Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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

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

• What admissions criteria do you use?

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

• Are there secondary school course requirements for admission?

  There is no single academic path we expect all students to follow, but the strongest applicants take the most rigorous secondary school curricula available to them. An ideal four-year preparatory program includes four years of English, with extensive practice in writing; four years of math; four years of science: biology, chemistry, physics, and an advanced course in one of these subjects; three years of history, including American and European history; and four years of one foreign language.

• I'm an admitted student, how do I request to defer my matriculation?

  Harvard has maintained a flexible deferral policy. Ordinarily, we expect that students who wish to defer admission will inform us as soon as possible and in any event before the end of June. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are allowing for more flexibility this year and ask that students let us know if they wish to defer on or before July 24, 2020.
   
  This additional flexibility will enable our students to act on the best and most updated information possible to choose a path that is right for them. We want our students to enroll in the fall voluntarily and eager to work with us as partners.
   
  It is always possible that we will have too many students seeking to matriculate at the same time, and we may not be able to house everyone on campus in the traditional First-Year housing. In the event there is excess demand for housing in academic year 21–22 or thereafter, Harvard will establish and share a process by which students may apply for undergraduate residential housing. Deferred-enrollment First-Year students who do not obtain space in a Harvard residence may be granted an exception to our requirement that First-Year students must live on campus, and such students will receive financial aid for room and board if they would ordinarily be eligible for such aid.

  If you wish to reverse your decision to defer, please let us know your final decision as soon as possible, but in any event no later than July 24, 2020 by completing this form (student access only) with the details of your decision. This form will also be accessible via the Admitted Students Website.