Established in 1636, Harvard is the oldest and most prestigious university in the US. But with a 4.6% acceptance rate, only a few lucky applicants get to pull up into the move-in day.

Are you wondering how to get into Harvard University as an undergraduate applicant? Read on.

So, it will be worthwhile to start with what Harvard University looks into an undergraduate applicant. 

“In our admission procedure, we aim at giving precise, personal consideration to each candidate. We identify students who will be the best administrators of one another and their professors—individuals who will encourage those around them throughout their college years and ahead.” As they address and review your applications, here are a few things that will be on our minds:

• Have you reached your supreme academic and personal potential?
• Have you been stretching yourself?
• Have you managed the capability in your academic pursuance, full-time or part-time job, or other fields?
• Do you have extra potential to do more?
• How have you used your time?
• Do you have initiative? Are you a self-starter? What motivates you?
• Do you have a direction yet? What is it? If not, are you exploring many things?
• What will be your position in 1, 5, or 25 years? Will you share something to the ones around you?
• What sort of personality are you now? What kind of person will you be in the near future?
• Do you care deeply about anything—Intellectual? Extracurricular? Personal?
• What have you learned from your interests? What have you done with your interests? How have you achieved results? With what success or failure? What have you learned as a result?
• Regarding athletic, extracurricular, community, and family commitments, have you taken complete benefits of opportunities?
• What is the essence of your activities? Do you seem to have a definite dedication or leadership capacity?
• If you have not had ample time in high school for extracurricular activities due to familial, work, or other commitments, what do you expect to traverse at Harvard with your free time?
• What alternatives have you secured for yourself? Why?
• Are you a late learner?
• How welcoming are you to fresh approaches and people?
• What about your mentality, integrity, leadership, self-confidence, sense of humour, vitality, solicitude for others, and poise under pressure?
• Can you face the stresses and freedoms of college life?
• Will you provide some value to Harvard as well as your classmates? Will you benefit from your Harvard experience?
• Will other students wish to live with you, share a meal, be in a workshop together, be teammates, or cooperate in a closely-knit extracurricular group?

Categorisation of the Harvard Admission Process

We can categorise the process of admission into the following aspects:

Candidature Building 

Candidature has three main components – academics, extracurricular involvement, and contribution to the community. We won’t delve into further details like GPA, class rigor, context, the right balance of depth and breadth of activities outside the class, LORs, standardized tests, etc., but essentially, the candidature is the single most crucial aspect of your application, and that takes years of hard work, grit, and determination. Rule of thumb – while you work for your academic excellence in high school, pick up an extracurricular activity, which is uncommon and the one you love. Then, take that activity to the next level with your initiative, strive for a leadership position with your passion, and see that you codify that effort.

Personal Statement & Secondary Essays 

Simply stated, the personal statement is your chance to paint your story, what has shaped you in life, your uniqueness and angularity, and how you can be a great fit in college. The personal statement/essay is what sticks with admission officers and makes them advocate for you. Therefore, it will be worthwhile to mention spending a reasonable amount of time brainstorming a topic that resonates with you, finding the right hook, and writing a personal narrative effectively so that it stands out from your peers. 

Application Persona 

Remember, colleges judge and admit students based on application; hence, the application must be authentic and unique. See that the multiple components of the application weave around a central theme – YOU. 

Final Words

Harvard is a dream university for millions of students. It’s one of the most coveted, famous, and admired Ivy League universities. But, unfortunately, getting into Harvard is hard, and no one can guarantee admission success. But yes, students can amplify their admission chances with the proper guidance, early preparation, and a little bit of luck. To delve deeper, connect with the UniVisory team.