Harvard College

BASIC FACTS

Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is the oldest university in the U.S., established in 1636. It is ranked #1 in U.S. universities according to the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education (2019), and #1 in Global Universities according to the U.S. News and World Report (2019). Harvard University encompasses 6,700 undergraduate students in Harvard College, as well as 13,000 students in its 9 graduate schools (including those of Medicine, Law, Education, Business, and Design, amongst others).

HOUSING

Before the fall, first-year students fill out a housing survey, which places them in suites of 1-6 people. All first-year students live in the yard, a collection of 12 dorms in the center of Harvard College’s campus.All freshmen eat in Annenberg, a dining hall in the center of the yard. In the spring of freshman year, first-year students list up to 7 other students to be sorted with, which are then called their “blocking group.” This blocking group can also pair up with another blocking group, called their “linking group.” On Housing Day, a big celebration in the spring, upperclassmen “storm” the freshman dorms andannounce which of the 12 upperclassman houses the blocking group will be in for the next three years at Harvard. Their linking group will be live in an upperclassman house in the same “neighborhood,” orcluster of three houses. Interhouse transfers are possible after the first year of living in this upperclassman house, but can only be done in groups of two students. More than 97% of students live on campus for all 4 years.

ACADEMICS

Core Curriculum

As a focus of its liberal arts education, Harvard has a General Education requirement for students. Students must take one course in each of 4 categories: 1) Aesthetics and Culture; 2) Ethics and Civics; 3) Histories, Societies, and Individuals; 4) Science and Technology in Society. Three of these must be taken for a letter grade, and one may be taken pass/fail.

In addition to the General Education requirement, students must also take one class from each of the three main divisions of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and the Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), including 1) Arts and Humanities, 2) Social Sciences, and 3) Science and Engineering and Applied Science.

Lastly, students must also complete a freshman expository writing seminar and a class that fulfills Empirical and Mathematical Reasoning.
Multiple advisors are available to students to help explain these requirements. Students are also able to regularly generate an online advising report that aids in cross-checking against requirements.

Language

Harvard has a foreign language requirement (2 semesters, letter-graded) that must be completed before graduation. This requirement can be waived if students attended secondary school in another language (as proven by a transcript), received a minimum of 700 SAT II Test that includes a reading component, received a score of 5 on an AP test of 7 on an IB examination. Placement exams are also available for students to test out of this requirement.

Harvard offers over 80 languages, available here. Students can earn a Foreign Language Citation on their transcript by taking four courses (4 credits per course) in the same language beyond the first-year level, at least two of them at the third-year level or above.

Grading

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences averages its letter grades with a 4-point scale: A = 4.00, A– = 3.67, B+ = 3.33, B = 3.00, B– = 2.67, C+ = 2.33, C = 2.00, C– = 1.67, D+ = 1.33, D = 1.00, D– = 0.67. E, ABS, NCR, FL, UNS, EXLD = 0. The grade point average is the numerical average of all grades received in letter-graded courses taken under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for degree credit. In addition, the grade point average includes all failed courses (including failing and unsatisfactory grades in courses taken Pass/Fail and SAT/UNS), courses taken for credit in the Harvard Summer School, and cross-registration courses as appropriate.

Popular Concentrations

Harvard offers over 50 undergraduate concentrations (majors) and 19 secondaries (minors). The most popular concentrations are Economics, Government, Computer Science, and Psychology. Students can also do a double-concentration, although several exceptions exist. A full list of all concentrations is available here. Students can also create their own special concentrations, with petition approval.

Popular Classes

Harvard College offers over 3,700 courses. Students are also allowed to cross-register for classes, with approval, at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the graduate schools, adding an additional 4,300 courses available across over 100 departments.

How to register for classes

This process might be changing in the upcoming year with the addition of the SEAS campus; however,currently the first week of each semester, students participate in a process called “Shopping Week.”Students are able to attend any classes they want, helping them to compare different classes and determine which will be the best fit for the upcoming semester. While students can come and leave when they want, they are still responsible for any work given during this first week. By the last day of Shopping Week, students must have met with their Academic Advisor to receive approval on their online study card of classes to submit. Students can view classes online through their student portal, as well as class reviews from previous years. Students typically take 4 classes (16 credits) each semester, although it is possible to take up to 5 classes (20 credits). Students can add or drop classes with instructor approval until late September in the fall and mid-February without a fee.

