harvard university essay requirements

Harvard Essay 2024-2025

Harvard essay: quick facts.

• Harvard acceptance rate: 3% — U.S. News ranks Harvard as #3 on its National Universities list. Harvard is one of the most competitive schools in the world, which makes writing your Harvard essay one of the most important tasks in your college application process. 
• 5 short answer (~150 word) essays
• Harvard application note: Harvard University accepts both the Common Application and the Coalition Application by Scoir. When applying , students will complete the personal statement as well as the five Harvard supplemental essays. 
• #1 Harvard essay tip: Harvard is a competitive, elite Ivy League university. Therefore, you’ll want to make sure you give yourself plenty of time to complete the application, including the essays, to the best of your ability.

Where is Harvard?

Harvard University is one of the eight Ivy League universities in the United States. It is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Founded in 1636, Harvard has been a leader among higher education institutions for centuries. It is a medium-sized university with over 7,000 undergraduate students. Its campus is idyllic for those looking to study in New England. Just over 5,600 acres, the campus is filled with historic buildings in which students receive one of the most renowned educations in the world. 

Applying to Harvard University

With an acceptance rate of just 3%, Harvard admissions receives — and rejects — many qualified candidates each admissions cycle. For that reason, your Harvard application needs to stand out from the crowd. All applicants will have high grades and impressive extracurricular activities. As such, each Harvard application essay is a new opportunity to impress admissions . 

The Harvard supplemental essays make up a significant part of the application. Every Harvard essay is an opportunity to show a new part of yourself that hasn’t been seen elsewhere in your application. When applying to Harvard, you need to tell a compelling story. The five Harvard supplemental essays and the Harvard personal statement will help you do so. 

In addition to the Harvard application essays, students will also complete the Harvard personal statement. This is also known as the Common App or Coalition App personal statement. 

Harvard Personal Statement

As a part of the Harvard application essay requirements, students must complete the Harvard personal statement. Depending on which application platform you decide to use, the Harvard personal statement prompts will vary. That is to say, the Common Application has different prompts from the Coalition Application. However, the five Harvard essay prompts for the supplemental essays are the same, no matter the application platform. 

The Harvard personal statement is an important part of your overall application. Keep in mind that you will likely send your personal statement to various schools. Since your Harvard personal statement should ideally add new and valuable information to your candidate profile, think about your supplemental essays in relation to the personal statement. You don’t want your Harvard personal statement to repeat information from a different Harvard application essay. 

What are the Harvard supplemental essays?

The Harvard essay requirements for the 2024–2025 admissions cycle are straightforward. Students must submit five short answer supplemental essays in addition to the Harvard personal statement. Essay requirements can change yearly, so it’s important to stay on top of your schools’ requirements.

Harvard admissions wants to learn more about applicants through every Harvard essay. No one Harvard application essay is more important than another. Therefore, you should give each Harvard essay the attention it deserves to craft an outstanding overall application. 

Wondering what this year’s Harvard essay prompts are? Here are the current five short answer Harvard application essay prompts: 

Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?

Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you., how do you hope to use your harvard education in the future, briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are., describe a time when you strongly disagreed with someone about an idea or issue. how did you communicate or engage with this person what did you learn from this experience.

The Harvard essay prompts have a word limit of 150 words. These are indeed short answer essays, so you’ll need to choose your words carefully when responding to the Harvard essay prompts. 

What should I write my Harvard essay about?

Choosing the topic to respond to these Harvard essay prompts can feel overwhelming. You may have many possible topics you’d like to write on, or maybe you have absolutely no idea what to say. Don’t worry! There are plenty of ways to get ideas for your Harvard supplemental essays. 

Consider reading Harvard essay examples or Ivy League essay examples . Although the Harvard essay prompts may change yearly, reading Harvard essay examples can help get you started on your unique story. You’ll be able to see what makes a successful Harvard essay. However, when reading Harvard essay examples, don’t simply reuse a topic in your own essay. Your topic should be unique, personal, and meaningful to you. Essay examples should just be used to get you started when brainstorming potential topics. 

Keep in mind that each Harvard essay should share something new with admissions. That’s why it’s important to choose topics that don’t simply reiterate other parts of your application . Harvard is a competitive school, and every candidate is well qualified. Writing an impressive Harvard essay is an opportunity to stand out and impress. So choose your topics carefully! 

Harvard Short Answer Questions

Each Harvard essay is an important part of the application. That can be stressful to think about, since essay writing can be time consuming even when you have a great idea. Of course, it’s even more stressful if you don’t plan ahead or aren’t comfortable with writing in this format. Luckily, Harvard offers some tips on filling out their application. Additionally, doing your research on Harvard will help when writing the Harvard supplemental essays. Learn the ins and outs of Harvard’s admissions process , as well as different opportunities only available at Harvard. 

Now, let’s dive into how to approach the Harvard essay prompts. 

Harvard Essay #1- Contributing to Harvard

The first of the Harvard essay prompts asks applicants to consider what they will bring to Harvard’s campus. Here’s the first Harvard essay prompt: 

This essay is a take on the classic diversity essay . As such, you’ll want to consider important aspects of your background, identity, culture, personality, or upbringing that have made you who you are. What lived experiences have defined your values, goals, or perspectives? How will where you came from impact what you bring to Harvard’s campus?

“Life experiences” is a broad term. This means that you have plenty of room for interpretation in this Harvard essay. Really, the most important part of this Harvard essay is choosing a meaningful topic that shows what sets you apart from the crowd. It could be something as simple as a unique hobby. For example, you might write about how instead of keeping a journal, you write short stories loosely based on your life. 

The second part of this Harvard essay asks you to show how this part of your identity will inform your time at Harvard. Harvard needs to know that you will make a positive impact on their campus community by bringing a unique perspective. Going back to our previous example, maybe by romanticizing your daily life with short stories, you’ve found an appreciation for the little things. This gratitude makes you more prepared to take on any obstacles in life.

Harvard Essay #2- Harvard Roommate Essay

While the first Harvard essay prompt was a college essay classic, the second is a bit more quirky.  

This Harvard essay also leaves the response quite open-ended. You could share anything! However, you’ll want to choose three things that only someone who will live with you would want or even need to know. This prompt is meant to be light and fun. So, you don’t need to get serious here or try to work in something academic to impress admissions. On the contrary, keep things aligned with the prompt: quirky, creative, and fun. 

To start brainstorming, you’ll want to think about your routine. Is there anything that is out of the norm? A unique interest or superstition? If you’re at a complete loss, you might ask your family members. If you share a room with a sibling, they might have some valuable intel about your quirks!

You might also consider what you’ll want your college room to be like. Will you bring a bunch of photos from home or deck it out with your favorite artwork? Or will you prefer to have it clutter less, instead using the minimal space for the necessities? It may not seem like it, but room decor can be very telling. 

Additionally, think about what you’d like from the roommate experience. Do you hope to have weekly Sunday dinners? Or would you love to have movie night on Tuesdays? These dreams of what you could share with your future roommate can absolutely be highlighted in this Harvard essay. 

Finally, make sure to follow the prompt guidelines. Choose just three things to mention, and keep it under 150 words. Don’t just simply write a list. This is a Harvard essay, so it needs to flow. Think about how to connect your three points and tell a story that captivates your reader. 

Harvard Essay #3- Using Your Harvard Education

Let’s move back to a more traditional Harvard essay. Here’s the third of the five Harvard essay prompts: 

This is the time to show that you have done your research on Harvard. This prompt is similar to a “ why this school ” or “ why this major ” essay. The key is to be specific about why you need a Harvard education. You’ll want to highlight opportunities that would only be available to you as a Harvard student. Of course, these should genuinely align with your future goals. If you plan to major in economics or sociology, you might highlight those specific programs at Harvard. However, you certainly don’t have to know your specific major to successfully write this Harvard essay. 

You might start by making a list of future goals. If you aren’t certain where you see yourself in five years, that’s all right! You’re certainly not alone. And you don’t have to know to be able to write a successful and impressive Harvard essay. 

For example, maybe one of your goals is living and working in another country. If this has influenced your major, then highlight specific curriculum opportunities or professors at Harvard. Or perhaps you might mention Harvard’s study abroad opportunities. You don’t need to know your future career or even major to write this Harvard essay. You just need to hone in on your interests, passions, and future goals and connect them back to your Harvard education. 

Harvard Essay #4- Extracurricular Essay

The fourth Harvard essay focuses on a meaningful extracurricular activity. 

Similar to the diversity, you’ve probably come across this type of essay in your college applications. And, if not, you surely will! This is a typical extracurricular activity essay . In this type of essay, you have the opportunity to expand or introduce an important activity that you haven’t yet been able to highlight in your application. 

Of course, this essay should add new information — don’t just repeat what’s on your extracurricular activities section. More important, however, is writing about an activity that has deep meaning to you. What has shaped who you are? Is there an activity that is integral to your life? Now’s the time to highlight it!

If you’re at a loss for a topic, consider the less traditional options listed in the prompt. You don’t need to talk about a club , sport, or volunteer activity. After all, “extracurricular” means anything outside of the classroom. You might focus on a job, family responsibility, or particularly meaningful travel experience. Do you work at a diner on the weekends? How has the experience impacted you? What have you learned and how has it affected who you are?

