I can imagine you asking yourself a number of questions in the hopes of receiving satisfying answers as you consider learning more about Harvard University and enrolling there. These unsettling inquiries of yours would be resolved as you’ll understand everything you should know about Harvard University at the end of this article. Anyway, grab a cool drink, cross your legs on a couch, and read this outstanding content to get the long-awaited answers to your queries regarding Harvard University.
The cutting edge of intellectual and academic advancement is at Harvard. The quest for knowledge, truth, and a better world has been pursued for almost four centuries. Those who come here to learn, research, teach, work, and grow to join them. Harvard is committed to providing educational opportunities for people from a variety of lived experiences as a research university and nonprofit organization.
What Type of Aid is offered at Harvard University?
Harvard University is committed to assisting those who need assistance and ensuring it’s an affordable institution for all by making available various financial aid packages ranging from scholarship (grant) funding, student employment, and any prospective outside awards to make up your total package of financial help. The option of a loan is one that is basically not essential due to other aids made available, but, in a situation where a parent or guardian is willing to take the loan, it will be made available for such an individual.
- Scholarships and Grants: This happens to be the major way the university generates effective aid for supporting students who need it. Several sources contribute to the funding of scholarships, including the Harvard endowment, alumni gifts, regular tuition earnings, and federal and provincial incentives. More than 2,000 individual endowment and gift funds, including a game-changing $150 million contribution from Ken Griffin (class of 1989), have been established by kind alumni and donors for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Scholarship program.
- Outside Awards: Notwithstanding, outside awards could be a very lucrative way to reduce one’s college expenses. Since there are possibilities that you may also receive awards outside of the university geared towards your education, it is expected you turn in such awards by reporting to the appropriate unit as such awards will be used to cover some of your college expenses.
- Student Employment: Are you wondering and asking yourself how you’ll get a job. You need not worry about that because the system is designed in such a way that the university employment office is available to help you search for available jobs in libraries, museums, institutions, cafeterias, etc. Since the wages from the job are paid directly to you, it is expected that you utilize it appropriately to take care of your personal expenses.
- Loan: You can take loans at your disposal to sort out both student and family needs but it’s not advisable as the financial aid is enough to cater to your needs without requesting any loan.
What Harvard University Looks For
Harvard University does not just give out admission because people are applying, rather they go for the best among the best. That’s a sensitive process to follow as sieving these calibers of people could be tedious, difficult, and time-consuming but they don’t mind. They carefully consider each applicant as they review applications for admission. They look for students who will be the finest teachers of one another and their professors—people who will motivate others around them during and beyond their time in college. Remember the phrase “average Harvard student” does not exist”. While your application is before them, these are some of the points they look into before considering you to be worthy of admission into the university.
- Individual Character: You could have a high test score and be convinced that’s enough to get you an admission spot into Harvard University. Well, I’m sorry to make you feel heartbroken and disappointed at the same time by unveiling how that is not enough towards getting you a shot into Harvard. One special characteristic, though, that can help you stand out from other applicants and attract the attention of admissions officers is you, oh yeah, you of course. The individual who created an application in its most distinctive and exceptional feature. They still want to know about your leadership qualities (if any), ethics, maturity, and teamwork are not excluded.
- Advancement and Prospects: Admissions officers will consider more than just your academic performance, such as your GPA and test scores, to determine how you are progressing. Are you performing at the top of your game? Have you continuously pushed yourself or have you been coasting? Even if you may be the top student in your high school, Harvard University applicants will compare you to some of the best students in the nation.
Resting on your accomplishments from earlier performances is insufficient. You must show that you are constantly developing and bettering yourself. Many thousands of kids who participated in different clubs and sports submit applications to them. Profiles like these are ubiquitous; they include positions like the editor of the student newspaper, leader of the gymnastics team, president of the chess club, and many others.
- Activities and Demonstrated Interest: Harvard seeks applicants who are dedicated to a cause, hobby, or area of interest. Not someone who quit when things became tough, but someone who persevered in their craft and overcame obstacles. As the name implies, this refers to all the various methods a candidate might demonstrate to Harvard University their interest in enrolling. Even while some institutions don’t formally count shown interest as a factor in admissions decisions, many of the activities that come under this category are nonetheless advantageous.
