What's the difference between Harvard College and
Harvard University? It can be difficult to tell, especially if you're not a
student or alumni. To make it easier for you, we've made a list of the key differences:
1.
Harvard College is the oldest of Harvard’s eight
undergraduate schools. Home to about six thousand students, Harvard College is
a vibrant academic community that offers small classes with renowned
professors. Many celebrities, world leaders like Barack Obama and Bill Clinton
attend or attended in past times as well!
2.
Harvard first trained people who would become clergy
for different churches. As it became more secular, it made higher degrees
available to students and changed its name to Harvard University.
3.
Today, Harvard College is the school that majors in
undergraduate degrees. It also provides graduate, baccalaureate and masters and
professional degrees.
4.
In the past, Harvard College was only governed by
President and Fellows of Harvard. Today, as a university, it is also governed
by both the Harvard Board of Overseers and the corporation.
5.
Harvard College's mission is "to develop
general educational skills with a specialized emphasis on research methods even
as it receives pre-professional training" while Harvard University
encourages students to learn about more broadly but not take coursework related
to their chosen career path.
Harvard Admissions Statistics
Acceptance rates
The admissions rates at
Harvard University are among the highest in the world. In 2017, only 5.2% of
applicants were accepted into Harvard's undergraduate program for Fall 2017.
This is a significant increase from 2016 when 4.4% of applicants were accepted
to an undergraduate degree program for Fall 2016 and 2015 when 3.6% of
applicants were accepted into an undergrad degree program for Fall 2015. With
acceptance rates like these, it can be difficult to get past their application
process (https://college.harvard.edu/admissions)!
During the recent years - due to “economic issues,” natural disasters, school closures,
and global uncertainty caused by the pandemic - Harvard's acceptance
rate is higher than usual at 5% vs 4.5-4.7%. The acceptance rate at the
esteemed Harvard College will likely return to 4% once the world has recovered
from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Early Action vs. Regular
Decision
You should also know that this
number is an average of two acceptance rates, Early Action and Regular
Decision.
Applicants applying to Boston-based Harvard College
are eligible for the school's Early Action program, which is an earlier
application deadline that guarantees students they will receive their
admissions decision by December 31.
In 2020, Harvard College’s early acceptance rate
dropped to 7.4% (vs 13.9% in 2019), the most competitive in Harvard's history
as total applicants reached a record high.
In light of that, the acceptance rate for Regular
Decision at Harvard is 3-6% which means putting off your application to Harvard
College for a few months will devastate your chances of admission.
So, if you’re set on attending Harvard College, we
recommend that you apply Early Action. Start planning early to ensure your
application is ready in time.
Harvard Admission Requirements
What are the requirements for
getting into Harvard? While there are many aspects of a college application,
you should focus on only these factors:
- Harvard GPA, SAT and ACT requirements. One way
to be competitive on their application is meeting the requirements for a
high GPA and good SAT/ACT scores. If you don't meet Harvard's strict
academic standards, then your chance of getting in is nearly impossible.
- Application requirements
Harvard GPA Requirements
Many schools have a minimum
GPA requirement for prospective students, but this is often just the barest
level of academic achievement to even be considered before being rejected.
The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA
that provides a real chance of being accepted. To calculate this, we look at
the school's current average GPA for accepted students.
The average GPA for a student accepted to Harvard is
4.18, which requires you to be in the top of your class. Having nearly straight A's ensures that admission
requirements are met.
If your current GPA is below the school average of
4.18, you'll need to have an SAT score above 1500 or an ACT score of 27 to
compensate for this in order to apply effectively.
SAT and ACT Requirements
There are different
requirements for standardized tests. Most schools require the SAT or ACT, and
many also require SAT subject tests.
Those who apply to Harvard must take either the SAT or
ACT. Also important, the test score should be high enough to have a
strong application.
***
Harvard SAT Requirements
Some schools claim to have no
SAT cutoff, but this is not true; a school's average score determines the
"hidden" SAT requirement.
Harvard employs a 1600-point SAT scale, on which the
average composite score is 1520.
This puts Harvard in the top 5% of competitive schools
for SAT scores.