You might also consider mentioning a unique hobby. For example, maybe you learned to crochet from your grandmother, and you’ve bonded over the craft. You could write a powerful essay about discovering a new passion while making a blanket with a relative.

There are plenty of topics you could write about for this Harvard essay. Just remember to consider the following questions: Have you mentioned this activity elsewhere in your application? If so, find a new angle on it that highlights something new for the admissions team. Also, has this activity shaped who you are, and does that growth align with the rest of your application?

Harvard Essay #5- Disagreement Essay

The last Harvard essay prompt can be the most challenging. However, you may come across similar prompts in other applications. 

Believe it or not, this Harvard essay will tell admissions a lot about how you navigate the world around you. Are you able to engage in discussions with people of differing perspectives? Are you able to reflect and learn from these types of conversations?

There may be many disagreements or even heated conversations that come to mind when reading this Harvard application essay prompt. However, keep in mind that this is an application essay. You need to choose a conversation in which you demonstrate maturity, good communication, and growth. 

To start brainstorming, think about your causes. What do you believe in? And, what are you willing to stand up for? You’ve probably had some conversations on these topics. Are there any in which you were able to convey your perspective and opinion to another in a respectful manner? What was the overall outcome? Did you learn something from the exchange? These types of questions will allow you to choose the best topic for this Harvard application essay. 

Additionally, your Harvard essay should demonstrate your passion for the topic discussed. You’ll also need to specify what you learned. For example, were you able to compromise or create a unique solution?

In this essay, be sure to not speak down about the other person in the disagreement. You don’t want to come across as patronizing or superior. This could leave a bad impression on the admissions committee. Stay neutral about the person with which you are in the disagreement. Show passion for the topic at hand. The goal shouldn’t be to show that you “won” the argument. It’s to demonstrate you can engage with those of differing opinions, convey your own beliefs, and learn from these exchanges. 

How to write the Harvard supplemental essays

We’ve given you some specifics on how to approach each Harvard application essay. However, let’s review some common best practices to ace your Harvard essays. 

Choose a meaningful topic

There’s no “perfect” topic that will suit everyone. Instead, the key is to choose a topic that is meaningful to you and shares more about who you are to admissions. Additionally, you’ll want to make sure to choose topics that add new information to your application. Don’t repeat the same topic from your Harvard personal statement in one of your Harvard supplemental essays. 

Answer the prompt

This might seem obvious, but you need to be sure that you answer all parts of every Harvard essay prompt. It’s easy to get caught up in writing an enticing anecdote that reels in your reader. However, if in doing so you aren’t left with any words to answer the second part of the prompt, then that’s not good! These are the Harvard essay prompts for a reason. Admissions wants unique and comprehensive answers. A good practice to follow is to ask yourself after writing your draft this question: Did I completely answer every part of the prompt?

Write, edit, and revise

There’s a reason we urge students to start their Harvard essay long before the application deadline. It’s because writing outstanding Harvard supplemental essays is time consuming. You’ll need to write, then revise and edit, and rewrite again! This cycle should repeat until you have the best version possible of each Harvard essay. Enlist the help of a friend, family member, or teacher to check for grammatical or spelling errors. You can also read your essay out loud to check for any oversights or clumsy wording. Don’t let spelling or grammar mistakes distract your reader from the impressive Harvard essay you’ve worked so hard on!

Choosing Outstanding Topics for Your Harvard Supplemental Essays

As we’ve mentioned many times throughout this Harvard essay guide, choosing your topic for each Harvard application essay is the most important part of the process. This doesn’t mean there is a one-size-fits-all topic for each Harvard essay. This simply means that you need to choose the right topic for you!

In short, the right topic is meaningful, highlights your personality and values, and demonstrates what you’ll bring to the Harvard community. Additionally, each Harvard essay should center on a different topic. This way you can highlight new facets of yourself to the admissions committee. After all, they receive thousands of qualified candidates every admissions cycle, and only 3% are accepted. Each Harvard application essay is an opportunity to stand out from the crowd. 

Let’s look at some questions you can ask yourself to be sure you’ve chosen the right topic for each Harvard application essay:

Topic Reflection Questions

• Do my topics allow me to fully answer the Harvard essay prompts?
• Am I sharing new information?
• Does the topic hold significance and meaning to me? Has it shaped who I am?
• Is the topic unique to me? 
• Do I highlight my best qualities and demonstrate how I would be a positive asset to the Harvard campus community?

What does Harvard look for in applicants?

With such a low Harvard acceptance rate, you might be wondering what Harvard wants to see in its applicants. Well, there isn’t any one factor that will secure your admission. While academics are highly important, Harvard needs to see other outstanding qualities in candidates for them to earn admission. 

One important factor that admissions looks for is the potential a student has for future contributions to society. Harvard expects its graduates to go on to be leaders, making meaningful impacts long after their time on campus. If there are no signs of this future promise in an applicant, then Harvard admissions will not extend an acceptance letter. 

Additionally, students need to show outstanding talents, skills, or personal qualities. Harvard wants their students to excel in an extracurricular activity. Leadership and community involvement are also important. Harvard admissions also value diversity in their student population, so they want students who will bring unique perspectives and experiences.

Of course, nothing else matters if your academics aren’t extremely impressive. Harvard wants students that excel academically and don’t back down from an intellectual challenge. Therefore, if you’re serious about getting into Harvard, plan to take accelerated courses such as AP and IB. 

Consider these application tips provided by Harvard when applying. Additionally, check out this guide on what to expect after you’ve applied to Harvard. 

Harvard Application Timeline

Your application timeline will vary based on your application deadline . For example, if you’re applying Restrictive Early Action, you’ll need to get started earlier than if you’re applying Regular Decision. 

The Restrictive Early Action deadline is November 1st, and students will receive an admissions decision by mid-December. REA applicants may only apply early to one school. However, it is a non-binding option. Therefore, if you gain acceptance to Harvard, you are not required to attend. If Harvard is your #1 choice, then consider applying early. The early acceptance rate is 7.6%, which is still extremely competitive but higher than the overall Harvard acceptance rate. 

Regular Decision candidates need to apply by January 1st and will receive a decision by the end of March. 

Harvard is not a test-optional school. It requires the submission of standardized tests, so plan to take these exams by spring or summer of the year you apply. These scores should be submitted by the end of October for REA students. 

Consider that you’ll need to submit additional materials such as letters of recommendation . Start requesting these letters months in advance to give your recommenders plenty of time to finish and submit them on time. 

The most time consuming part of your application will be each Harvard application essay and the Harvard personal statement. Start working on your Harvard supplemental essays the summer before you plan to apply. This will give you time to write your best version of each Harvard essay. 

Additional Harvard Essay Resources from CollegeAdvisor

When considering how to get into Harvard, you’ll want to do everything possible to heighten your chances. CollegeAdvisor provides students with a myriad of useful resources to guide them through the college application process. 

When coming up with a “how to get into Harvard” plan, remember the importance of each Harvard application essay. You won’t gain admission without outstanding Harvard supplemental essays. Reading college essay examples will allow you to see what works. They can serve as vital inspiration when starting your own essays. Check out these Ivy League essay examples as well as these Harvard essay examples. 

Additionally, we provide guides on how to get into your dream school, including this guide on how to get into Harvard. While this Harvard essay guide focuses mainly on your essays, our How to Get Into Harvard guide shows you how to maximize every part of your application to optimize your admissions chances. 

We learned about what Harvard admissions looks for in its applicants, but you might still be curious as to how admissions officers rate your application against the rest. Check out this article that outlines just how admissions at Ivy League universities rate their candidates. Or watch our webinar and learn from Harvard alums what it takes to apply and get into Harvard. 

Harvard Essay- Five Takeaways

Knowing how to get into Harvard — or any of the Ivy League universities — and actually getting in are two entirely different things. However, every Harvard application essay is an opportunity to highlight a new and unique skill, interest, value, or goal. Admissions is looking for outstanding students who are engaged in their communities, passionate about their interests, and motivated to learn. The Harvard supplemental essays are your opportunity to fill in any gaps in your application and put your best foot forward!

5 Key Harvard Essay Takeaways 

1. there are 5 harvard essay prompts that students need to complete in addition to the harvard personal statement. , 2. each harvard essay is important to your overall application. choosing the best topic for you is vital. consider topics that highlight your best and unique qualities. , 3. be creative yet concise when writing each harvard application essay. the harvard supplemental essays have a 150 word limit. so you need to choose your words carefully. however, that doesn’t mean you should cut out descriptive language or skimp on style. , 4. fully and completely answer each harvard application essay prompt. setting the scene with descriptive language or an anecdote is important. however, that doesn’t mean you can use your entire harvard application essay to do so. many harvard supplemental essays have various parts to the prompts. be sure you have answered them all in each harvard essay. , 5. plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to revise and edit each harvard essay. you want each harvard application essay to be meaningful, interesting, and mechanically impeccable. be sure to factor in enough time to revise and edit your harvard application essay. ideally, start writing in the summer before you apply.

This article was written by Sarah Kaminski. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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Writing Application Essays and Personal Statements

Some applications ask that you write an essay that draws on more personal reflections. These essays, sometimes called Personal Statements, are an opportunity to show the selection committee who you are as a person: your story, your values, your interests, and why you—and not your peer with a similar resume—are a perfect fit for this opportunity. These narrative essays allow you to really illustrate the person behind the resume, showcasing not only what you think but how you think.

