Harvard requirements? just saying by curiosity?

Question

How do you get accepted to Harvard. I mean really. You need above 750 SAT but what else? 4.5 GPA? Clubs? Sports? What features make a student be accepted to Harvard ?

Answer 1

I go to Harvard University - I'm at what they call Harvard College, or the undergraduate branch of the University. The other branches are the law school, med school, etc.

The best way to get into Harvard is good grades, high test scores, but above all, passion. Harvard's admission policy is one of the most ambiguous among the Ivy Leagues: they accept a bunch of perfect-testing students, but also a lot of students you would think are "stupid." What Harvard really looks for is not grades, but the belief that you might be the best in what you do - in school, and in life. The best way to show this is to do what you love doing - and do it well. This generally means commitment and leadership. Remember, Harvard would rather have you be #1 at just one thing than just "pretty good" at everything.

To get into Harvard, there is no "set" SAT score, like I said before - it's not all about tests and GPA. However, you should still score pretty high: there are some people who score under the 2000 mark and still get in, but most people would score at least 2200-2300. And a quarter of the freshman class will have perfect scores. But don't let this worry you too much.

The best way to look at this is to take US News and World Report's listing of the best colleges. There'll be a 25-75th percentile range for SAT scores. For any school, if you're at the low end, you should think of it as a "dream school." If you're in the middle, then it's a "target school." And if you're at the high end, then you should think of it as a "buffer school." Not true for Harvard though (or any of the Ivies) - no one can ever call it a buffer school. =)

Good luck!