How To Get Into Harvard: Crafting a Winning Application

Wondering how to get into Harvard? It starts by knowing what you’re up against and pushing yourself to be ambitious, reflective, and disciplined in your approach. Perhaps no one knows this better than Crimson Education co-founder and CEO Jamie Beaton who got into Harvard and more than twenty other top universities in the US, UK, and EU when he applied to college. In this post, we’ve asked Jamie to share lots of concrete, actionable advice you can use to craft a profile that really stands apart, even at one of the world’s most selective universities.

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How Hard Is It To Get Into Harvard?

With a disciplined approach, you can get into Harvard, but it's also sobering to be realistic about what you’re up against.

But understanding the challenge is a crucial step in the process — it will motivate you to excel at a higher level, which, let’s face it, you’ll need to do to unlock this kind of transformational opportunity in your life.

Here's a snapshot of what it takes to get into Harvard:

1. A Highly Selective Landscape

• No surprise, Harvard’s overall acceptance rate is ~3.4%, hovering at all-time lows.
• The Regular Decision acceptance rate — the one most applicants are up against — is even lower, at 2.6%.
• Fortunately, you can apply Early Action and “only” face a 7.5% admit rate — more about the pros and cons of this below.
• Are you an International student? Your odds will be even tougher, as you face a 1.8% admit rate.

2. Competition From an Elite Group of Applicants

Outstanding academic aptitudes, accomplishments, and potential are the norm for Harvard applicants:

• Average (weighted) GPA = 4.2
• SAT/ACT Scores: To rank in the top 25% of all applicants, you need a composite SAT Score of 1580 or composite ACT score of 36
• Harvard will no longer be test optional, beginning with applications to the Class of 2029.

3. A Strong Holistic Fit:

You'll also need to demonstrate excellence and promise beyond academic performance, with your profile resonating with Harvard’s classic brand and traditions, such as its emphasis on intellectual pursuit and leadership.

Conveying strong directionality and intention is also crucial. As a world-class academic institution Harvard is looking for students with exceptional levels of motivation, ambition, and commitment — for their college learning and beyond.

As Harvard takes pride in fostering a rigorous academic environment, they're looking for students who can show evidence of resourcefulness, resilience, and perseverance.

What You Need To Get Into Harvard: Crafting a Winning Profile and Application

Getting into Harvard was in every way a game changer for my future, so I understand and applaud the drive students have who want to get into this incredible institution.

I’m going to walk you through some key strategies, tips, and reminders on how to make your application stand out, across all the major components:

• academics
• test scores
• demonstrating intellectual drive and curiosity
• showcasing personal qualities that really resonate with the Harvard ethos — this is where your extracurriculars, essays, and letters of recommendation come into the picture

1. Believing You Can Do It

When an interviewer once asked me why I was so motivated to get into a school like Harvard, I said because academics and education are the most consistent and powerful tools for achieving the future you dream of.

Having this kind of strong intent and motivation is a critical ingredient for success.

This makes it crucial to reflect on what going to Harvard means to you — why it’s something you’re so passionate about and have been working hard to achieve, both in the classroom and in extracurriculars, and why Harvard matters in terms of where you're headed after high school.

2. GPA and Academic Rigor

The first thing they will do at Harvard is look at your academics. This is why, even though Harvard’s approach to admissions is holistic, demonstrating a high level of academic performance is key.

The average Harvard admit has a weighted GPA of 4.2. Not every admit has, or has to have, such a pristine GPA, but it’s going to be important to maintain a strong GPA in order to have better chances of succeeding.

Harvard applicants also need to meet — if not exceed — Harvard’s high school curriculum expectations.

Keep in mind, however, that your grades will also carry more weight if you're pursuing the most rigorous and challenging courses possible, such as:

• Enrolling in AP, IB, or Honors courses for most subjects, when available. Does your own school have limited offerings for this? In that case, consider an online high school program better suited to your aspirations, or a college-prep oriented high school where you live, or prepare for and take AP exams on your own.
• Taking college courses while still in high school — through a college bridge program, independent enrollment, or a pre-college program. Remember, your full range of options can include both in-person and online options, increasing the odds you can find something that works for your circumstances.
• Engaging with MOOCs (massive open online course platforms) such as Khan Academy, Coursera, or Udemy, just to name a few popular ones. These offer immense variety, easy online sign up, and asynchronous learning you can tailor to any schedule.