Before you start writing, it’s helpful to really consider the goals of your personal statement:

• To learn more about you as a person: What would you like the selection committee to know about you that can't be covered by other application materials (e.g. resume, transcript, letters of recommendation)? What have been the important moments/influences throughout your journey that have led to where (and who!) you are?
• To learn how you think about the unsolved problems in your field of study/interest: What experiences demonstrate how you've been taught to think and how you tackle challenges?
• To assess whether you fit with the personal qualities sought by the selection committee:  How can you show that you are thoughtful and mature with a good sense of self; that you embody the character, qualities, and experience to be personally ready to thrive in this experience (graduate school and otherwise)? Whatever opportunity you are seeking—going to graduate school, spending the year abroad, conducting public service—is going to be challenging intellectually, emotionally, and financially. This is your opportunity to show that you have the energy and perseverance to succeed.

In general, your job through your personal statement is to show, don’t tell the committee about your journey. If you choose to retell specific anecdotes from your life, focus on one or two relavant, formative experiences—academic, professional, extracurricular—that are emblematic of your development. The essay is where you should showcase the depth of your maturity, not the breadth—that's the resume's job!

Determining the theme of an essay

The personal statement is usually framed with an overarching theme. But how do you come up with a theme that is unique to you? Here are some questions to get you started:

• Question your individuality:  What distinguishes you from your peers? What challenges have you overcome? What was one instance in your life where your values were called  into question?
• Question your field of study:  What first interested you about your field of study? How has your interest in the field changed and developed? How has this discipline shaped you? What are you most passionate about relative to your field?
• Question your non-academic experiences:  Why did you choose the internships, clubs, or activites you did? And what does that suggest about what you value?

Once you have done some reflection, you may notice a theme emerging (justice? innovation? creativity?)—great! Be careful to think beyond your first idea, too, though. Sometimes, the third or fourth theme to come to your mind is the one that will be most compelling to center your essay around.

Writing style

Certainly, your personal statement can have moments of humor or irony that reflect your personality, but the goal is not to show off your creative writing skills or present you as a sparkling conversationalist (that can be part of your interview!). Here, the aim is to present yourself as an interesting person, with a unique background and perspective, and a great future colleague. You should still use good academic writing—although this is not a research paper nor a cover letter—but the tone can be a bit less formal.

Communicating your values

Our work is often linked to our own values, identities, and personal experiences, both positive and negative. However, there can be a vulnerability to sharing these things with strangers. Know that you don't have to write about your most intimate thoughts or experiences, if you don't want to. If you do feel that it’s important that a selection committee knows this about you, reflect on why you would like for them to know that, and then be sure that it has an organic place in your statement. Your passion will come through in how you speak about these topics and their importance in forming you as an individual and budding scholar. 

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To apply for admission as a first-year or transfer student at Harvard, you will start with the Application. Fill out the Common Application  or the Coalition Application, Powered by Scoir (choose one, we have no preference), followed by the supplement to help us get a better sense of who you are. Not sure where to start? We've gathered some helpful tips on how to fill out the main application and the Harvard supplement.

The Profile section is a place where you'll share detailed information about yourself, including contact information, demographics, and fee waiver request. It's always a good idea to review the information here and update any details, if necessary. Please note that none of the demographic questions in this section are required. 

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Personal information: legal name.

Please fill out your name exactly as it will show up on all materials we receive for your application. Your teachers, college counselors and others should also use your legal name just as it will appear on your financial aid forms, official test score reports, etc. Use of a nickname can cause your application to be incomplete if we cannot match your materials to your application.

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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. Please follow the steps below to request a fee waiver:

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In the family section, you'll share information about your household, your parents, and any siblings. Most colleges collect this information for demographic purposes. Even if you're an adult or an emancipated minor, you'll need to fill out this section.

Unknown Parent

Answer the questions as honestly and fully as you can, but don’t worry if you and your parent/guardian do not know all of the details about your family.

Family Information

Part of an admissions officer’s job in reading your application is to understand your background and how these circumstances have affected your upbringing, the opportunities available to you, academic preparation, and other factors relevant to the college admissions process.

Family life is an important factor in helping us to learn more about the circumstances and conditions in which you were raised, and how you have made the most of the opportunities provided by your family. We want to understand where you’re coming from, not only in school, but at home as well.

Parent Education

Parents almost always have a significant effect on students’ lives. Information about parents may indicate challenges you have faced – and overcome. In your essay you might elaborate on your family experiences in a wide variety of ways that can illuminate your character and personal qualities, including the positive aspects of your family life.

In the Education section is where you will share information about your current school or coursework, academic honors, and future education plans. Here are some tips on commonly asked questions.

Interruption in Education

It is not uncommon for students to change schools or take time off during high school. While this information will most likely appear on your transcript, hearing directly from you about any interruption in schooling will help us to fill in any gaps.

We always defer to the secondary school report for information about grades. If yours is not provided by the counselor or school, we will take into consideration what is self-reported, making sure to confirm with your school officials.

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Please list the courses you are currently taking and/or are planning on taking before you graduate. If your schedule changes after you have submitted your application, please keep us updated by submitting additional materials in the Applicant Portal.

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This is a place to highlight any achievements or awards you have received. If you receive any significant honors or awards after submitting the application, you may notify us by submitting additional materials in the Applicant Portal and we will include this information with your application materials.

Future Plans & Career Interest

You do not need to have a ten year plan, but getting a sense of what kinds of professions you have considered gives us insight into your current plans. Don’t fret about it: put a few ideas down and move on with your application.

Since there are some students who do have a developed career interest already established while they are in high school, this question provides an opportunity to indicate such a plan.

The Testing section is where you'll enter your self-reported scores for any standardized tests that you've taken and wish to report to colleges. However, remember that if you self-report your SAT or ACT test scores and you are admitted and choose to enroll at Harvard, you'll be required to submit your official score reports from the College Board or ACT. View more information on our standardized testing requirements on our Application Requirements page.

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Test scores.

We have always looked at the best scores applicants choose to submit. If you haven’t yet taken the tests, please indicate which tests you are taking and when.

The TOEFL is not required for Harvard, but if you are taking it for another college, you may elect to submit it as part of your Harvard application. Your score can be one more piece of evidence regarding your English language proficiency, so you may choose to submit it if you feel it provides additional helpful information. 

AP/IB Tests

These exam scores are additional pieces of academic information which can help us as we think about your preparation and potential for college level work. Sometimes AP or IB scores can demonstrate a wide range of academic accomplishments.

If you have the opportunity to take AP and IB exams, the results may also be helpful for academic placement, should you be accepted and choose to enroll at Harvard. 

The activities section gives you the opportunity to tell schools more about who you are and activities you're involved with outside the classroom. You'll have the opportunity to list up to ten activities, but that doesn't mean you need to enter all ten.

How we use extracurricular activities and work experience in the admissions process

We are much more interested in the quality of students’ activities than their quantity so do not feel you need to fill in the entire grid! Contributions students make to the well-being of their secondary schools, communities and families are of great interest to us. So indicate for us the time you spend and the nature of the contribution to extracurricular activities, the local community, work experiences and help provided to your family. Activities you undertake need not be exotic but rather might show a commitment to excellence regardless of the activity. Such a commitment can apply to any activity in your life and may reflect underlying character and personal qualities.

For example, a student can gain a great deal from helping his or her family with babysitting or other household responsibilities or working in a restaurant to help with family or personal expenses. Such experiences are important “extracurricular” activities and can be detailed in the extracurricular section and discussed in essays.

Some students list only activities they feel will appear significant to the admissions office, while others endeavor to list every single thing they have ever done. Neither approach is right for everyone. Rather, you should think about the activities (in-school, at home, or elsewhere) that you care most about and devote most of your time doing, and list those.

We realize that extracurricular and athletic opportunities are either unavailable or limited at many high schools. We also know that limited economic resources in many families can affect a student’s chances for participation on the school teams, travel teams, or even prevent participation at all due to the costs of the equipment or the logistical requirements of some sports and activities. You should not feel that your chances for admission to college are hindered by the lack of extracurricular opportunities. Rather, our admissions committee will look at the various kinds of opportunities you have had in your lifetime and try to assess how well you have taken advantage of those opportunities.

For additional thoughts on extracurricular activities, please refer to this 2009 article in the New York Times:  Guidance Office: Answers From Harvard’s Dean, Part 3 .

Positions held, honors won, letters earned, or employer

In this section, please describe the activity and your level of participation. Please note that your description should be concise, or it may be cut off by the Common Application.

Participation Grade Level

The grades during which you have participated are important because they help us to understand the depth of your involvement in that activity and your changing interests over time. Not all extracurricular activities must be a four-year commitment for our applicants.

Approximate Time Spent

We are interested to know how you manage your time and to understand how you balance your life outside of the classroom. Some students dedicate their time to one or two activities, while others spread their time among many.

When did you participate

We know that students are often active both during the school year and the summer – working, babysitting siblings, enrolling in courses, traveling, playing sports, holding internships, etc. Distinguishing school-year activities from summer activities helps us understand how you have spent your time and taken advantage of opportunities available to you.

Plans to participate in college?

