Categories: University Admissions 2023

Harvard University Online Applications For 2024-2025

Harvard University, an institution renowned for academic excellence and innovation, offers students from around the world the opportunity to pursue their dreams through its rigorous and holistic application process. The application for the 2024-2025 academic year can now be completed entirely online, providing prospective students with a convenient and user-friendly experience. In this article, we will guide you through the steps and requirements of the Harvard University online application, ensuring you put your best foot forward in the highly competitive admissions process

Harvard University Application Deadline and What application is used to apply to Harvard?

You may apply to Harvard through the Common Application, which opens on August 1, or through the Coalition Application, Powered by Scoir, which opens on August 15.

Restrictive Early Action applicants/students must apply by November 1st, 2023, and expect to hear back by mid-December 2023.
Regular Decision students must apply by January 1, 2024, and must receive notification by March 31, 2024.

Harvard University Application Fee Requirement

You may pay the non-refundable application fee of $85 online with a credit card via the Common Application or Coalition Application, Powered by Scoir websites.

You may also send a check or money order to Harvard College Admissions, 86 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. Please include the applicant’s name with the payment.

Does Harvard have a free application?

Harvard University, like many colleges and universities in the United States, does not offer a completely free application. Most institutions charge an application fee to cover the administrative costs associated with processing applications and reviewing materials.

However, it’s important to note that many colleges, including Harvard, offer fee waivers for students who demonstrate financial need or meet certain criteria. These fee waivers are designed to ensure that application fees do not pose a financial barrier to students who might have difficulty affording them

Harvard University Application Requirements

You will need to submit:

Common Application or apply Coalition, Powered by Scoir
This includes subsets of questions, an activities list, and a personal essay (Common Application prompts, Coalition Application prompts)
Harvard College Questions for the Common Application or Coalition Application Harvard supplement
$85 fee (or request a fee waiver)
SAT or ACT (with or without writing) – test-optional for 2022-2026 application cycles
AP or other examination results are not required but may be submitted
School Report (which includes a counselor letter) and high school transcript
Teacher Recommendations (2)
Midyear School Report (after your first semester grades)
Final School Report (for admitted students only)

Application Tips

To apply for admission to Harvard as a first-year or transfer student, begin with the Application. Fill out the Common Application or the Coalition Application, Powered by Scoir (whatever you prefer), followed by the supplement to help Harvard understand who you are. Not sure where to begin? We’ve included a few guidelines on how to complete the main application and the Harvard supplement.

Get access to the Common Application or the Coalition Application form
Create your profile by sharing detailed information about yourself, including contact information, demographics, and fee waiver request
Apply for Application Fee Waiver. Do not let the application fee stand in the way of applying!
Provide or share any information about your household, your parents, and any siblings.
Enter your current school or coursework, academic honors, and future education plans
Enter your self-reported scores for any standardized tests that you’ve taken and wish to report to colleges. Standardized test scores are optional for the College Classes of 2027-2030
Tell the school more about who you are and the activities you’re involved with outside the classroom
Harvard requires the submission of a personal essay with your application
The Harvard supplement contains a series of questions that must be taken by every applicant
The supplement includes five required short-answer questions, each with a 200-word limit. You must answer all the five

How to Request an Application Fee Waiver

Please follow the steps below to request a fee waiver:

Common Application

Confirm that you meet at least one of the indicators of economic need and then select “Yes” to the prompt “You are eligible for application fee waivers if you meet one or more of the following criteria.”
Complete the fee waiver signature.

Coalition Application

Confirm that you meet at least one of the indicators of economic need listed in the Fee Waiver section of your Profile.
If you do not meet one of the indicators of economic need, you may enter the Harvard-specific fee waiver code on the payment page: JH3S5Q2LX9

Transfer Applicants

Please send an email to adm-tran@fas.harvard.edu to request a transfer application fee waiver.

Courses and Programs Available at Harvard University

The Harvard University Undergraduate Degree Programs are shown below.

African and African American Studies
Anthropology
Applied Mathematics
Art, Film, and Visual Studies
Astrophysics
Bioengineering
Biology
Biomedical Engineering
Business Administration and Management
Chemical and Physical Biology
Chemistry
Chemistry and Physics
Classics
Comparative Literature
Comparative Study of Religion

Computer Science
Earth and Planetary Sciences
East Asian Studies
Economics
Electrical Engineering
English
Environmental Science and Engineering
Environmental Science and Public Policy

Environmental Studies
Folklore and Mythology
Germanic Languages and Literatures
Government
Government
History
History and Literature

History and Science
History of Art and Architecture
Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Integrative Biology
International Relations
Linguistics
Literature
Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Molecular and Cellular Biology
Music
Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Neuroscience
Philosophy

Physics
Psychology
Religion
Romance Languages and Literatures
Slavic Languages and Literatures
Social Studies
Sociology
South Asian Studies
Special Concentrations
Statistics
Theater, Dance, & Media
Women, Gender, and Sexuality

How to Apply to Harvard University via the Common App

The Common Application, often referred to as the Common App, is used by many colleges and universities in the United States, including Harvard. Here are the step-by-step application instructions for Harvard University using the Common App:

Create a Common Application Account:

Go to the Common App website (commonapp.org) and create an account.
Add Harvard University to your list of colleges under the “My Colleges” tab.

Fill Out the Common Application:

Complete the Common Application form, including your personal information, academic history, and extracurricular activities.
Write your personal essay (the Common App essay) following the provided prompts.