Most institutions have reduced or eliminated extracurriculars, while some pay fees for participation. Additionally, because some students have major obligations to their families or jobs, they cannot afford to spend extra time or money on extracurricular activities. Due to their awareness of these elements, the admissions committee also takes into account how applicants use the resources at their disposal. It’s crucial to explain your love for the hobbies as well as how they’ve helped you develop personally.
- Contribution and Support for the Harvard Community: Harvard takes a lot into cognizance, it’s more like a symbiotic relationship. They are not only interested in what they can offer you but also what you’ve got to offer to the community and people around you. You can only convince them by citing instances of related activities you have done in the past at your locality. Also, they want to know what ideas and contributions you can bring to the table which is in line with their norms and core values, this perspective must be taken into account when completing your application and composing your extra essays.
How Difficult is it to Get into Harvard University?
For the class of 2025, Harvard got 57,786 applications, according to their official Admission Statistics page. A total of 2,320 of these applications were chosen, and no one was chosen off the waiting list, giving Harvard’s overall admission percentage for that year of about 4.0 percent.
The difficulty of getting into Harvard is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf and that requires the story of an individual who has gone through the process. Be prepared to put in 30 hours of effort in a 24-hour day if you want to attend Harvard. Harvard only accepts less than 6% of the total number of applicants, and fewer than 2% of the international freshmen who apply are accepted.
To further buttress this resounding question, I would bring a brief story of a Harvard graduate. Dave Nitzer, who secured a Bachelor of Art in Music History & Human Psychology, Harvard University in 1980 says in summary while addressing how difficult it is to be admitted into Harvard.
“As a Harvard alumnus, I was accepted into the prestigious university on a near-full scholarship. To pay it forward, I have been a volunteer interviewer for students who can’t travel to Cambridge for an in-person interview. We are trained every year on any changes to the admission process that are pertinent to our role as volunteer interviewers.
We do not have any input or vote on the selection process, nor do we have any insight into how the admissions committee makes its decisions. Our role is simply to interview according to their established guidelines, and the feedback we are asked to give is fairly straightforward. So, to repeat, our influence in the admissions process is not at all what many applicants might think it is.
Out of 25,000+ applicants, there is only room for around 1,600, give or take. You’d have better odds of getting into a lifeboat on the Titanic. Even as an alumnus of the admissions process, it’s hard to predict who is admitted and why or why not. Many factors go into it, and grades and SAT scores are just one of those many factors.
I can remember one who was admitted who I thought would not be up to the academic demands.” However, the difficulty shouldn’t discourage you but rather a source of encouragement to improve, strive and advance towards being better.”
How can I Get a Scholarship and Admission at Harvard University?
Unfortunately, there aren’t many of these “fantasy” scholarships available. There are few Harvard university scholarships for international students, full scholarships are hard to come by and extremely competitive when they do. Even so, you should still apply for them. Continue reading to learn how to improve your chances of receiving one of these distinguished scholarships. The Common Application, the Coalition Application, or the Universal Application are the three application systems that Harvard accepts.
You can pick whichever of these possibilities works best for you because the school has no preference. You can choose when to apply as well. Harvard has a Restrictive Early Action program with a November 1st deadline in addition to its Regular Decision application period, which has a January 1st deadline. Without further ado, let’s dive into some key points that will guide you through your admission and scholarship trip to Harvard.
- Be an Outstanding Applicant: In a quest to secure a scholarship spot in a competitive university like Harvard, you have to distinguish yourself from others in various areas. It’s not just about having a decorated result or having the required test scores, it’s way more than that. If you’ve been reading in-depth, you’ll remember where I talked about what Harvard wants, such has to be applied here.
Ensure you engage yourself in extra-curricular activities, leadership positions and qualities, community service, positive comments in your recommendation letter (build quality relationships with your mentor and teachers), and a strong academic background which is not an exception. If you can achieve these, then you have some edge over some applicants and that will help increase your chances of being considered for admission.
- Start Early and Be Prepared Ahead of Time: You don’t want to be disappointed along the line. Most times, the applicant contributes a greater percentage to which they fail to be considered for scholarship and admission. As an organized individual who understands how difficult the quest before him is would do everything possible to beat time.
