Harvard University admission requirements

Introduction

Harvard has state-of-the-art facilities and world-renowned faculty, making the university the most desirable one for international students. It is an excellent place to seek your academic interest. However, getting into Harvard mandates you to fulfill many admission requirements. 

Before looking at the eligibility criteria, one needs to consider the Harvard university acceptance rate. The acceptance rate is an essential indicator of the school's competitiveness and the gravity of its prerequisites. Harvard's acceptance rate is 4.7%, showing that only five of every 100 applicants get admitted.

Admission requirements 

Harvard's extremely selective admission process is particularly stringent about its Grade Point Average (GPA), Scholastic Assessment Test, and the American College Testing requirements. 

The GPA, SAT, and ACT fulfilments must follow an impressive record of extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and essays. 

Let’s understand the requirements for the admissions process at Harvard:

GPA Requirements 

The GPA is merely the bare minimum for an application. Over the years, Harvard University's ranking has maintained the top ranking in every ranking framework. The prestigious university has a very high GPA score in its admission requirement. Currently, the school's average GPA is 4.8. You'll need only A grades in your lessons to compete. 

If you fulfill the GPA requirement, you'll need even higher SAT or ACT points to secure admission. It helps you effectively compete against applicants having higher GPAs than yours.

SAT/ACT Requirements 

One needs to take either the Scholastic Assessment Test or the American College Testing as a part of the application process at Harvard University. Harvard's standard SAT score is 1520 points on a scale of 1600 points.

However, Harvard has a super beneficial score choice policy for the "Highest Section." It is known as super-scoring. The approach allows you to choose which SATs you want to send the school for assessment.

Harvard has a slightly high ACT cutoff too. The average ACT score stands at 34, making it a competitive score globally.

Additionally, the ACT, as opposed to SAT, has a massive edge in the admission process, which may dramatically affect your application strategy. When you send your ACT scores to the colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you would want to send. You may take ten trials and send what your highest score is, unlike the SAT, where the application readers would require all your tests.

Requirements in the Writing Section 

Both SAT and ACT include an optional section for essays. Harvard University mandates you to take the SAT Essay or the ACT's writing section. The essay should be fluent and carry enough potency to stand out.

Requirements for the Subject Test 

Harvard's eligibility criteria include the applicant to take on the SAT subject tests for admission in the top courses at Harvard University.

Conclusion 

Given Harvard's selectiveness and peculiar acceptance rate, you need to get a high score on the SAT or ACT. GoToUniversity is an expert in education consulting for students who wish to study abroad. We offer essential services such as test preparation and college counseling. Contact us now to realize your dream of being an international student.