Harvard-Specific Questions:

On the Harvard University-specific section of the Common App, answer Harvard’s supplementary questions. These questions are specific to Harvard and may change from year to year.

Submit Transcripts and School Report:

Request your high school to send your official transcripts and school report to Harvard through the Common App. Check with your school’s guidance or college counselor for assistance with this process.

Standardized Test Scores (Optional):

Harvard University has adopted a test-optional policy, meaning you are not required to submit SAT or ACT scores. You can choose to submit scores if you believe they enhance your application.

Teacher Recommendations:

Request teacher recommendations through the Common App. Harvard typically requires two teacher evaluations. Your teachers will be prompted to submit their recommendations online.

Counselor Recommendation:

Ask your high school counselor to provide a counselor recommendation through the Common App.

Mid-Year Report (if applicable):

If you are applying during your senior year, ensure that your school submits a mid-year report with updated grades.

Application Fee or Fee Waiver:

Pay the application fee or request a fee waiver if you are eligible. Harvard offers fee waivers for students with demonstrated financial need.

Submit Your Application:

Review your application thoroughly to ensure all information is accurate.
Click the “Submit” button when you are ready to send your application to Harvard.

Check Application Status:

After submitting your application, you can check your application status through the Common App portal to ensure that all required materials have been received.

Interview (if offered):

If you are selected for an interview, participate in the interview process as part of Harvard’s holistic admissions evaluation.

Admission Decision:

Harvard typically releases admission decisions in late March. You will be notified through the Common App portal.

Confirmation of Harvard University applications

Harvard University will give you an email confirmation with a PIN to access the Applicant Portal when you submit your application. Every year, in mid-September, the University begins issuing these daily application confirmation emails. The majority of applicants receive their confirmation email the day after they submit their online application. Mail-in applications may take up to two weeks to process.

How to update the application after submitting it?

Do not resend your application to make changes. To change your personal or contact information, or to send updates, additional information, or corrections, please visit the Applicant Portal.

Scholarly articles, research, creative writing, or other documents of which you are the primary author should be submitted in the Upload Materials section of the Applicant Portal.

When and how to submit ACT or SAT results (only for students submitting standardized test results)

Students who wish to have their standardized test scores considered as part of their application materials may submit the SAT or ACT (with or without writing). You have the option of self-reporting your SAT and ACT test scores, as well as Advanced Placement or other scores. Admitted students who want to enroll at Harvard College after having submitted self-reported test scores will be asked to provide official test scores at the time of enrolling.

If you are applying for Restrictive Early Action, the testing results must be submitted by the end of October; however, you may submit the November series if necessary. For Regular Decision, although it is possible to submit scores from tests taken as late as the December SAT and the February ACT, Harvard University recommends that you submit testing as early as possible.

Harvard University Application Form (Printable First-Year Application Forms 2024)

The primary source for all your application needs is Harvard’s official admissions website (https://college.harvard.edu/admissions). It’s your gateway to comprehensive and up-to-date information.

Application Forms: Harvard typically provides the required application forms on its website. You will find downloadable PDF files that you can fill out and print. These forms are typically associated with the Common Application, Coalition Application, or Universal College Application.

You can download any of the PDF application forms and documents listed below.

First Year Application
Teacher Evaluation
Counselor Recommendation
Other Recommendation
Midyear Report
School Report
Homeschool Supplement to the School Report
International Supplement to the School Report
Final Report
Optional Report
Harvard Supplement
Fee Waiver

Where to mail your application

Please mail your entire application to after completion:

Harvard College Admissions
86 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA

Harvard University Financial Aid For 2024

When to apply for Financial Aid:

The application can generally be submitted starting October 1, 2023

The deadline for financial aid applications is November 1st. Please submit your application as soon as possible if you have not already done so. There is no need to request an extension because this is a reasonably flexible deadline. A late application will be accepted, but it may cause us to postpone sending you a timely financial aid decision.

We encourage you to apply for financial aid at the same time you apply for admission; that way, you’ll know you’ll be able to study at Harvard University as soon as you’re accepted. Follow the step-by-step guidelines to apply for financial aid and rest assured that the university’s financial aid officers are ready to assist you. You can be confident that applying for financial aid will not harm your prospects of admission.

Financial Aid Application Requirements

Regardless of your citizenship or when you are applying, you will need to submit a CSS Profile and an IDOC Packet.

US Citizens and Permanent Residents will also need to submit the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

International students are eligible for the same amount of aid as US students

How to Apply For Financial Aid

Go to www.cssprofile.collegeboard.org/
Review Getting Started or the tutorial to understand what you may need to have available to complete the application
If you created a College Board account for the SAT, PSAT, or AP, use the same username and password to sign in. If not, create a new account.
Start the Application
The application provides online help to guide you. You do not need to complete the application all at once; you can save your application and return it later.
Once complete, submit your CSS Profile application. The submission date and time are based on Eastern Time
Review Your Dashboard
If you made a mistake on your application or need to include additional information after you submit it, you can update your application by clicking “Correct Your CSS Profile” on your Dashboard
Domestic undergraduate students with family incomes of up to $100,000 are eligible for the CSS Profile at no cost. If you do not receive a fee Waiver, the initial application fee is $25. Additional reports cost $16 each. Credit or debit card payments are accepted.

What documents do I need to complete the CSS Profile?

You will need your (and if applicable, your parent(s)) most recently

Completed Federal Tax returns (and all schedules)
W-2 forms and other records of current year income, records of untaxed income and benefits, assets, and bank statements