Harvard is a residential institution, and our students are actively engaged in college life. This section helps us to understand how you might contribute at Harvard. Some students who were involved in several activities during high school choose to narrow their focus in college and/or to try new activities not previously available.

What if there's not enough space?

Filling out the grid is an act of prioritization: your responses tell us what activities or work experiences are most meaningful to you. And there’s quite a bit of space there, too; almost everyone should be able to convey the breadth and depth of out-of-class commitments on the application. Conversely, please do not feel a need to fill every line!

The first section is the personal essay. Harvard requires the submission of the personal essay with your application. We also offer an opportunity to add any additional information.

Personal Essay

The Common Application essay topics are broad. Please note that Coalition essay questions may differ. While this might seem daunting at first, look at it as an opportunity to write about something you care about, rather than what you think the Admissions Committee wants to hear. The point of the personal statement is for you to have the chance to share whatever you would like with us. Remember, your topic does not have to be exotic to be compelling.

Essay topics include:

• Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you? 
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
• Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
• Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Additional Information

Do not feel obligated to fill this space, but some students have used this opportunity to tell us about challenging circumstances in their lives such as illness or other difficulties that may have affected their grades. Any information that can tell us more about the person behind the test scores and grades can be helpful.

Harvard Questions

Each college or university that is a member of the Common Application and/or the Coalition Application - Powered by Scoir has an opportunity to ask applicants a series of school-specific questions separate from the common part of the application. The Harvard supplement contains a series of questions that help us learn more about your academic, extracurricular, and personal interests. You application is not considered complete until you submit the supplement. 

General: Applying for Financial Aid

Harvard has a need-blind admissions process and applying for aid is never detrimental to your admissions decision. We ask this question because we want to be able to calculate your financial need in advance of our April notification date so that we can send your admission letter and financial aid offer at the same time. One thing to note – not all institutions have such policies.

General: Submitting Supplementary Materials

Supplementary materials (art slides, music recordings, research papers, etc.) help when they reveal unusual talent. You absolutely do not have to include anything supplementary to gain acceptance to Harvard, and the vast majority of admitted students do not submit supplementary materials with their applications. You can submit art and media files through Slideroom  and any documents or articles directly in the Applicant Portal with an uploader tool.

Academics: Fields of Study

When you select from the full list of Harvard's academic concentrations, you give us a sense of the direction you may choose when it comes time for you to choose a concentration at Harvard in your sophomore year.

While we realize that this question is quite similar to the one asked on the Common Application, our own format allows us to fit this information into data fields that Harvard has been collecting for many years. While we know students might well change their minds once they are in college, it is helpful for us to get a sense of their current interests and those academic areas in which they have already spent time and effort.

We do not admit students into specific academic programs, and we have no quotas or targets for academic fields.

Academics: Future Plans

As a liberal arts institution with fifty academic concentrations and more than 450 extracurricular organizations, we expect and encourage our students to explore new opportunities. We understand that as you answer these questions, you may not be entirely sure of your plans, but this information helps us to understand how you might use Harvard.

One of the principal ways students meet and educate each other during college is through extracurricular activities. Your answer to this question gives us a better sense of the interests you might bring to college and how definite your academic, vocational, extracurricular or athletic interests might be. This information helps us understand better how you might use Harvard. Of course, one of the best things about a liberal arts education is that plans may change. There is no “right” answer to these questions.

If you have applied to Harvard before, we want to include your previous application with your current one. We also want to have a record of any other involvement at Harvard you may have had, including the Summer School and the Extension School and associated transcripts. This information adds to the context of your present application. It can be helpful for us to note changes in your application—perhaps areas where you have strengthened the academic and/or extracurricular aspects of your candidacy.

Writing Supplement

The supplement includes five required short-answer questions, each with a 150 word limit. We want to ensure that every student has the same opportunity to reflect on and share how their life experiences and academic and extracurricular activities shaped them, how they will engage with others at Harvard, and their aspirations for the future. Our continued focus is on considering the whole student in the admissions process and how they have interacted with the world.

Required Short Answer Questions

Each question has a 150 word limit. 

• Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?
• Describe a time when you strongly disagreed with someone about an idea or issue. How did you communicate or engage with this person? What did you learn from this experience?
• Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are.
• How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future?
• Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you. 

Related Guides

Here you'll find information on tracking your application and interviews.

Financial Aid Fact Sheet

Get the facts about Harvard College's revolutionary financial aid program.

Guide to Preparing for College

Find information about selecting high school courses that best prepare you for liberal arts colleges with high academic demographic such as Harvard.

Getting Into Harvard: Admission Requirements 2024/2025

What kind of students get into Harvard? Well, there is no one "type" of student that gets into Harvard. But the admissions committee does look for applicants who have excellent academic records, are engaged in their community, and will contribute to the vibrant intellectual culture on Harvard's campus.

Sound like you? Great! Then this post on the admissions requirements for Harvard University is going to help you understand how to put together a strong application. And to be super blunt, you're gonna need that, because the most recent admissions rate hit a record low of 3.19% after 61,220 students applied!

HOW HARD IS IT TO GET INTO HARVARD UNIVERSITY?

It is extremely difficult to get into Harvard University. The standardized test scores, like SAT and ACT, and grade point average of admittees are in the highest percentiles.

Harvard Acceptance Rate

The Harvard acceptance rate is 3.19%, making it one of the most competitive universities in the world. Acceptance rate is an indication of how competitive a school is, but it is also an indication of how popular a school is. To get into a school like Harvard University, you will need to excel in almost every major college application factor.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Harvard university gpa requirements, harvard university application essay tips.

The GPA requirements for Harvard University are between 3.9 to 4.1. You will need an incredibly high GPA and will likely be graduating at the top of their class in order to get into Harvard University. If you’re GPA is lower than suggested at the time you apply, you may have to perform above average on your standardized tests. If you’re grades aren’t as high as they could have been due to life experiences or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section .

Average Unweighted GPA: 4.22

GPA Distribution: Unweighted

4.0 = 75.76% 3.75-3.99 = 18.02% 3.50-3.74 = 4% 3.25-3.49 = 1.79% 3.00-3.24 = 0.32% 2.5-2.99 = 0.11% 2.0-2.49 = 0% 1.0-1.99 = 0% Below 1.0 = 0%

What GPA should I have? Applicants should be between 3.9 and 4.0 to be strong candidates for admission to this school. Having less than this will require compensating by increasing your SAT or ACT score.

Harvard University SAT Requirements

The SAT requirements for Harvard University are a 1,500 to 1,600 composite score, combining the reading and writing, and math sections together. You will need an incredibly high SAT score and getting close to perfect scores in order to get into Harvard University. If you’re SAT is lower than suggested at the time you apply, you may have to perform above average on your standardized tests. If you’re grades aren’t as high as they could have been due to life experiences or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section .

Average SAT Composite Score: 1520

SAT Distribution: Score = Reading | Math 700-800 = 83.81% | 87.88% 600-699 = 15.49% | 10.82% 500-599 = 0.7% | 1.3% 400-499 = 0% | 0% 300-399 = 0% | 0% 200-299 = 0% | 0%

What SAT score should I have? Applicants should score between 1,500 to 1,600 on their SAT to be strong candidates for admission to this school. Having less than this will require compensating by using a substitute ACT score or having an above-average GPA. Either an SAT or ACT score is required for application to this school.

Harvard University ACT Requirements

The ACT requirements for Harvard University are a 34 composite score combing all English, mathematics, reading, and science sections. You will need an incredibly high SAT score and getting close to perfect scores in order to get into Harvard University. If you’re ACT is not what you’d hoped by the time you apply, you may have to make it up by getting above-average scores on the SAT and having an above-average grade point average. If you’re ACT wasn’t as high as you’d like because of difficulties or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section .

What ACT score should I have? Applicants should score between 30 and 36 on their ACT to be strong candidates for admission to this school. Having less than this will require compensating by using a substitute SAT score or having an above-average GPA. Either an SAT or ACT score is required for application to this school.

Average ACT: 34

ACT Distribution: Composite Score 30-36 = 95.27% 24-29 = 4.57% 18-23 = 0.16% 12-17 = 0% 6-11 = 0% Below 6 = 0%

Harvard University Application Requirements

Harvard university application deadlines.

The Harvard University application deadline for regular decision is January 1st. Harvard University also provides an alternative form of application in addition to regular decision: restrictive early action. The application deadline for Harvard University’s restrictive early action is November 1st. Below is a table showing the deadlines for each of the steps of the Harvard University admissions process.

Harvard University Supplemental Essay Prompts

Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard? (10-150 words)

Describe a time when you strongly disagreed with someone about an idea or issue. How did you communicate or engage with this person? What did you learn from this experience? (10-150 words)

Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are. (10-150 words)

How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future? (10-150 words)

Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you. (10-150 words)

Prompts Above

As we said above, you can check out our comprehensive guide on the Harvard supplemental essays to get in-depth guidance on your approach to each. Below, we’ll offer some big-picture guidance.

Consider paying particular attention to the, “What does Harvard look for in Students?” section of this post (above): Supplemental essay prompts are perfect opportunities for you to showcase how a different aspect of who you are fulfills something the school looks for.