Honors/Thesis

About half of all Harvard students choose an honors track within their concentrations, and most of them write senior theses or complete research projects under the one-on-one supervision of professors and departmental tutors. Writing a thesis is optional, with the exception of students that double- concentrate in two subjects or choose to study in a few departments (ex: Social Studies). Magna cum laude and summa cum laude theses are held in the archives of Widener Library. Students can receive significant funding from university departments to conduct thesis research over the summer.

FINANCIAL AID

Harvard’s financial aid is based entirely on need, not merit. Admission to Harvard is also need-blind, meaning that your financial need will not impede your chances of admission. International students typically receive the same amount of financial aid as national students.
Harvard’s financial aid program requires no contribution from Harvard families with annual incomesbelow $65,000. About 20% of families have no parent contribution. Families with incomes between $65,000 and $150,000 will contribute from 0-10% of their income, and those with incomes above $150,000 are asked to pay proportionately more than 10%, based on their individual circumstances. Approximately 70% of students receive some form of aid, and if your family circumstances change, financial aid can be increased as well. Financial aid officers work closely with families to ensure that their children are able to attend and that cost is not a barrier, and the university is committed to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need for all four years. This is done through scholarships and grants. It is estimated that 90% of families would pay the same or less to send their children to Harvardthan to a state university. Harvard’s Net Price Calculator can help applicants to quickly estimate their aid package and expected family contribution.

Harvard students can apply to financial aid directly when they apply to Harvard. FAFSA is needed for the application.

STUDENT LIFE

Clubs

Harvard has over 450 student organizations - in multiple areas including music, visual arts, media/journalism, public service, drama/dance, professional, and faith/identity/culture. Students can also apply to start their own student organizations.

Greek life, Sororities and Social Organizations

In May 2016, Harvard made national news by restricting members of all single -gender social organizations from joining leadership positions on campus. As a result, a lawsuit is currently pending, but a majority of former sororities, fraternities, and single-gender final clubs have changed to become co-ed or gender neutral in order to fit within the framework of Harvard. These include: The Aleph, The Delphic and Bee Clubs, The Fleur-de-Lis Club (FDL), The IC Corporation, The Ivy, The k. Society (KS), Kali Praxi, La Vie Club, The Oak Club, The Pleiades Society, The Sab Club, The Seneca, Inc. 501 (c) 3, The Spee Club, Themis Asteri. There are also still several fraternities and single-gender final clubs (Sigma Chi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, The Fly, The Porcellian, The Phoenix) that exist. This is an evolving area on campus, and differ greatly, especially in areas such as rush processes and housing. Financial aid is occasionally available for those wishing to join, although greatly limited. Students attend parties at these social organizations, as well as from clubs at school, and nightclubs in Boston.

Sports

Harvard offers 42 Division I varsity teams for women and men, as well as club sports and intramurals. The full list is included here.

Facilities on Campus

There are many gyms, sports, and dance studios located on campus for any type of sport or activity students would want to participate in.
Harvard is located in the middle of Cambridge, just a 15-minute commute from downtown Boston, making it an ideal location for every kind of event, sport, and food you could imagine. Boston is only located 4 hours from New York (1 hour flight), making New York a popular weekend destination as well. There are over 50 universities in Boston, making it an ultimate college town.

APPLICATION PROCESS

All applicants must turn in a Common Application, Coalition Application, or Universal College Application, as well as the supplemental Harvard questions for these. Secondary/high school reports (including transcripts) and mid-year reports are also required. AP and IB examination scores are optional. Additional information can be found here for interested transfer students or visiting students.

All applicants are eligible to interview with Harvard alumni. If an interviewer is not available sufficiently close to you to make an interview possible, the absence of an interview will not adversely affect your candidacy.

The application cost is $75 USD. Fee waivers are available on request.

Requirements and Prerequisities

Either SAT or ACT scores will be accepted (with or without writing). 2 SAT subject tests are highly recommended unless their cost presents a financial hardship. Applicants are recommended to submit subject tests that best reflect their academic capabilities. The SAT II English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) is not accepted as one of these two tests.

