Let’s be honest, applying to Harvard is audacious. By Harvard, we are of course referring to the Harvard, the iconic Ivy League institution that needs no introduction around the globe. Go nearly anywhere and say “Harvard,” and whoever you’re talking to conjures up ideas of academic excellence and high expectations. The reputation is valid, and it’s upheld by the 7,100ish undergraduates and over 25,000 students total who call Harvard their academic home at any given time.
Harvard receives over 50,000 applications each year, and the acceptance rate is only 3.5%. Again, applying to Harvard is deeply audacious. You need to have immense drive paired with deep confidence if you even want a chance of getting in. If you want more than a just a chance, we can help.
In this post, we’re going to break down how you can use your summers to give your application depth and strength. If you want to be part of that tiny sliver of applicants who get in, you need to make how you spend your summers a key part of your application. Pull this off, and you may get to call Harvard home.
If you’re aiming for Harvard, send us an email. We are experts in gaining entry to the Ivy League.
What does Harvard want to see from your summer?
First, let’s talk big picture. Harvard doesn’t have a checklist of what they want to see you doing during the summer but there are certain things they want to see you doing in an abstract sense. They want to see you exploring passion. They want to see your drive. They want to see hard work. But most of all, they want to see you. When Harvard reviews applications, they look for students are defying expectations, who push beyond boundaries, and who surprise them. The summer offers weeks of unstructured time that you’re the boss of, so it is your best time to give them all of this and more.
Augment Your Academics
A big part of your summer — in effort, if not necessarily in time — should be spent furthering your academic credentials. First, you should review the recommended course distributions for applicants which Harvard measures applications against (see page 9). If you will not exceed these minimum recommendations through your regular high school program, you need to plan to add to your transcript over the summer.
Even if you are going to exceed these recommendations already going about your regular business at school, we highly recommend taking summer courses to show how you are actively pursuing your passions beyond the typical high school offerings. There are many accredited summer learning options, both in-person and online, open to high school students. A community college or local university near you may be a good option, but we don’t recommend taking non-accredited courses online to fulfill this goal. While those courses can be useful for general interest purposes, so we sometimes encourage them, they don’t actually augment your transcript nor communicate to Harvard that you’re ready for collegiate-level work of the highest caliber.
Of course, Harvard, like many other top tier schools, also has their own summer course options for high school students. Harvard does not take “level of applicants interest” into account when reviewing applications so, in theory, doing a Harvard program doesn’t increase your chances of getting in. But doing their programs does give you a marked boost because they are fans of their own offerings. When they see their own summer courses on your application, they know that you worked hard.
Harvard offers 2, 4, and 7-week options, and you can select between non-credit and college-credit courses. There are on-campus and online options, and hundreds of courses to choose from. This means that there is something for nearly any high school student who is a rising sophomore, junior, or senior. Over 2,800 high school students take part each year from 71 countries and 53 US States and Territories. We recommend for-credit and online unless you are local to Harvard or the cost is covered or reduced in some way, as the in-person programs are quite expensive. To be honest, all the Harvard summer programs are very expensive. So, if they are a stretch for you, we advise investing your time into local courses, SAT/ACT prep, and internships/jobs (we go into this below).
Speaking of SAT/ACT prep, all applicants are required to submit SAT or ACT scores — so you need to be studying. First, we recommend taking both to see which one you like better and which you perform better on. Many students go into standardized tests with preconceived notions about which test will be best for them based on the outcomes of friends or siblings, but you really need to discover it for yourself through a process of trying both. Then, once you’ve picked one, study hard. Study material, of course, but also strategy. Much of standardized test success has more to do with how you take the test than it does with what you know. Students accepted by Harvard, by-and-large, achieve perfect or nearly perfect scores on whichever test they submit. Are there exceptions? Yes. And those exceptions are rare. You never want to count on being an exception, so study.
Emphasize Your Interests
Summer isn’t supposed to be all about more school, and Harvard wants to see you do stuff outside of taking classes. We highly recommend that students get a summer job at least once before applying to Harvard. While working as bagger at a grocery store may seem to run counter to eventual acceptance by Harvard, we find that pivoting away from school (and academics and a complete career focus) to work a normal job for a high school student — which typically means a lower-paying lower-ranking position — is really helpful. It’s helpful for your application, and it’s helpful for you as a person.
Work as a server or a caddy or a summer camp counselor. Be a lifeguard, or coach a summer team in a sport you play. Do something that is linked to your bigger goals in a broad way, but that is mostly focused on learning how to navigate a workplace, build coworker relationships, and address challenges when they come up.
We also highly recommend that students get at least one summer internship before applying to Harvard. Unlike the job, this should definitely be closely linked to what you want to study in college. It could be an internship with a local business owner or professional, or a research position with a professor or other academic. You’re going to have to make a strong pitch for yourself when you reach out about the potential of an internship, so brush up your resume before you reach out — and your resume must be one page. Seriously. Every year we have students send us resumes that are 2, 5, or even 10 pages. That isn’t just absurd, it’s off-putting. Professionals who have been in a field for a decade can get their resume down to one focused page, so you can too. Include what’s relevant, and leave off the fluff.
Make Yourself the Interesting Part
A lot of students who are considering vying for a spot at a tippy-top university think that doing fancy things will make them stand out, but that’s actually not the best strategy. Harvard doesn’t really care if you can pay for an immersive academic program or around the world trip. That isn’t interesting to them unless you do something with that opportunity that is independently interesting. They care about who you are far more than what you’ve done. So, whatever your resources, the most important thing you can do during the summer is to chase your passions in whatever ways you have access to. Then, in your application, you’ll need to translate those experiences into impactful narratives.
Think about your summer as the opportunity to develop and create the building blocks for the stories you’ll communicate through your application. With this in mind, we also recommend keeping a journal. Take notes, and give yourself time to reflect on the experiences you have.
Applying to Harvard isn’t for those who want a lazy summer, and that’s part of the deal. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, pursue your passions, and learn a lot. It’s just a different kind of summer, but you’re a different kind of student.
If you’re a future Harvard student in the making, email us. We can help you get into a dream school.