Harvard University Guide

Admissions Criteria: 

The three key aspects of admissions are: academic excellence, extracurricular distinction, and personal qualities. Students who excel in all of these areas are the ones Harvard actively looks for.

All applicants are rated on six-point scales (with 1 the highest) in the following categories: academic, extracurricular, athletic, recommendation letters, personal, and alumni interview/overall rating. These grades may also have a +/- score, like letter grades in school. The overall rating is the most important, students with an overall rating of 1 are always accepted, those with one of 3- or below almost never are. The two most important categories within their rating scale for the overall rating are academic and personal.

Harvard states on their website the questions they try to answer about incoming students. The overall theme of the questions is: What has the student done, what does the student care about, and what does the student have the potential to do?

Legacy status is considered. Recruited athletes do have a boost in admissions, so long as their application is otherwise also strong.

Almost all students admitted to Harvard participate in an alumni interview, although it is technically optional.

What is Harvard Looking For?

Their goal with the admissions process is to separate the students who are “perfect” but just good, and the students who are “perfect” and great. The review process is holistic, with candidates examined by individuals, the most qualified then examined by regional subcommittees, and finally the top candidates debated by the full committee. 

They want students who will contribute meaningfully to life on campus, both as leaders and as people. They want to see both the academic and social impact admitted students will have on the campus environment. While students should have a singular focus, they should be strong across the board academically and in terms of their personal characteristics. 

Thanks to a recent lawsuit, Harvard’s admission rubrics have been released. While all ratings are still subjective, they do give an idea of what the school is looking for. Students earning a perfect 1 for academics will not only have perfect grades and test scores, but show a strong potential for future academic growth, and evidence of learning and conducting research outside the classroom. Test scores and grades which are merely excellent will earn a rating of 3.

A 1 in extracurriculars goes to students who have shown distinction in their activities at a national or international level, with potential for future growth. A 3 is for students who participate deeply, but don’t have any particular distinction to differentiate them. 2s go to students with statewide or regional distinction and a high level of involvement.

The athletic rating is the most straightforward. 1 is for recruited varsity athletes, 2 is for strong athletes who are recruited, and 3 is for students who did a lot of sports, but not at a high level. Scores of 4 or below represent students who didn’t or couldn’t participate in sports.

The personal rating, which was the main subject of the lawsuit, is also the most subjective. The rubric denotes students scoring a 1 are “outstanding” while those scoring a 6 display “Worrisome personal qualities.” Being “generally positive” will earn a 3, being “bland” a 4. The main takeaways are don’t be a terrible person, and don’t be boring, especially in the interview.

The letter of recommendation ratings are more subjective, but follow that the more highly praised a student is by teachers, the better the score. Thus the best student ever/in ten years, will likely receive a 1, while a generally positive letter will earn a 3.

Harvard Strategy:

Students who earn a score of 1 in any of the categories for admission are incredibly rare, and those who do, especially in social, academic, or extracurricular, are far more likely to be admitted. Thus your main focus should be determining where best you can stand out, and shoring up other areas so that they pass muster with a 2 or 3.

The students with the highest chances of admissions are the special cases: recruited athletes, legacy admits, children of faculty, and special interest students recommended by deans. As most students will not fall into any of these categories, they should instead focus on where they can best stand out, and making sure that they have accomplished things of note in their chosen area. 

Harvard has and maintains a commitment to diversity; this was part of the reason for the lawsuit. Thus students who stand out from their peers are of greater interest, and have better chances of admission overall.

For the best shot at admissions, your scores in academics, social, extracurriculars, and recommendations should be 3 or higher. Athletics doesn’t hurt you if it’s low, but can help if it’s a 1. At least one of your scores should reach a two, and the more you have in that range, the greater your chances. Students with a 1 in at least one category had their admissions chances increase ten-fold, students with an overall score of 1 were always admitted. Thus you should hone your strengths, and shore-up any potential weaknesses.