Students often tell me they're worried about balancing academic rigor with the challenge of maintaining high enough grades in more rigorous courses, a legitimate concern.

The key here is to know your strengths and select challenging courses in subjects where you'll be both more motivated and more able to succeed.

Also, be proactive in finding ways to get additional academic support (ideally before your grade starts dropping):

• Using popular study guides published in print and online
• Using online tutoring and course offerings
• Getting individualized academic tutoring

Whether it’s an independent study approach, such as studying for and taking an AP exam on your own initiative, or enrolling in an online high school such as the Crimson Global Academy, or taking college bridge courses, pursuing academic rigor in this way — and showing this kind of initiative and resourcefulness — is crucial for your Harvard application.

Here are some additional tips for standing out with your academics:

• Include challenging academic extracurriculars in your mix of activities outside of school — such as Math Olympiad, science fairs, Mathletes competitions, and so forth.
• Engage in independent research or other kinds of capstone projects.
• Sign up for a a pre-college summer program at a leading university.

3. Standardized Tests

Standardized tests are part of the “academic” component of your application, but different in some ways from your GPA and transcripts.

But first... Do you even need to take the test?

It’s true that the majority of US colleges and universities are now test optional, and the utility these tests have is widely questioned. However, Harvard has recently reversed course, eliminating test-optional admissions and making test scores required once again for all applicants.

And, if you're applying to other selective schools — even test-optional ones — Crimson strategists usually recommend students take the test after thorough preparation. When it comes to the SAT/ACT, try your best — a good test score will only increase your chances of admission.

From admissions officers’ perspective, your test scores offer a unique glimpse into your foundational academic readiness, apart from coursework, course rigor, and GPA.

While high schools will vary in educational offerings, rigor, and grading practices, standardized tests serve as a more universal metric of academic readiness in core language, reading comprehension, and mathematics skills.

What’s a Good SAT/ACT Target for Harvard?

As you know, 1530 for the SAT and 33–34 for the ACT should be a good score for the IVY’s and Ivy Plus institutions. But to be in the top 25% of applicants at Harvard, you’ll want to shoot for a 1560–1580 SAT or 35-36 ACT.

Superscoring: I highly recommend that you make a plan to take your SAT or ACT at least twice. That way you can superscore and put your best foot forward.

4. Intellectual Drive and Curiosity

The academic pillar is crucial to getting into Harvard, but it certainly isn't sufficient on its own. Your Harvard application needs to push beyond academics and test scores.

One quality I think is particularly valuable for a Harvard profile is to demonstrate intellectual drive and curiosity.

Think about the folks reading your application — it was intellectual passion, drive, and curiosity that got them to where they are; they’ll be looking for it in the applications they review.

It’s just not enough to convince admissions officers that you’re exceptionally smart and hard working. Harvard prides itself on recruiting and educating young scholars who will leave a mark on the world and who bring to Harvard College that level of intellectual passion and curiosity.

Whether it’s the kind of idealistic “truth-seeking” enshrined in Harvard’s motto Veritas, or the more ambitious intellectual striving epitomized in the classic film the “The Paper Chase,” or in the countless biographies of Harvard alumni going on to become inventors, business leaders, or heads of state... emphasizing your own brand of intellectual curiosity is a powerful way to get your profile to resonate with Harvard’s ethos.

• What are your intellectual motivations?
• How are they connected to your larger passions or goals — such as theoretical research, or the kinds of knowledge you need to excel in a career — for public service, corporate leadership, or pioneering solutions to urgent social or scientific problems?
• What interests, activities, or accomplishments will help you showcase your intellectual curiosity across your Harvard application?