In particular, a lot of schools use supplemental essays to get a sense of how you and the school “fit” together. This is especially important for things like “Why Us” essays, but you can demonstrate ways you and the community and academic programs fit together via other supp essays.

Any time a school has multiple supplemental essays, be sure to use each to focus on a different aspect of what you value and what you bring to the campus and community. Linked to that, try to avoid repeating anything covered in your personal statement—use these prompts to help the readers see new sides of you.

Though you’ll want to be mostly focusing on specific examples of yourself and your life in these essays, having a clear understanding of Harvard’s mission and vision will give you a direction for your reflections in your essays. (Semi-pro tip: for any school, just search for “[school name] mission and vision” and you’ll quickly find what you’re looking for)

Tip #1 for Harvard University Supplemental Prompt#1

Treat this as a combo identity/community/background + why us prompt.

We offer a bunch of strong examples of “how will you contribute” essays in that guide, but essentially, think of this as showing a core part of who you are (and how you’ve become who you are), and then specific ways that this aspect of you contributes to the diversity of thought, culture, perspective, etc. of Harvard’s community. 

Tip #2 for Harvard University Supplemental Prompt#2

Show you can engage in productive, healthy disagreement

This is a pretty common kind of prompt. You can see a bigger guide here , but, essentially, show that you’re ready to engage in complex, perhaps difficult discussions in a way that leads to your and other people’s growth.

Tip #3 for Harvard University Supplemental Prompt#3

Write about something you haven’t talked about elsewhere (much or at all) in your application. 

This is your classic short extracurricular essay. You’ll find an in-depth step-by-step guide at this link , with specific advice for the 150-ish-word format (plus some really great examples) towards the end. We recommend using that post to guide you as you’re writing.

But if you want to see the short version, here’s what to do:

Go to your Common App activities list and pick 2-3 of your most impressive or important (to you) activities. 

Then, go through the Best Extracurricular Activity Brainstorm I’ve Ever Seen (AKA BEABIES exercise), either mentally or by filling out the chart. This will help you decide which topic might yield the most content for your essay.  If you’re unsure, maybe do a simple outline for two different topics.

Write a draft. Then start revising.

Tip #4 for Harvard University Supplemental Prompt #4

Think of this as a specifically framed “Why Us.”

What will you do once you finish your education at Harvard? And especially, how does what Harvard offers help you on the path to achieving these things. Harvard is generally looking for students who want to use their educations to make a positive impact in the world—how might you do so with yours?

Tip #5 for Harvard University Supplemental Prompt #5

Show your personality.

This is pretty similar to Stanford’s fairly famous “roommate” prompt. And we actually have an entire separate blog post on that Stanford prompt we’d recommend reading.

The super short version? 

Do this exercise .

Pick three that Harvard isn’t seeing elsewhere + that show your interests and (especially) personality.

Write. Then probably rewrite a bunch.

Want advice on dozens of other supplemental essays? Click here

Special thanks to Ameer for contributing to this post.

Ameer is a freelance writer who specializes in writing about college admissions and career development. Prior to freelancing, Ameer worked for three years as a college admissions consultant at a Hong Kong-based education center, helping local high school students prepare and apply for top colleges and universities in the US. He has a B.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago and an M.A. in Spanish Linguistics from UCLA. When he’s not working, Ameer loves traveling, weight lifting, writing, reading, and learning foreign languages. He currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Top values: Growth / Diversity / Empathy

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Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

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Extracurriculars.

How to Write the Harvard University Essays 2024-2025

Harvard University, perhaps the most prestigious and well-known institution in the world, is the nation’s oldest higher education establishment, founded in 1636. Harvard’s impressive alumni network, from Sheryl Sandberg to Al Gore, is proof of the school’s ability to recruit some of the top talents in the world.

It’s no wonder that students are often intimidated by Harvard’s supplements, especially since several of them are quite open-ended. However, CollegeVine is here to help, with comprehensive guidance on how to tackle this year’s prompts.

Do be aware that with just 150 words to work with, you’ll want to make every one count. Essays with shorter word counts may seem like less work, but don’t be deceived–you’ll need to choose each and every word carefully to keep your essays succinct, but still compelling and memorable.

Read these Harvard essay examples written by real students to inspire your own writing!

How to Write the Harvard Supplemental Essays

Prompt 1: Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard? (150 words)

Prompt 2: Describe a time when you strongly disagreed with someone about an idea or issue. How did you communicate or engage with this person? What did you learn from this experience? (150 words)

Prompt 3: Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are. (150 words)

Prompt 4: How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future? (150 words)

Prompt 5: Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you. (150 words)

Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard? (150 words)

Brainstorming Your Topic

This prompt is a great example of the classic diversity supplemental essay . That means that, as you prepare to write your response, the first thing you need to do is focus in on some aspect of your identity, upbringing, or personality that makes you different from other people.

As you start brainstorming, do remember that the way colleges factor race into their admissions processes will be different this year, after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in June. Colleges can still consider race on an individual level, however, so if you would like to write your response about how your racial identity has impacted you, you are welcome to do so.

If race doesn’t seem like the right topic for you, however, keep in mind that there are many other things that can make us different, not just race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and the other aspects of our identities that people normally think of when they hear the word “diversity.” That’s not to say that you can’t write about those things, of course. But don’t worry if you don’t feel like those things have played a significant role in shaping your worldview. Here are some examples of other topics that could support a strong essay:

• Moving to several different cities because of your parents’ jobs
• An usual hobby, like playing the accordion or making your own jewelry
• Knowing a lot about a niche topic, like Scottish castles

The only questions you really need to ask yourself when picking a topic are “Does this thing set me apart from other people?” and “Will knowing this thing about me give someone a better sense of who I am overall?” As long as you can answer “yes” to both of those questions, you’ve found your topic!

Tips for Writing Your Essay

Once you’ve selected a topic, the question becomes how you’re going to write about that topic in a way that helps Harvard admissions officers better understand how you’re going to contribute to their campus community. To do that, you want to connect your topic to some broader feature of your personality, or to a meaningful lesson you learned, that speaks to your potential as a Harvard student.

For example, perhaps your interest in Scottish castles has given you an appreciation for the strength of the human spirit, as the Scots were able to persevere and build these structures even in incredibly remote, cold parts of the country. Alternatively, maybe being half Puerto Rican, but not speaking Spanish, has taught you about the power of family, as you have strong relationships even with relatives you can’t communicate with verbally. 

Remember that, like with any college essay, you want to rely on specific anecdotes and experiences to illustrate the points you’re making. To understand why, compare the following two excerpts from hypothetical essays.

Example 1: “Even though I can’t speak Spanish, and some of my relatives can’t speak English, whenever I visit my family in Puerto Rico I know it’s a place where I belong. The island is beautiful, and I especially love going to the annual party at my uncle’s house.”

Example 2: “The smell of the ‘lechón,’ or suckling pig greets me as soon as I enter my uncle’s home, even before everyone rushes in from the porch to welcome me in rapid-fire Spanish. At best, I understand one in every ten words, but my aunt’s hot pink glasses, the Caribbean Sea visible through the living room window, and of course, the smell of roasting pork, tell me, wordlessly yet undeniably, that I’m home.”

Think about how much better we understand this student after Example 2. If a few words were swapped out, Example 1 could’ve been written by anyone, whereas Example 2 paints us a clear picture of how this student’s Puerto Rican heritage has tangibly impacted their life.

Mistakes to Avoid

The biggest challenge with this particular “Diversity” essay is the word count. Because you only have 150 words to work with, you don’t have space to include more than one broader takeaway you’ve learned from this aspect of your identity. 

Of course, people are complicated, and you’ve likely learned many things from being Puerto Rican, or from being interested in Scottish castles. But for the sake of cohesion, focus on just one lesson. Otherwise your essay may end up feeling like a bullet-point list of Hallmark card messages, rather than a thoughtful, personal, reflective piece of writing.

The other thing you want to avoid is writing an essay that’s just about your topic. Particularly since you’re going to be writing about an aspect of your identity that’s important to you, you’ll likely have a lot to say just about that. If you aren’t careful, you may burn through all 150 words without getting to the broader significance of what this piece of your personality says about who you are as a whole. 

That component, however, is really the key to a strong response. Harvard receives over 40,000 applications a year, which means that, whether you write about being Puerto Rican or Scottish castles, it’s likely someone else is writing about something similar. 

That doesn’t mean you need to agonize over picking something absolutely nobody else is writing about, as that’s practically impossible. All it means is that you need to be clear about how this aspect of your identity has shaped you as a whole, as that is how your essay will stand out from others with similar topics.

Describe a time when you strongly disagreed with someone about an idea or issue. How did you communicate or engage with this person? What did you learn from this experience? (150 words)

This prompt is somewhat similar to the Overcoming Challenges essay, which asks applicants to reflect on a time they had to handle something difficult or demanding. While a disagreement may not always be big enough to be considered a true challenge, some of the same general strategy applies, in that as you reflect on the conflict, you want to demonstrate your personal strengths and maturity.

As you consider what anecdote to use for this essay, think about what qualities might be demonstrated by different stories. Here are some examples, to help you gauge how well your own ideas would work:

• A disagreement with a friend or family member could demonstrate your readiness to stand up to even those who are close to you in defense of something important to you. 
• A conflict involving one of your core values or beliefs might demonstrate your strong moral character and commitment to ethics. 
• An argument involving a cause, organization, or project might show your commitment to something bigger than you. 
• An argument in which you were wrong or your mind was changed shows your humility, capacity for reflection, and willingness to listen. 