A strong knowledge of English is necessary for successful study at Harvard. International students are not required to submit TOEFL scores, but may submit their scores if they wish.
Harvard offers early action admission (non-binding), but it is restrictive (meaning you cannot apply to other early action/early decision programs at other universities). For individual students, the chances of acceptance are the same for early action and regular decision (typically Jan 1). Early application deadline is November 1, and applicants typically head back by mid-January. More information can be found here for those comparing the options.

OTHER

Study Abroad

Approximately 60% of students incorporate some form of international experience into their undergraduate career. Sophomores, juniors and seniors are eligible for term-time study abroad, and all students, with the exception of graduating seniors, are eligible for summer study. Harvard students must apply to their study abroad program directly, as well as through Harvard to ensure transfer credit. Students can study in dozens of countries throughout the world, and can also petition for approval if the program that they’re interested in has not been done before. For those doing term-time study abroad, their financial aid can transfer. For summer study abroad, typically 50% of the programs are fully funded. There are also special programs for study abroad at Oxford and Cambridge in the UK, although these must be arranged early-on for students and have a minimum GPA requirement. More information can be found here through Harvard’s Office of International Education.

WORK

Credits for Internships

Harvard does not provide course credit to students for internships; however, students that are sophomores, juniors, or seniors and in good academic standing can propose a course of independent study with the help of their academic advisor that will incorporate their previous summer internship experience into an academic program that will provide them credit (equivalent to four semester hours) for their upcoming fall semester.

Work Study and Working as a Student

The Federal Work-Study Program is incorporated into Harvard’s financial aid, and students are able toparticipate easily, as long as they and their employer register. Jobs can easily be accessed through

Harvard’s Student Employment Office (SEO) database. Job opportunities are very common, both onand off campus, and seen as “whatever your interests may be, there is a job available.” Students aretypically encouraged to not work over 20 hours/weekly during classes. Students are paid weekly for on- campus jobs. More information can be found here.

Internships and Career

Harvard dedicates significant resources towards ensuring that students are well-prepared for their future careers through job and internships. There are a plethora of internships that are funded orarranged through Harvard’s departments and organizations each summer and winter, and 8 or 10students had one or more internship as an undergraduate. Students can often also arrange their own internships, and receive full funding. Advisors from Harvard’s Office of Career Services are availablethroughout the week for drop-in resume/cover letter reviewing, as well as specialized career planning. Harvard holds on-campus job fairs and interviews, as well as directly supports those applying to fellowships. The majority of Harvard seniors intend to go to graduate school the fall after graduating (14%), although this number increases greatly in later years (83%). The most common jobs the fall after graduating are in the financial, technology/engineering, or consulting sectors. More information about post-graduate plans for Harvard seniors can be found here.

FIRST GENERATION AND LOW-INCOME RESOURCES ON CAMPUS

Coat Drive

Harvard generously provides first-year students with a grant ($200) through the Winter Coat Fund to purchase new winter clothing.

Book Drive and Lending Library

Financial aid helps to provide funding for personal expenses and textbooks each semester in order to aid first-generation and low-income students. Students often help each other by selling or giving away used textbooks.

Food Pantry

Financial aid covers the cost of room and board, which includes three daily meals in the dining halls. Students who stay on campus for breaks (Thanksgiving, Winter, Spring) often receive funding to provide them with food over the break. Dining halls often stay open over breaks as well.

Workshops

First-generation students are also provided mentorship through matching with first-generation peers or alumni. Depending on financial need, students can also receive on-campus tutoring at a heavilydiscounted rate. The “Shoestring App” has also been created to give first-generation and low-income students access to tips on how to save money on campus.

FLIP Chapter

About 15% of Harvard students are first-generation, and Harvard tries to provide a wide variety of resources, including a specialized First-Generation Student Union (for social support) and area of the Bureau of Study Counsel (for academic support). First-year students typically receive a start-up grant ($2000) before they first arrive on campus to help with their transition to college.

All information obtained online from Harvard organizations and resources such as Harvard College Students Handbook, Harvard College Admissions & Financial Aid Office, Harvard Office of International Education, Harvard Bureau of Study Counsel.