Demonstrating Character and Personal Excellence: The Role of Extracurriculars, Essays, & Recommendation Letters

In Harvard’s holistic admissions process your personal qualities and “character” are also significant factors, alongside your record of academic performance. The admissions officers at Harvard want to get a sense of who you are:

• What’s your character — how are your values and interests evolving and guiding your actions, goals, and commitments?
• What type of leader are we looking at?
• How well can you communicate to us the values and commitments behind your educational and career aspirations?

To evaluate personal qualities and character, Harvard’s admissions officers will be looking to your extracurriculars, your essays, and your letters of recommendation.

1. Your Extracurriculars

If you want to get into Harvard, your extracurriculars should be ones that challenge you, provide formative experiences for personal growth, and help you demonstrate leadership potential or initiative-taking.

Whether it’s your aptitude or natural inclinations to step up or step in where others don’t, or a powerful mix of passion and resolve, or self-discipline and resilience… your extracurriculars and participation in them reveal the traits you’ll bring to the campus community, to academic pursuits, and to the pursuit of new accomplishments after you graduate.

Above all, Harvard’s admissions officers will look for evidence of impact, initiative, and leadership.

• Are you leaving the organization better than how you found it?
• Are you experiencing failure and learning about how to move past that?
• Have you created something new or have you taken initiative that leads to some kind of meaningful solution or change?

Are you earlier on your college journey? Still planning extracurriculars, but with your eye on Harvard? Here are some tips for choosing your extracurriculars:

• Challenge yourself to grow by seeking challenges, experiences, and opportunities that will give you a profile that stands out in terms of impact, initiative, service, and leadership.
• Balance breadth with depth across your extracurricular choices, in order to give your profile greater clarity of intention. For example, if you have dreams of doing social welfare research, you may want to reach for some more prominent research-focused and social-welfare related activities, even if it means limiting your level of engagement in other activities.
• Engage in entrepreneurship as a strategic way to grow your leadership skills, demonstrate follow through and initiative-taking. Examples include taking the lead in tackling a problem at your school, creating an advocacy website, or founding your own nonprofit or small business.

More tips for standing out with exceptional extracurriculars:

• Seek internships at prestigious organizations or government agencies.
• Earn regional or national recognition in your focus area.
• Start a mission-oriented or service-focused nonprofit organization or advocacy initiative.

2. Your Harvard Essays

Pushing beyond your extracurriculars, your essay is your first chance to describe who you are in your own words.

Harvard’s Essay Requirement

in addition to your Common App essay, you need to write five, Harvard-specific, 150-word short-answer supplementals, in response to Harvard's five prescribed prompts.

Here’s a fairly exhaustive list of guidelines to keep in mind for acing your Harvard supplemental essays.

• Coherence: You want your essays to align with and showcase the prominent qualities that are the focus of your Harvard application profile.
• Harvard Fit & Connection: Make sure some of the key experiences, personal qualities, and character traits you showcase resonate with Harvard’s ethos and community values. Extend the main themes in each short essay by stating how they will shape your contributions to community life at Harvard.
• Exercise Thoughtful Planning: Once you have clarity on what to showcase in your essays, you’ll need to map out which personal qualities and goals/aspirations you want to foreground in each of the five short-answer supplementals in coordination with your Common App essay.
• Be Personal and Genuine: Remember to step back from your “five-paragraph” or expository writing habits… You need to write in the style and voice of a personal narrative or a reflective essay. Make sure you understand the key elements of these genres and use in an authentic voice.
• Show, Don’t Tell (or List): Inject concise but vivid anecdotal details and descriptions, providing admissions officers glimpses into lived experiences and inner thoughts to help know more about you and your values and goals, at a personal level.
• Dignified Tone and Polished Content: Remember the admissions context: your essays  — even with a personal voice and perspective — should still be grammatically sound, very concise, and reflect college-level writing skills.
• A Disciplined Approach Is Essential: As Harvard’s items demand exceptional brevity, you’ll need to go through multiple revision cycles to get to the level of clarity and impact Harvard expects. Leave yourself enough time to get the result you need. Take breaks and work on these only when you’re rested and refreshed.