There are many more kinds of disagreements that you could write about, so make sure you choose wisely. The most emotional argument you’ve ever been in, the most significant conflict you’ve ever had, or the most satisfying win, doesn’t automatically make for the best essay. The key is to write about an occasion that gives a clear impression of your best qualities, which is not always the most intense one.

As you narrow down your choice, you’ll want to avoid some common pitfalls. First, choose a disagreement that has some substance. If you have a story that casts you in a great light, but is ultimately pretty trivial, Harvard admissions officers are unlikely to be impressed. They want to see that you’ll be able to navigate substantive differences with peers from drastically different backgrounds once you get to Cambridge.

Arguing with your brother about where to get dinner, for example, wouldn’t do much to help them envision how you’d conduct yourself in a heated classroom debate about, say, the continuing impacts of slavery on modern American society.

You’ll also want to lay out the contours of the disagreement relatively briefly, so don’t choose a situation that’s difficult to explain. Remember, you only have 150 words, and you want to spend as few of them as possible describing the argument itself. Rather, the majority of your supplement should focus on how you resolved (or not) the conflict, and what you learned from it.

Finally, though this essay is focused on a disagreement, you want to be careful of coming off as overly negative or confrontational, or as viewing yourself as superior. Don’t trash-talk the person you disagreed with, and don’t be condescending when you present their views. 

Again, Harvard will be reading this essay closely to see how prepared you are to handle the differing perspectives you’re sure to encounter in college, so you want to come across as respectful and open-minded, not self-righteous or arrogant.

To get a concrete sense of the differences we’re describing here, consider the following examples of responses to this prompt. 

“Don’t Fear the Reaper or As It Was? Lynyrd Skynyrd or Olivia Rodrigo? During my sophomore year, my school was planning the annual talent show, and I disagreed with my classmates about which song our group should perform. Some wanted to go with a popular pop song, while I preferred a classic rock hit that I thought would stand out more. We debated for days, and I tried to convince them that the rock song would be more memorable, while they argued that a pop song would be a crowd-pleaser. Eventually, we decided to blend both songs into a mashup. The performance was a huge success, and everyone enjoyed it. Seeing the crowd sing along to the lyrics they knew, keep dancing to the ones they didn’t, and give us a standing ovation at the end, drove home for me the benefits of collaboration, compromise, and creative problem solving.”

This example is well-written, includes a passion of the author’s, shows their capacity for reflection, and demonstrates several other good qualities, like compromise and creative problem solving. On the downside, it’s a relatively trivial argument – remember that the prompt asks for a story about a serious disagreement – but the execution is excellent. Now, compare it to this example. 

“Give a man a fish, and he’s fed for a day. Teach a man to fish…Well, it was junior year, and I was constantly clashing with a stubborn classmate over our community service project. She was fixated on the idea of collecting canned goods, which I found unimaginative and ineffective. My classmate pointed out that the school had done canned drives for years, but I knew we could do better, so I proposed a healthy cooking workshop to make a real impact. We all know the old proverb – so let’s apply it! After much back and forth, she reluctantly agreed to combine efforts, and in the end, my idea was what made the project successful, as I knew it would be. I was proud of myself for trusting myself, sticking up for my idea, challenging my classmate to grow, and helping members of my community feed themselves.”

This essay describes a topic of appropriate seriousness and shows what the student has learned, but the tone towards the student’s classmate is unnecessarily dismissive and patronizing, which could easily turn off an admissions committee. 

These examples each have their strengths, but also show that one bad element can really bring down the overall quality of the supplement. Let’s look at one more, really strong example, that ties all of this guidance together:

“During a heated debate in Model UN club, I argued with another delegate who proposed a resolution that, in my view, oversimplified the Syrian refugee crisis. While he focused solely on border security, I argued that we must address the root causes—like poverty and political instability—to create lasting change. I was surprised by how personal the resulting debate felt. Instead of escalating the conflict, I invited him to discuss our differences over coffee later. Through our conversation, I realized he was driven by personal experiences of insecurity, which deepened my empathy. I realized that though we had been in this club together for years, I really didn’t know much about him. This one revelation shed so much light on other policies he’d supported in the past that I’d never understood. Though we didn’t, in the end, find a satisfying compromise, I gained perspective that feels far more important.”

Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are. (150 words)

This is a textbook example of the “Extracurricular” essay . As such, what you need to do is well-defined, although it’s easier said than done: select an extracurricular activity that has, as Harvard says, “shaped who you are,” and make sure you’re able to articulate how it’s been formative for you.

As you brainstorm which extracurricular you want to write about, note that the language of the prompt is pretty open-ended. You write about “any” activity, not just one you have a lot of accolades in, and you don’t even have to write about an activity—you can also write about a travel experience, or family responsibility. 

If the thing that immediately jumps to mind is a club, sport, volunteer experience, or other “traditional” extracurricular, that’s great! Run with that. But if you’re thinking and nothing in that vein seems quite right, or, alternatively, you’re feeling bold and want to take a creative approach, don’t be afraid to get outside the box. Here are some examples of other topics you could write a strong essay about:

• A more hobby-like extracurricular, like crocheting potholders and selling them on Etsy
• Driving the Pacific Coast Highway on your own
• Caring for your family’s two large, colorful macaws

These more creative topics can do a lot to showcase a different side of you, as college applications have, by their nature, a pretty restricted scope, and telling admissions officers about something that would never appear on your resume or transcript can teach them a lot about who you are. That being said, the most important thing is that the topic you pick has genuinely been formative for you. Whether it’s a conventional topic or not, as long as that personal connection is there, you’ll be able to write a strong essay about it.

The key to writing a strong response is focusing less on the activity itself, and more on what you’ve learned from your involvement in it. If you’re writing about a more conventional topic, remember that admissions officers already have your activities list. You don’t need to say “For the last five years, I’ve been involved in x,” because they already know that, and when you only have 150 words, wasting even 10 of them means you’ve wasted 5% of your space.

If you’re writing about something that doesn’t already show up elsewhere in your application, you want to provide enough details for your reader to understand what you did, but not more than that. For example, if you’re writing about your road trip, you don’t need to list every city you  stopped in. Instead, just mention one or two that were particularly memorable.

Rather than focusing on the facts and figures of what you did, focus on what you learned from your experience. Admissions officers want to know why your involvement in this thing matters to who you’ll be in college. So, think about one or two bigger picture things you learned from it, and center your response around those things.

For example, maybe your Etsy shop taught you how easy it is to bring some positivity into someone else’s life, as crocheting is something you would do anyways, and the shop just allows you to share your creations with other people. Showcasing this uplifting, altruistic side of yourself will help admissions officers better envision what kind of Harvard student you’d be.

As always, you want to use specific examples to support your points, at least as much as you can in 150 words. Because you’re dealing with a low word count, you probably won’t have space to flex your creative writing muscles with vivid, immersive descriptions. 

You can still incorporate anecdotes in a more economical way, however. For example, you could say “Every morning, our scarlet macaw ruffles her feathers and greets me with a prehistoric chirp.” You’re not going into detail about what her feathers look like, or where this scene is happening, but it’s still much more engaging than something like “My bird always says hello to me in her own way.”

The most common pitfall with an “Extracurricular” essay is describing your topic the way you would on your resume. Don’t worry about showing off some “marketable skill” you think admissions officers want to see, and instead highlight whatever it is you actually took away from this experience, whether it’s a skill, a realization, or a personality trait. The best college essays are genuine, as admissions officers feel that honesty, and know they’re truly getting to know the applicant as they are, rather than some polished-up version.

Additionally, keep in mind that, like with anything in your application, you want admissions officers to learn something new about you when reading this essay. So, if you’ve already written your common app essay about volunteering at your local animal shelter, you shouldn’t also write this essay about that experience. Your space in your application is already extremely limited, so don’t voluntarily limit yourself even further by repeating yourself when you’re given an opportunity to say something new.

How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future? (150 words)

Although the packaging is a little different, this prompt has similarities to the classic “Why This College?” prompt . That means there are two main things you want to do while brainstorming. 

First, identify one or two goals you have for the future—with just 150 words, you won’t have space to elaborate on any more than that. Ideally, these should be relatively concrete. You don’t have to have your whole life mapped out, but you do need to be a lot more specific than “Make a difference in the world.” A more zoomed-in version of that goal would be something like “Contribute to conservation efforts to help save endangered species,” which would work.

Second, hop onto Harvard’s website and do some research on opportunities the school offers that would help you reach your goals. Again, make sure these are specific enough. Rather than a particular major, which is likely offered at plenty of other schools around the country, identify specific courses within that major you would like to take, or a professor in the department you would like to do research with. For example, the student interested in conservation might mention the course “Conservation Biology” at Harvard.

You could also write about a club, or a study abroad program, or really anything that’s unique to Harvard, so long as you’re able to draw a clear connection between the opportunity and your goal. Just make sure that, like with your goals, you don’t get overeager. Since your space is quite limited, you should choose two, or maximum three, opportunities to focus on. Any more than that and your essay will start to feel rushed and bullet point-y.

