Harvard University
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA 02138
Harvard University is a private university in MA, founded in 1636 and offers Bachelor’s degrees for undergraduates and Master’s and Doctoral degrees for graduate students. The undergraduate enrollment is 5,222, and the graduate enrollment is 4,849. Harvard University is a hyper-selective school, receiving 40,248 applications and accepting only 3.2% of applicants. Harvard University’s athletics teams compete at the club, intramural, and varsity levels. Additionally, Harvard University employs 919 full-time instructional staff (85% of whom hold doctorate degrees) and has a 5:1 student to faculty ratio.
Empowerly Score®
98
University Score
- School Performance
- Extracurriculars
- Standardized Tests
- Essays
Empowerly Score®
At Empowerly, we prioritize data to customize our approach to student counseling. College admissions is becoming more selective by the year, so it’s never been more important than now to prepare in advance and give yourself the best chance for success.
Take the Empowerly QuizESSAYS
Applicants can apply to Harvard through the Common Application or the Coalition Application. Applicants will be required to write one personal statement based on prompts within the application. They will also be required to answer specific questions pertaining to the university.
Deadlines For Submitting Applications
Restrictive Early Action Application Deadline
November 1st
Regular Application Deadline
January 1st
ATTENDANCE FACTORS
- Extracurricular Activities - Considered
- Character/Personal Qualities - Considered
- Application Essay - Considered
- Academic GPA - Considered
- Rigor of Secondary School Record - Considered
Average Acceptance Rate
3.20%
Empowerly Acceptance Rate
13.00%
STUDENT LIFE
Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a central suburb of Boston and one of the ten wealthiest cities in the northeast. Harvard’s campus occupies 209 acres, centered on the Harvard Yard, where much of the school’s semester-based academic calendar occurs. “The Yard” is where the freshman dormitories and essential administrative and academic buildings can be found. The campus has a vibrant setting in which many students quickly feel at home thanks to its supportive community from which you can make many lifelong friendships. Student life at Harvard is more than classwork. It’s also athletic competitions, dining with friends, joining drama productions, and exploring the exciting city of Boston.
Housing
- 29% of students live on campus
- Guaranteed housing for freshmen
- Freshmen required to live on campus
Harvard’s housing system is one of its best-known traditions. All first-year students live in first-year dormitories with shared suites in Harvard Yard, including the upper levels of historic Massachusetts Hall. They’ll also eat most of their meals at Annenberg Hall and in their respective houses, which is a convenient way to dine and a great way to meet the people in their own homes and the larger community. Life in the yard is also jam-packed with activities tailored to first-year students to engage with their peers, including trivia/game nights and book discussion groups and attending virtual events at “The A.R.T.”
Life as a Student
The Harvard University campus lives up to many first-year students’ “hallowed gates” expectations. Amazed by its carefully balanced academic and social scene, all students have an opportunity to find their place in the close-knit community. Thanks to its 5 to 1 student-faculty ratio, students usually experience over 75% of their classes having fewer than twenty students. Because the school is adamant that education isn’t limited to the classroom, Harvard University also supports over 450 student organizations ranging from Academic and Pre-Professional to Creative and Performing Arts to Religious and Spiritual. As a result, the student activities always complement study and pave the way for connecting with others. Campus life is never dull, no matter what your interests are.
TOP MAJORS
Economics
Computer Science
Political Science and Government
History
Social Science Research Methods
Public Health
SERVICES
Health and Safety
- 24-hour trained security on campus
- Late night ride/safe escort service available
- Required and optional safety courses
Student Services
- Health Center
- Psychological Center
- Women's Center
Athletics
Varsity
Varsity
Baseball
Basketball
Crew
Fencing
Football
Golf
Ice Hockey
Lacrosse
Sailing
Skiing (Downhill)
Soccer
Squash
Swimming and Diving
Tennis
Track and Field
Volleyball
Water Polo
Wrestling
Cross-Country Running
Skiing (Cross-Country)
Basketball
Crew
Fencing
Field Hockey
Golf
Ice Hockey
Lacrosse
Rugby
Sailing
Skiing (Downhill)
Soccer
Softball
Squash
Swimming and Diving
Tennis
Track and Field
Volleyball
Water Polo
Cross-Country Running
Skiing (Cross-Country)
Club
Club
Archery
Badminton
Baseball
Bowling
Cheerleading
Golf
Gymnastics
Lacrosse
Rugby
Skiing (Downhill)
Weight Lifting
Water Polo
Wrestling
Skiing (Cross-Country)
Archery
Badminton
Bowling
Cheerleading
Fencing
Golf
Gymnastics
Lacrosse
Skiing (Downhill)
Weight Lifting
Water Polo
Wrestling
Skiing (Cross-Country)
Intramural
Intramural
Basketball
Fencing
Ice Hockey
Soccer
Squash
Swimming and Diving
Tennis
Table Tennis
Ultimate Frisbee
Volleyball
Cross-Country Running
Basketball
Field Hockey
Ice Hockey
Soccer
Squash
Swimming and Diving
Tennis
Table Tennis
Ultimate Frisbee
Volleyball
Cross-Country Running
FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION
100% of demonstrated financial need is met and Harvard University has need-blind admissions for its applicants.
*All costs below are estimates and may differ depending on your circumstances.
- Tuition - $52,659
- Fees - $4,602
- Room - $12,056
- Board - $7,446
- Personal - $3,500
- Transportation - $0-$4,150
- Total Estimated Cost of Attendance - $80,263-$84,413
CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP / AFFILIATES
HISTORY
Harvard University was founded in 1636 as the “New College” in Massachusetts under church sponsorship with a duty to train clergy to prevent newly established Puritan colonies in New England from having to rely on unaffiliated immigrant pastors. The university was later renamed Harvard College after pastor John Harvard, an individual who willed the new school both money and his library of books and supported the university’s growth as a whole. Today, Harvard University is the United States’ oldest institution of higher learning that continues to operate and is one of the top universities globally. Harvard was also honored to receive the only printing press in the United States in 1638. Although the school began with Puritan roots, its mission was always to provide a comprehensive liberal education like other English universities.
Throughout the colonial era, Harvard maintained a smaller-sized faculty with best-in-class staff, including the most illustrious and well-known professors in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew and other disciplines like Rhetoric and Logic, Ethics and Politics, Arithmetic and Geometry, and Physics, among many others. The university experienced its most significant growth between 1800 to 1870 when Harvard was privatized, so it was no longer dependent on state funds but now on private endowments. As a result, its Board of Overseers was now wholly made of Harvard alumni. By the end of the century, the school was thoroughly transformed and set the standard as the modern research university it is today, heavily influencing American education nationally.
Today, Harvard University is ranked #1 in Best Global Universities by U.S. News and World Report. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 8,527 and a graduate enrollment of 21,864. It has a highly competitive 5% acceptance rate, making it the third most challenging school to receive acceptance for. Once admitted, Harvard students are ensured the jewel in the crown of academic, athletic, and campus excellence. The Harvard Crimson, Harvard’s athletic team, competes in 42 intercollegiate sports teams in the NCAA Division I Ivy League, more than any other college in the U.S. Its longstanding rivalry with Yale dates back to 1875 winds up yearly in the annual football meeting every fall. Harvard University alumni, faculty, and researchers have included many Nobel laureates and Fields Medal, recipients. Its eminent alumni include Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Henry David Thoreau, and Helen Keller.