Remember, use your responses to expand on themes that resonate with your extracurricular activities and experiences so you build a more memorable applicant profile, one that conveys clear intention and coherence.

3. Your Letters of Recommendation

Unlike essays, you don’t get to write your own letters of recommendation, but it’s important to understand what role you can play in this process.

Be Sure To Follow Harvard’s Letter Guidelines

• Harvard provides applicants with prescribed Teacher Recommendation Forms, consisting of an Evaluation Form and a Letter of Recommendation Form.
• You must request letters from two teachers in different academic disciplines who know you well.

Additional recommenders may also submit letters, after you submit your application, using a personalized link you can send to potential letter writers, which you’ll get with your application confirmation email.

Whom To Ask for Letters

You want to be strategic in whom you ask to write letters of recommendation for your Harvard application.

Your Two Required Teacher Letters: Your overall accomplishments — grades and so forth — will speak for themselves. So pick teachers who really have seen you up close, as an individual, in everyday classroom interactions or endeavors or in terms of overcoming specific academic challenges… You want your letters to both confirm and add layers of insight to profile qualities highlighted in other application components.

• How do you interact with classmates?
• How do you make a class discussion more productive?
• How do you respond to / learn from criticism and feedback?
• How do you engage and grow intellectually over the course of a full term?

Submit Optional Letters?

If you have someone who knows you well, outside of school perhaps, and IF their letter is likely to reveal and add something valuable to your application, then by all means you should avail yourself of this option — especially if the optional letter writer is likely to speak to something that amplifies other unifying themes in your larger profile.

How To Ask for Letters

You’ll also want to be strategic in the way you ask for letters by providing the right kinds of information and guidance for each letter writer.

To get the best results, we typically tell students to share a brag sheet with each letter writer, as a way to boost the odds of getting the most complete, detailed, and on-point letter possible.

How To Increase Your Chances of Getting Into Harvard

1. Apply Early

Take advantage of Early Action and apply to Harvard early. Early Action applications are non-binding but offer you a higher chance of acceptance. The early action acceptance rate at Harvard in recent years falls between 7–8%, compared to the Regular Decision rate recently hovering around 2.5%.

Here are reasons I encourage students to consider this option, in addition to the admit rate advantage:

• The admissions committee has more time to review each application in the early pool, which can result in a more thorough and nuanced review of your application.
• Harvard's Early Action is more restrictive (REA), when you apply REA it shows that Harvard is your top choice, which can be a positive factor in the admissions process.
• Applying early can help you to receive your admissions decision sooner. This can help to reduce the stress and uncertainty of the admissions process and allow you to plan for the future more effectively.

At Crimson, however, we always look at these options through a personalized lens. Think about your own circumstances and remember the downside of applying REA to Harvard: you may not apply to any other private institution under an Early Decision, Early Action, or Restrictive Early Action plan, or to a binding early program at a public university.

2. Take Rigorous Courses & Score Well

Harvard is looking for students who have excelled academically and challenged themselves by taking rigorous courses such as Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses.

Aim to achieve a GPA of at least 4.0 for a stronger academic profile.

Consider any of the following for adding academic enrichment and rigor to your Harvard profile:

• taking some Online AP Courses at Crimson Global Academy.
• benefiting from Online Tutoring with Harvard graduates who can help you reach your maximum academic potential, or if you're struggling with test prep or any subjects
• enrolling in a pre-college summer program to help you get a head start on your college education.

3. Perform Well on Your SAT/ACT Test

Going forward all students will be submitting competitive test scores, so you want your scores to be as competitive as possible.

You should prepare thoroughly over several months, or more as needed, and aim for a score of at least 1580 on your SATs or 35-36 on your ACTs.

Remember to take advantage of superscoring as a way to get the best SAT/ACT score possible.