If you do your brainstorming well, the actual writing process should be pretty straightforward: explain your goals, and how the Harvard-specific opportunities you’ve selected will help you reach them. 

One thing you do want to keep in mind is that your goals should feel personal to you, and the best way to accomplish that is by providing some background context on why you have them. This doesn’t have to be extensive, as, again, your space is limited. But compare the following two examples, written about the hypothetical goal of helping conservation efforts from above, to get an idea of what we’re talking about:

Example 1: “As long as I can remember, I’ve loved all kinds of animals, and have been heartbroken by the fact that human destruction of natural resources could lead to certain species’ extinction.”

Example 2: “As a kid, I would sit in front of the aquarium’s walrus exhibit, admiring the animal’s girth and tusks, and dream about seeing one in the wild. Until my parents regretfully explained to me that, because of climate change, that was unlikely to ever happen.”

The second example is obviously longer, but not egregiously so: 45 words versus 31. And the image we get of this student sitting and fawning over a walrus is worth that extra space, as we feel a stronger personal connection to them, which in turn makes us more vicariously invested in their own goal of environmental advocacy.

As we’ve already described in the brainstorming section, the key to this essay is specificity. Admissions officers want you to paint them a picture of how Harvard fits into your broader life goals. As we noted earlier, that doesn’t mean you have to have everything figured out, but if you’re too vague about your goals, or how you see Harvard helping you reach them, admissions officers won’t see you as someone who’s prepared to contribute to their campus community.

Along similar lines, avoid flattery. Gushy lines like “At Harvard, every day I’ll feel inspired by walking the same halls that countless Nobel laureates, politicians, and CEOs once traversed” won’t get you anywhere, because Harvard admissions officers already know their school is one of the most prestigious and famous universities in the world. What they don’t know is what you are going to bring to Harvard that nobody else has. So, that’s what you want to focus on, not vague, surface-level attributes of Harvard related to its standing in the world of higher education.

Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you. (150 words)

Like Prompt 2, this prompt tells you exactly what you need to brainstorm: three things a roommate would like to know about you. However, also like Prompt 2, while this prompt is direct, it’s also incredibly open-ended. What really are the top three things you’d like a complete stranger to know about you before you live together for nine months?

Questions this broad can be hard to answer, as you might not know where to start. Sometimes, you can help yourself out by asking yourself adjacent, but slightly more specific questions, like the following:

• Do you have any interests that influence your regular routine? For example, do you always watch the Seahawks on Sunday, or are you going to be playing Taylor Swift’s discography on repeat while you study?
• Look around your room—what items are most important to you? Do you keep your movie ticket stubs? Are you planning on taking your photos of your family cat with you to college?
• Are there any activities you love and already know you’d want to do with your roommate, like weekly face masks or making Christmas cookies?

Hopefully, these narrower questions, and the example responses we’ve included, help get your gears turning. Keep in mind that this prompt is a great opportunity to showcase sides of your personality that don’t come across in your grades, activities list, or even your personal statement. Don’t worry about seeming impressive—admissions officers don’t expect you to read Shakespeare every night for two hours. What they want is an honest, informative picture of what you’re like “behind the scenes,” because college is much more than just academics.

Once you’ve selected three things to write about, the key to the actual essay is presenting them in a logical, cohesive, efficient way. That’s easier said than done, particularly if the three things you’ve picked are quite different from each other. 

To ensure your essay feels like one, complete unit, rather than three smaller ones stuck together, strong transitions will be crucial. Note that “strong” doesn’t mean “lengthy.” Just a few words can go a long way towards helping your essay flow naturally. To see what we mean here, take the following two examples:

Example 1: “Just so you know, every Sunday I will be watching the Seahawks, draped in my dad’s Steve Largent jersey. They can be a frustrating team, but I’ll do my best to keep it down in case you’re studying. I also like to do face masks, though. You’re always welcome to any of the ones I have in my (pretty extensive) collection.”

Example 2: “Just so you know, every Sunday I will be watching the Seahawks, draped in my dad’s Steve Largent jersey. But if football’s not your thing, don’t worry—once the game’s over, I’ll need to unwind anyways, because win or lose the Hawks always find a way to make things stressful. So always feel free to join me in picking out a face mask from my (pretty extensive) collection, and we can gear up for the week together.”

The content in both examples is the same, but in the first one, the transition from football to facemasks is very abrupt. On the other hand, in the second example the simple line “But if football’s not your thing, don’t worry” keeps things flowing smoothly. 

There’s no one right way to write a good transition, but as you’re polishing your essay a good way to see if you’re on the right track is by asking someone who hasn’t seen your essay before to read it over and tell you if there are any points that made them pause. If the answer is yes, your transitions probably still need more work.

Finally, you probably noticed that the above examples are both written in a “Dear roomie” style, as if you’re actually speaking directly to your roommate. You don’t have to take this exact approach, but your tone should ideally be light and fun. Living alone for the first time, with other people your age, is one of the best parts of college! Plus, college applications are, by their nature, pretty dry affairs for the most part. Lightening things up in this essay will give your reader a breath of fresh air, which will help them feel more engaged in your application as a whole.

Harvard is doing you a favor here by keeping the scope of the essay narrow—they ask for three things, not more. As we’ve noted many times with the other supplements, 150 words will be gone in a flash, so don’t try to cram in extra things. It’s not necessary to do that, because admissions officers have only asked for three, and trying to stuff more in will turn your essay into a list of bullet points, rather than an informative piece of writing about your personality.

Finally, as we’ve hinted at a few times above, the other thing you want to avoid is using this essay as another opportunity to impress admissions officers with your intellect and accomplishments. Remember, they have your grades, and your activities list, and all your other essays. Plus, they can ask you whatever questions they want—if they wanted to know about the most difficult book you’ve ever read, they would. So, loosen up, let your hair down, and show them you know how to have fun too!

Where to Get Your Harvard Essays Edited For Free

Do you want feedback on your Harvard essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

Need feedback faster? Get a  free, nearly-instantaneous essay review  from Sage, our AI tutor and advisor. Sage will rate your essay, give you suggestions for improvement, and summarize what admissions officers would take away from your writing. Use these tools to improve your chances of acceptance to your dream school!

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Harvard University 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Guide

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 1

You Have: 

Harvard University 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: Five essays of 150 words or fewer

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Diversity , Activity , Oddball

How to Write Compelling Harvard Supplemental Essays

Since Harvard University asks applicants to pen five (5) essays of 100 words or fewer (though the Common App allows for up to 150 words), the key to writing compelling responses to the prompts is threefold. First, brevity is integral to a winning response. Never use two words where one word will do. Second, give yourself plenty of time to reflect and brainstorm before drafting. Admissions is asking some serious questions about your background, aspirations, and ability to communicate with others, so it would be a mistake to miss out on an opportunity to give your responses thought. Third, think about each response as a piece of a larger puzzle. You want each response to reveal new information about you, so try to steer clear of mentioning the same club in the three different essays. Instead, think of each essay as a different angle for admissions to view from. Each essay will add depth to your application and compliment your other application materials. 

Harvard Essay Prompts Breakdown

The following required five short answer questions invite you to reflect on and share how your life experiences and academic and extracurricular activities shaped you, how you will engage with others at harvard, and your aspirations for the future. each question can be answered in about 100 words., harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. how will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to harvard .

Admissions wants to know what has made you into the person you are today and how those experiences will affect the way you engage with and contribute to the Harvard community. So, tell a story about an experience that has shaped you and connect the lessons you learned to the ways in which you will contribute to diversity on campus next fall. Start by thinking about the kinds of experiences you’ve had in the communities you’ve been a part of thus far. Then, once you’ve identified the life experience(s) that have shaped you, think ahead to how those will impact your time at Harvard. Admissions wants to know what your area of influence will look like on campus—whether that be applying the leadership skills you developed in your community theater troupe to the drama productions at Farkas Hall, celebrating intersectional identities with other members of the queer Jewish community with BAGELS , or connecting and networking with your peers through Harvard Black Students Association . Whatever you write about, make sure your response to this prompt shows that you have put some serious thought into the things that have shaped you and how you will apply those lessons and experiences to your time at Harvard next fall. 

Describe a time when you strongly disagreed with someone about an idea or issue. How did you communicate or engage with this person? What did you learn from this experience?

Whether during a pregame pasta party with your teammates, a long bus ride with classmates, or your family Thanksgiving dinner, odds are you’ve disagreed with someone about an idea or an issue—and Harvard wants to hear about it. Admissions wants to know not only how you went about engaging with someone with an opposing viewpoint, but also what you took away from the experience. To make sure your response stands out from the pack, be as specific and purposeful as possible. What did you disagree on and how did you communicate? Maybe you used some deescalating tools you picked up from a friend of yours or, perhaps, you made an effort to see things from their point of view while still making a case for your perspective. If you can’t recall where you were at the time, no problem; but details are your friend here to add credibility. Whatever conversation you decide to write about, remember to address what you learned from the experience. Were you introduced to a point of view that you hadn’t considered before? Did you and your conversation partner find a middle ground or did you feel even more resolute in your viewpoint than you had before the conversation? Maybe what you took away wasn’t so much about the topic of the conversation, but the mechanics of holding a difficult conversation. Show Harvard that you can consider new ideas and engage with others about important issues.

Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are. 