Look for possible admission interview questions, study them repeatedly and be familiar with the question in such a way that you wouldn’t think twice about giving answers to any if asked the same question. Avoid procrastination, that’s a lazy man’s apology, and it’s disastrous. I’m sorry to hurt your feelings but you can’t get into Harvard if you are a procrastinator, you’ve got to do things when necessary and as when due.
- Ensure Your Scholarship Essay and Cover Letter Are Standard: At this point, a lot of applicants have long an opportunity of being considered. This is a part you shouldn’t joke with while applying for admission or scholarship into any competitive university especially the likes of Harvard, MIT, Cambridge, and Oxford, etc. Reasons being that it can either make or mar your opportunity.
Ensuring that your essay is crystal clear and succinct, properly formatted, captures the reader with a compelling start, maintains focus on its main issue or topic, and has perfect spelling, grammar, and adequate punctuation. After that, read and re-read your essay to avoid any sort of errors ranging from spelling, grammar, or punctuation. Go as far as asking a friend to go through the essay and make necessary corrections.
- Be Bold, Realistic, And Marketable: Is on this note that you have to bring in self-glorification. I know how difficult that could be for many but at this point, it is beyond hiding under a shell and expecting to be seen by all. You’ve got to be bold, realistic, and be able to make the admission officers see you as an asset and not a liability. Remember, it’s just like a symbiotic relationship, enlighten them on what you have accomplished, let them see what you’re made of, what you can do, and the ideas you can bring to the table, etc.
- Study the Instructions Adequately and Implement Them Sequentially: Don’t be among the numerous people who find it difficult to read and follow instructions. Most people apply for scholarships that they aren’t eligible for and be waiting for a response without knowing they have been disqualified before applying.
Adapt to make research and decide on the scholarship you want to apply for, identify the criteria, and requirements and ask yourself if you are eligible to apply. If so, identify the next step and follow it sequentially. Do not assume the instructor wanted you to do something different, just do exactly what you’re asked to do and you’ll find yourself a step ahead.
Harvard Requirements for Admission
To be considered for admission into a college like Harvard, you need to meet Harvard University admission requirements for both local and international students. A lot has to be put into consideration, but we will look at the crucial ones.
- GPA Requirement: Gaining admission into Harvard is meant for students with a very strong academic background, coupled with other factors put into consideration. The average required GPA a student is expected to have to be considered for Harvard is 4.18.
- Test requirements, such as those for the SAT and ACT: Applicants are expected to sit for either of the tests to be considered for admission to Harvard. Meanwhile, they both have a different average requirements in order to be considered for Harvard.
SAT: This has an average of 1520.
ACT: This has an average of 34.
Application requirements: The application requirements for Harvard are summarized below.
| Application Requirement Summary | |||
| Common Application | Accepted, supplemental forms required | ||
| Universal Application | Accepted, supplemental forms required | ||
| Electronic Application | Available | ||
| An essay or Personal Statement | Required for all freshmen | ||
| Letters of Recommendation | 2 | ||
| Interview | Required | ||
| Application Fee | $75 | ||
| Fee Waiver Available? | Available | ||
| Testing Requirements | |||
| SAT or ACT | Required | ||
| SAT Essay or ACT Writing | Required | ||
| SAT Subject Tests | Required | ||
| Scores Due in Office | March 6 | ||
| Coursework Requirements | |||
| Subject | Required Years | ||
| English | 4 | ||
| Mathematics | 4 | ||
| Science | 4 | ||
| Foreign Language | 3 | ||
| Social studies | 4 | ||
| History | 3 | ||
| Electives | 4 | ||
| Deadlines and Early Admissions | |||
| Offered? | Deadline | Notification | |
| Regular Admission | Yes | January 1 | April 1 |
| Early Admission | Yes | November 1 | None |
| Early Decision | No |
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Conclusion
Applying to Harvard can be intimidating, but the more you know, the better you’ll be able to think about taking an opportunity at Harvard, and the better you’ll be able to prepare for the application process’s expectations. I’ve taken the time to walk you through everything you need to know about applying for admission or a scholarship at Harvard University.
It is not always a bed of roses, but it is possible to gain admission to Harvard if you put in the right effort, work hard, are dedicated, and follow all of the steps that are expected of you.
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