Helpful resources

• Take a free practice SAT test to find out where you currently stand
• Online Tutoring with our expert SAT/ACT tutors can help you achieve a perfect score that stands out.
• Check out our blogs to help you with the SAT/ACT tests
  • How to study for the SAT?
  • How to study for the ACT?
  • What Is A Good SAT Score?
  • What Is a Good ACT Score?

4. Demonstrate Holistic Fit

Seek to showcase a holistic fit with Harvard's renowned ethos. Choose challenging and diverse extracurriculars that help you cultivate and demonstrate the following personal qualities:

• intellectual drive and curiosity
• leadership
• initiative
• community service or public service
• impact

Take a disciplined approach to all elements of your application, striving to highlight a strong holistic fit with Harvard's community values across your extracurricular activities and roles, your essays, and your letters of recommendation.

Helpful Resources — Extracurriculars & Essays

• Find Internship opportunities that align with your passion and career goals
• Take up some original high school research projects to give your application the extra edge
• Check out our blog on examples of extracurricular activities to help you find some inspiration
• Download our free eBook on how to write a compelling personal essay
• Read our blog on how to answer Harvard’s supplemental essay questions
• Get your essay reviewed by our former admission officers and college essay experts

Is Harvard Right for You?

Harvard may be one of the best schools in the world, but that doesn’t always mean it’s the best school for you. Before you apply to Harvard, ask yourself why you want to attend. Do your goals align with Harvard’s mission, or are you only applying because Harvard invokes name recognition and prestige? Also, consider the campus lifestyle and culture, the courses available, location, and financial support.

If you can honestly evaluate these criteria and your academics, goals, and expectations match Harvard’s, then you should apply! If not, consider one of the other Ivy League schools. They might line up better with your objectives.

You can learn more about Harvard and if it's the right fit with the free resources below:

• The Cost of Prestige: Harvard's Ever-Rising Price Tag
• Grade Inflation at Harvard: What Does It Mean for Academic Rigor?
• Harvard in Focus: The Importance of Free Speech and Academic Freedom at Harvard
• Is Harvard Still Worth It? The Value of an Ivy League Education in 2024

Life After Harvard

Harvard offers students a foot in the door at many prominent global firms. Google, Goldman Sachs, and Citi Group all look at Harvard for future employees. Newsweek also ranked Harvard as the #3 private college whose graduates earn the most money. All of this highlights what I've said elsewhere about the overall value of an Ivy League education.

Not only are you almost guaranteed access to higher-paying jobs as a Harvard student, but you also gain access to an elite network of Harvard alumni. Some of Harvard’s most famous alumni include:

• Leonard Berstein: Conductor, Composer, Pianist, Lecturer, Author
• E.E. Cummings: Poet, Painter, Essayist, Author, and Playwright
• Gertrude Stein: Writer, Poet, Playwright
• T.S. Elliot: poet, Essayist, Playwright, Publisher
• Conan O’Brien: Late night talk show host
• Natalie Portman: Oscar-winning actress
• Neil DeGrasse Tyson: Astrophysicist
• Soledad O’Brien: journalist
• Sheryl Sandberg: Facebook COO, author
• Jeremy Lin: Professional baseball player

Final Thoughts

Getting into Harvard is highly competitive, but it's not impossible. By focusing on your academic achievements, demonstrating leadership and community involvement, showcasing your unique qualities, and preparing thoroughly for standardized tests, you can increase your chances of acceptance to Harvard.

Ultimately, the key to getting into Harvard is to showcase your strengths and unique qualities in every aspect of your application, highlight a strong interest and clarity of intention for attending Harvard, and demonstrate your potential to positively impact the campus community and beyond.

If you want additional support and guidance on your journey to getting into a top Ivy League school, book a free consultation today. Our experienced college counselors are interested in finding out about your goals and challenges. Reach out today to learn how we can put our our highly personalized support, team approach, and results-driven strategies to work for your college journey!

Key Resources & Further Reading

• Join our free webinars on US university applications
• Free eBooks and guides to help with the college application process
• Harvard Acceptance Rate
• Harvard Supplemental Essays 2021/22
• How to get into Ivy League Schools