish the factors they look at as a part of a yearly review called the Common Data Set. And Harvard’s is fascinating. We’re data nerds; of course, we are going to freak out at a unique data set. We’re data nerds; of course, we are going to break down why Harvard’s factors are so wild.
We’ve been doing a series on how to get into top schools, and honestly, a lot of their factor breakdowns look really similar. However, Harvard’s is noticeably different because they don’t list anything as important or very important. Don’t let that fool you; by making nothing important, they have essentially made everything important except for the factors they don’t consider.
So, let’s start with Academics
To get into Harvard, you need strong academics. FULL STOP. We’re talking about perfect grades. You want to start by getting the right units. Harvard doesn’t have any required units to apply, but they do have a set of recommended units. With a sub-4 % acceptance rate… just think of their recommendations as requirements.
It's not enough to just get these units… you also need to take them at a high level (when possible). Each high school’s offerings are a little different, but you should try to take as many classes as possible at an accelerated level. Think IB, AP, Honors, Dual Enrollment, etc. You really want to show a rigorous transcript and challenge yourself academically. If your school doesn’t have great classes, consider taking some at a local college or a summer program. This is important.
You also need a slay-worthy GPA. Most colleges don’t track admitted GPAs. Harvard does.
The vast majority of students had a 4.0 unweighted and, given the average, over a 4.0 weighted. You should try for the same. While most students had over a 4.0, that doesn’t mean everyone with over a 4.0 gets in. Excellent grades are not enough to get you into Harvard. You need more.
One weird note here: Harvard says it doesn’t consider class rank, but they do track it. Since they don’t consider it, this data is more useful as another view of the kind of student they are looking for, one at the top of their class.
Test Scores
Harvard is currently test-optional, but trust us; you want to send scores if possible. 83% of matriculated freshmen submitted test scores. So yes, technically, you can get in without them, but it's certainly not the norm.
Ideally, you want to only submit if you are at or above the “50 percentile.” Pretty much submit if you have a better score than the average student. For Harvard, this means over 760 on SAT EBRW, 790 on SAT Math or 35 on ACT Science, and 36 on ACT reading.
Notably, the 75th percentile for SAT Math as well as both ACT sections, are perfect scores. This means over 25% of students sent in at least one perfect score. Yeah, it’s that serious.
Extracurriculars
Like we said, not everyone with a 4.0 gets into Harvard. You need to have more. This means cool, complex, and in-depth extracurriculars. We have a blog that breaks this down more specifically. You can find it here. But the TL;DR, you want to chase your passions as far as you can. Ideally, one of these passions should be connected to what you want to study in college.
Harvard wants to see passion, commitment, and leadership regardless of your interests. Making sure these are front and center on your resume will help you. The secret about extracurriculars is they are ways to show off personal characteristics, abilities, talent, and positive qualities. That's why they are so important.
Let’s talk about the application itself
Ok, you have excellent grades, activities, and scores… that’s not all you need. You also need a great application. This includes stellar essays and recommendations. It's hard to control your recommendations (hopefully, you have teachers who know you well and love you), but you can control your essays.
You need a great Common App essay. We have a ton of blogs on how to approach the Common App essay, and think this one is especially helpful. But, generally, you want to do a couple of things.
You need to tell a good story.
It needs to showcase some positive qualities that you have.
It should be written in an engaging and, ideally, creative way. Showcase those chops!
It's a lot to do in 650 words, but we can help if needed.
Harvard also has a pretty intense supplement. There are five short essays that we break down here. But you need to take time and care as you answer each. Honestly, give yourself plenty of time to finish this application. You want everything to be as perfect as possible.
Getting into Harvard is hard. You know this. If you want to apply, putting your best foot forward is essential. You can do that by having great academics, activities, and a killer application. It’s a lot to ask, but we believe in you.
And if you need help, we are here for you. Reach out now!