Frequently Asked Questions

• Paying the admissions application fee is a hardship for my family. Can I get a waiver?

  Do not let the admissions application fee prevent you from applying! In the spirit of our honor code, if the admissions application fee presents a hardship for you or your family, the fee will be waived.

  If you meet the indicators of economic need on the Common Application or the Coalition Application, you can request a fee waiver directly through the application. If you do not meet the indicators of economic need or you are applying using the Universal Application, please fill out our Admissions Application Fee Waiver Request Form.

  ​Requesting a fee waiver will not disadvantage your application in any way.

• What admissions criteria do you use?

  There is no formula for gaining admission to Harvard. Academic accomplishment in high school is important, but the Admissions Committee also considers many other criteria, such as community involvement, leadership and distinction in extracurricular activities, and personal qualities and character. We rely on teachers, counselors, and alumni to share information with us about an applicant's strength of character, his or her ability to overcome adversity, and other personal qualities.

• 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.