Next up is a fun twist on the classic activity essay, which asks you to expand on an extracurricular endeavor that has shaped who you are. Our advice is to focus on one or two activities that have made the biggest impact on you. Although we usually urge students to write about items that haven’t appeared elsewhere on their application, the activity essay is an exception since it specifically asks you to address an item on your resume. The trick here is to  pick something with meat! Maybe your trip to visit your extended family members in Thailand opened your eyes to how limited your world had been in your small Midwestern town. Perhaps four years of debate club have nurtured your communication skills and ability to speak up for yourself. Whatever activity you choose to write about, be sure to pick one that has been fundamental to your understanding of who you are.

How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future? 

Admissions already knows a bit about what makes you you; now they want to know why Harvard is the obvious next step in the trajectory of your life. Take some time to meditate on what you hope your life will look like after Harvard—we’re talking ten, twenty years in the future. Once you have an idea of what you hope for that person to be like or do on an average day, invite admissions into your vision and show them how a Harvard education is a pivotal step (or three) on the ladder of success to get there. Regardless of your vision, your response should cite programs, activities, and organizations that Harvard offers. Anyone can say they hope to become a renowned doctor or an attorney for the people, but not everyone is going to do their homework to show admissions that they’ve thought through exactly how they want to get there. Of course, admissions isn’t going to hold you to your blueprint, but they do want to see that you’ve given not only your decision to apply to Harvard some serious thought, but your life post-graduation as well.

Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you. 

With this prompt, admissions is hoping to see a different side of you, perhaps one that is less intellectual (unless that’s just who you are, in which case, rock on with your nerdy self) and a little more casual. Start by making a list. Write down everything that comes to mind. You can edit and revise later—no idea is too silly to jot down! Maybe you think your roommates should know that you just can’t not sing while in the shower (we’re talking Celine Dion, Adele, Whitney Houston) or that you make the meanest plate of rice and beans in your pressure cooker (and you love to share). Once you’ve narrowed your list down to three (3) things, see if you can weave together a narrative that gives admissions a little taste of what it would be like to hang out in the dorms with you. How do you connect with your peers? What most excites you about residential life? What are the quirks that make you you ? By the time admissions puts down your application, they should feel like your personality is jumping off the page.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Harvard Essays

We have been reading Harvard essays for over twenty years now, so we know a thing or two about the most common mistakes students make. The most common mistakes to avoid are repeating the prompt in your essay (don’t waste your words), trying to sound like an academic (admissions wants to hear your authentic voice!), and using cliches (they’re ineffective and—let’s face it—lazy).

Why Choose College Essay Advisors for Harvard Essays

We at College Essay Advisors have been guiding students one-on-one through the essay writing process for the Harvard supplements for over twenty years. We take a holistic approach to these short essays, considering each student’s application package as a whole and identifying their strengths to highlight. Our Advisors accommodate each student’s scheduling needs to virtually brainstorm, draft, and revise winning essays. It’s incredibly important to us that each student’s voice is preserved, and we pride ourselves in helping students to write successful Harvard essays that differentiate them from similarly qualified applicants. For more information, submit a contact form below or review our one-on-one advising services or list of student acceptances . 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Harvard asks applicants to write five (5) supplemental essays. 

Harvard wants to learn more about the students applying. Admissions is looking to glean how your life experiences have shaped you, how you will engage with other community members on campus, your aspirations for the future, and more.

Authenticity and reflection are key. You want to both ensure that you’re submitting essays that no one else could submit—meaning they contain specific details from your life or interests that aren’t easily replicable—and show that you’ve put thought and care into your response.

The Harvard supplemental essays, aside from your personal statement, are the only opportunities you have to speak to admissions in your own voice. They offer insight into what it would be like to sit down and have a conversation with you while revealing how you interact with the world around you. They also speak to your writing skills and creativity. 

Absolutely not! The admissions committee will be reading both your Common App essay and Harvard supplements, so your essays should not overlap in content at all. Of course, it’s possible you may mention a community you belong to in your personal statement and then expand on that life experience in one of your supplements, but the story should be different and reveal new information about you that admissions couldn’t have gathered from your Common App essay alone.

Each Harvard essay should be 100 words maximum.

We always recommend reviewing the prompts and writing down everything that comes to mind (no censoring yourself!). Next, comb through your ideas to see if any topics jump out at you. And if you skipped the guide above, more brainstorming ideas and advice for writing memorable Harvard supplemental essays can be found there!

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, harvard university: application requirements.

Hello everyone! I have a dream of getting into Harvard University (no pressure, right?). I'm doing my research now to plan ahead. I'd love if any current students or recent alumni could chime in about what Harvard's application requirements are and what they would recommend focusing on to put my best application forward. Thank you!

Harvard has a list of requirements that each applicant must fulfill in their application. Here they are:

1. Common Application, Coalition Application, or Universal College Application: You can choose whichever platform is most convenient for you. Each application has a unique essay section, so choose wisely!

2. Harvard supplement: This is an essay that is specific to Harvard and is part of the Common Application, the Coalition Application, or the Universal College Application. You need to make sure that your essay shines here and that you are explicit in why Harvard is an ideal place for you to pursue your education.

3. Application fee or Fee Waiver: Most colleges charge an application fee, but if you can showcase financial hardship, you can apply for a fee waiver.

4. Two letters of recommendation from teachers: These should ideally be from teachers who have taught you in academic subjects in your last two years of high school.

5. Secondary School Report: This comes from your guidance counselor or another school official who will provide an overview of your academic record.

6. Mid-Year School Report: This highlights your academic performance during your senior year, up until the midpoint.

7. Standardized test scores: For the 2024-2025 application cycle, Harvard will require all applicants to submit an SAT or ACT score. Bear in mind that Harvard has no preference between the two tests.

8. The Final School Report: It's sent by your school when your final grades are available if you're admitted and decide to attend Harvard.

Regarding what to focus on, I'd recommend emphasizing your academic and extracurricular strengths. For academics, aim for high grades and challenging courses. For extracurriculars, remember that depth outweighs breadth, and having a major accomplishment or clearly demonstrated passion can help you stand out. The application essay is also crucial. Make it personal and insightful, showing who you really are and why you're an excellent fit for Harvard. Good luck!

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Harvard University College Admissions Essay Guide For Students

Exploring the Essay Requirements for Harvard University

When it comes to applying for one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the world, Harvard University, it's important to understand the essay requirements, deadlines, and the best ways to approach each of the essays that are required for consideration.

Harvard University requires prospective students to submit a series of essays, designed to showcase your personality, your critical thinking skills, and your writing abilities. These essays include:

• The Common Application essay: The Common Application essay is a 650-word limit submission that is used by most top universities. Prospective students are typically given a choice of prompts. Students can elect to answer one prompt in 650 words or less.
• Harvard University supplement essay: In addition to the Common Application essay, prospective students are required to submit one essay that provides additional insight into their candidacy. This essay is limited to 500 words and the prompt is as follows: "You may wish to include an additional essay if you feel that the college application forms do not provide sufficient opportunity to convey important information about yourself or your accomplishments. You may write on a topic of your choice, or you may choose from one of the following topics:
• Unusual circumstances in your life
• Travel, living, or working experiences in your own or other communities
• What you would want your future college roommate to know about you
• An intellectual experience (course, project, book, discussion, paper, poetry, or research topic in engineering, mathematics, science, or other modes of inquiry) that has meant the most to you
• How you hope to use your college education
• A list of books you have read during the past twelve months
• The Harvard College Honor code declares that we "hold honesty as the foundation of our community." As you consider entering this community that is committed to honesty, please reflect on a time when you or someone you observed had to make a choice about whether to act with integrity and honesty. (650 words)

The Deadlines

For the Class of 2025, the application deadline for Harvard University is November 1, 2020. This deadline is applicable to all early action applicants. As for regular decision applicants, the deadline is January 1, 2021.

Approaches to Each Essay

Given the character/word limits and the open-ended nature of each essay prompt provided by Harvard University, prospective students need to approach each essay carefully.

• The Common Application essay: The key to success in writing the Common Application essay is to choose a prompt that resonates with your own personal experience. When crafting your essay, make sure that your writing is clear, concise, and engaging.
• Harvard University supplement essay: For the additional essay required for Harvard, you have the liberty to write on any topic that you believe is essential in describing who you are as a person or candidate. If you decide to write on one of the provided prompts, make sure that you use your essay space effectively to include a unique perspective.

Tips for Approaching the Essays

• Start early: It would help if you started the essay writing process as soon as possible. You should set a goal to finish your essay draft a few days before the deadline. This allows you to read through the essay a couple of times to avoid any embarrassing errors.
• Use your unique voice: Your essays should demonstrate and convey your personality. Make sure that the language and tone you use match your unique voice.
• Give your essay to someone for feedback: It is essential to have a second (or third) set of eyes on your essays before submitting. Seeking feedback will help you catch errors or improve phrasing.
• Show your intellectual curiosity: Provide thoughtful insights or demonstrate your curiosity about a given subject or topic to show the admissions team your intellectual prowess.

Wrapping Up

With these essay requirements, deadlines, and approaches, hopefully, you are better equipped to tackle your Harvard University application. Remember to choose your approach according to the prompts, meet the word limit, and make sure to show the admissions officers who you are as a person.

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