Harvard SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)
On the New SAT, if you get a
1460, you are below average. If you get a 1580, then you are above average.
SAT Score Choice Policy
One important aspect of the
testing strategy is the score choice policy of your school.
Harvard has selected "Highest Section" as
its Score Choice Policy.
This is also known as superscoring which means that
you can choose which SAT tests you want to send to the school. The application
readers will look at the highest scores of all SAT test dates.
Ideally you'll already be at a 1580+, but if not, it's
recommended that you at least retake the SAT and work your way up to an ideal
score.
The best part of the Superscore is that it allows you
to focus all your energy on one test at a time. If one section in particular
needs more attention than the others, work only to improve that section for
now. Then take the SAT and see what your new score is in each subject area.
This will give you the best Superscore possible.
Harvard ACT Requirements
Unfortunately, Harvard does
not have a cutoff for ACT scores. However if you score low on the ACT, your
application will be rejected.
You will need an ACT score that is higher than
average. Average scores for the school are 34, and the 25th percentile of all
scores is 33 with a 75th percentile of 35.
Harvard likely does not have a minimum ACT
requirement, but if you apply with anything below 34, your chance of acceptance
will decrease dramatically.
ACT Score Sending Policy
If you elect to take the ACT
instead of the SAT, this affects your testing strategy in a very advantageous
way.
That is: When students send ACT scores to colleges,
they have the option of selecting which test results are sent and which ones
will not be included in their application. However, unlike the SAT, all tests
on the SAT must be sent if schools request this information.
With ACT requirements of a 35, you have more
opportunities than you might originally think. Aiming for the school’s ACT
requirement is not as difficult as it may seem; simply take the test again and
send your final score to only those schools that require it.
ACT Superscore Policy
The majority of colleges do
not superscore the ACT, but Harvard does. (Superscore means that your school
will look at your best scores from all the tests you take. They will combine
them together to make one score). Thus, most schools will accept your highest
ACT score from a single sitting.
SAT/ACT Writing Section
Requirements
There is an optional essay
section for both the SAT and ACT.
Harvard requires you to take the SAT essay / ACT
writing section and they use this as another factor for admissions
consideration.
SAT Subject Test Requirements
Not all schools require SAT
subject tests, but Harvard does. Read on to see the list of required and recommended
scores for this school.
Typically, you should choose whether to improve your
SAT or ACT scores based on what is needed at your top choice colleges. If
you're considering Harvard, then it's best to focus more heavily on improving
SAT/ACT score.
Tips for Applying to Harvard
College
You can apply only to either Queen’s Eight or King’s
Five if you are applying for admission into the academic programs at Harvard
College whereas you can apply to both schools when applying for admittance into
various programs at Harvard University.
1.
Speak with your guidance counselor or other teachers
who can better help you evaluate whether this is the right time
2.
Be thorough when filling out the application to remove
potential hurdles
3.
Write a good personal statement or essay that
demonstrates why YOU are an excellent candidate - not just someone who played
lacrosse all year
4.
Start early! Consider the schools you are interested
in during your sophomore year, and do research by junior summer.
5.
When considering schools to apply to, be thoughtful
about your options. You don't want to get caught in a pile of applications
resulting in too many deadlines and worrying about what you choose for the
right school for you.
6.
Track and/or mark all deadlines on your calendar so
you can stay organized.
7.
Submit your applications two days before the deadline
to make sure you have time to review and resubmit them if needed..
8.
When writing essays for your application to Harvard
College, don't be afraid to let the admissions officers get know you better.
Talk about how someone else affected your life in a way that ties back to you
as an individual. Be genuine and honest instead of trying too hard at being
perfect or someone you're not, and remember that honesty is important above
all.
9.
Listing your extracurricular activities means listing
all the things you do when you are not at school or asleep. Some people may do
clubs, sports, or hobbies. Others may have a job or take care of their younger
siblings. It’s more about what you do with your free time than the number of
extracurriculars on your resume.
10. It’s been shown that taking
breaks and doing some physical activity or fun activity can help you relax
during this process. So remember to take a break every once in a while!
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