When reading an application, we get to know the person behind the numbers. We take into consideration your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, personal qualities, and life experiences. Just as there is no typical Harvard student, there is no ideal Harvard applicant. We look forward to learning more about you.
Upon receipt of your application, we will send you a confirmation email with instructions on how to access the Applicant Portal. This portal allows you to view your record in our applicant database, to see which pieces of your application we've received and processed, and to make other changes to your application. The data is updated nightly from the main admissions database and has the most up-to-date information available from our office. If you have sent us required materials that are shown in your status as not received, it is possible that those documents are being processed (along with thousands of others) in our office and simply have not yet made it to your file. Though we can not track each individual's materials upon request, we will conduct a thorough scrutiny of all files prior to committee evaluations. You will be contacted if you are missing required documents, and you will be given the opportunity to re-submit them without penalty.
We understand that you might receive new recognitions or awards after you’ve submitted your application. We welcome the submission of this additional notable information. You may upload information about notable accomplishments and awards using the Applicant Portal.
If you are applying Restrictive Early Action, we would like your testing results by the end of October; however, you may submit the November series if needed. For Regular Decision, although it is possible to submit scores from tests taken as late as the February, we recommend that you submit testing as early as possible.
Applicants are assigned interviews at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, based, in part, on availability of alumni in your local area. Nearly 10,000 alumni/ae volunteers help us recruit students from all 50 states and around the world, but most areas do not have the capacity to interview all applicants. Your application is considered complete without an interview and will receive a full and thorough evaluation. In most cases, the Admissions Committee has sufficient information in the student’s application materials to reach an admissions decision. If the Committee would like more information about a student or has questions about any application materials, someone may reach out to schedule an interview.
For all first-year and transfer applicants, your first step will be to fill out and submit an application. You can do so through the Common Application or the Coalition Application - Powered by Scoir. For first-year applicants, the Common Application opens on August 1 and the Coalition Application opens on August 15. For transfer applicants, both applications open on September 1.
We have no preference and each application is treated equally by the Admissions Committee.
