7th Sept 2007
Required Admissions Testing
A Residential College
Academics at Harvard College
6th Sept 2007
Admissions Information for Prospective Graduate Students
High School Preparation Quetions
Harvard Map
International Application Materials
International Interviews
We encourage international applicants to have an admissions interview when and where it is possible. Our interviewers abroad are normally graduates of the College who volunteer their assistance. Except in the case of students applying from schools in the United Kingdom and Canada, applicants must initiate contact with an interviewer. A list of interviewers abroad is enclosed with the application booklet. If an interviewer is not available sufficiently close to you to make an interview a possibility, the absence of an interview will not adversely affect your candidacy.
If you are applying from one of the countries listed below, you should initiate contact with one of our interviewers. If you have not already received our International Interviewer booklet with the names and contact information of interviewers, please email intladm@fas.harvard.edu with "International Interview" in the subject line and your full name and mailing address in the body of the email.
If the country you are applying from is not listed below, we may not have local interviewers or the number of applicants may be too great for all to be interviewed. Applicants from these countries will be contacted if the Admissions Committee requires more information.
International Financial Aid Information
Harvard is strongly committed to making educational opportunity accessible to all. All financial aid is awarded on the basis of financial need, and Harvard meets 100% of each family's demonstrated need. About 70% of Harvard undergraduates receive financial aid.
The financial aid policies for foreign citizens are exactly the same as those for U.S. citizens. All aid is need-based, and admissions decisions are made without regard to whether or not an applicant needs financial assistance.
Students who are not United States citizens or permanent residents should complete the "Financial Statement for Students from Foreign Countries." If you do not have a copy of this form, please request one from our office or download the forms. This form must be completed by all incoming students who are not United States citizens or permanent residents, whether or not they plan to apply for financial aid. Without complete information and appropriate certification, visa documents cannot be issued. For more information, please refer to the Financial Aid Website.
If you are applying from a school outside the United States or Canada, you should follow the same procedures and timetables as candidates applying from schools in the United States. Please reference Requirements on this site from more information. You can also download the application instructions.
Applicants must include their names on all forms they submit, underlining the family name. The admissions Committee also asks applicants not to submit application materials in binders or folders.
Translations
The Admissions Committee appreciates the effort which many applicants make in providing translations of the recommendations submitted on their behalf. Please note: All translations must include the name of the translator, and the original (untranslated) reports should be submitted as well.
International Required Tests
SAT, ACT Test Requirements
Applicants must submit the results of the SAT I or ACT and three subject SAT IIs even if they submit the results of their school leaving exams (e.g.,GCE A levels, International Baccalaureate, etc.). The January administration is the final testing date for students applying to the Freshman Class.
Applicants must designate Harvard as a recipient of their test scores, otherwise testing agencies will not release results directly to the Admissions Office. The SAT code number is 3434; the ACT code number is 1840.
Our testing requirements will change with the introduction of the new SAT I. For the Class of 2012, students may submit either the "old" SAT I or ACT taken before March 2005, or the new SAT or ACT (which must include the writing section). As always, students must also submit three SAT II exams of their choosing. The Admissions Committee will continue to consider all test results in light of students' educational opportunities.
No Access to SAT or ACT Test Centers
Students who do not have access to a testing center in their country are the ONLY exceptions to the policy outline above. If you do not have access to a testing center, we will consider other internationally recognized credentials, such as the results of the Graduate Record Examination. Applicants must send the results of the GRE to the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, code 3451.
Writing Exam Requirements
A strong knowledge of English is essential for successful study at Harvard, including the ability to understand and express thoughts quickly and clearly. We require the results of the SAT I and three SAT II Subject Tests for all candidates. The SAT II English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) is not acceptable for this purpose. Students are not required to submit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Candidates whose native language is not English should not take any of their three SAT II tests in their native language.
High School Preparation
Are there secondary school course requirements for admission?
There is no single academic path we expect all students to follow, but the strongest applicants take the most rigorous secondary school curricula available to them. An ideal four-year preparatory program includes four years of English, with extensive practice in writing; four years of math; four years of science: biology, chemistry, physics, and an advanced course in one of these subjects; three years of history, including American and European history; and four years of one foreign language.
Is it to a student's advantage to take advanced, accelerated or honors courses?
Yes. Although schools provide different opportunities, students should pursue the most demanding college-preparatory program available.
Must a student have certain grades or marks to be considered for admission?
The Admissions Committee recognizes that schools vary by size, academic program, and grading policies, so we do not have rigid grade requirements. There is no single academic path we expect all students to follow, but the strongest applicants take the most rigorous secondary school curricula available to them. We do seek students who achieve at a high level, and most admitted students rank in the top 10-15% of their graduating classes.
How familiar is the Admissions Committee with secondary schools? their rigor? what marks mean in a particular school or educational system?
We have worked hard for many years to learn about schools in the U.S. and around the world. Our careful study of different schools, curricula, and educational systems benefits, too, from information we receive directly each year from schools, extensive personal communication we have with school personnel, and the interview reports we receive from our alumni/ae, who meet thousands of applicants to the College each year. We can always learn more, so we welcome information students think might be helpful to the Admissions Committee in understanding their accomplishments in their school communities.
Does Harvard rank secondary schools in the U.S. and abroad?
No. While we understand there are differences in the overall strengths of secondary schools, we are most interested in how well applicants have taken advantage of available resources.
What if a student has attended more than one secondary school?
We ask students to provide Secondary School Reports from the college counselor of each school they have attended in their last two years of secondary school.
Does Harvard consider non-required test results, such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Abitur, or GCE A-levels?
Yes. We value any information that helps us form a complete picture of an applicant's academic interests and strengths.
Admissions Information for Prospective Graduate Students
The Graduate School invites applications from students whose breadth of academic experience and fitness for the specificfield of study suggest the potential for scholarly achievement.
In general, only applicants holding the BA or equivalent, with distinguished undergraduate records, are admitted. Faculty recommendations and the applicant’s statement of purpose are carefully weighed. Research papers, publications, and other original works may also be considered by the admissions committees during their evaluations.
Persons holding a PhD or its equivalent, or who have completed most of the work required to earn the PhD elsewhere, may apply to a PhD program in the Graduate School only if it is an unrelated field of study. In view of the large number of excellent applicants for the limited number of places in the Graduate School, preference for admission and financial aid will be given to those who have not already had an opportunity to receive a doctoral degree here or elsewhere. As an alternative, such people may apply for Visiting Fellow Status .
Simultaneous enrollment in another degree program while a candidate for a degree in GSAS is not ordinarily permitted.
Students may receive the PhD degree from only one program in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Approximately 11 percent of the applicant pool is offered admission to enroll in an incoming class of about 700.
All programs require the General GRE test scores; some require the GRE Subject test scores (some programs allow the GMAT to substitute, see Program Details). Some programs require specific undergraduate courses, languages, or quantitative expertise.
Before filing your application, please be sure to read carefully the descriptions of the degree program(s) and requirements of the department(s) to which you seek admission.
We expect accuracy in all documents provided by applicants. If a candidate for admission makes inaccurate statements or submits false material in connection with the application, appropriate action will be taken. In most cases, these misrepresentations are discovered during the admission process and the application is rejected. If a misrepresentation is discovered after a candidate is admitted, the offer of admission normally will be withdrawn.
Applicants are considered for admission to the fall term only. There are no spring or summer admissions.
Only the Dean of the Graduate School has the authority to make an offer of admission.
If you have decided that Harvard University offers the graduate education you are seeking, we hope you will apply. We encourage online submission of the application. If you decide to apply using the paper version of the application, please complete your application accurately, legibly, and on time. Be sure your statement of purpose outlines your goals for graduate study. This is very important to academic departments in deciding whether to recommend admission. If you need additional information beyond what is provided in the following pages, do not hesitate to contact the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid. We look forward to receiving your application.
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