How to get into Harvard
What 268 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 1,819 Harvard results that students posted for the 2016 to 2027 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
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Harvard admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
4.00
Middle half 3.96 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,550
Middle half 1,510 to 1,580
Median ACT
35
Middle half 34 to 36
Median weighted GPA
4.60
Middle half 4.40 to 4.79
Results posted: 268 admitted, 1,287 rejected, 264 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the Harvard acceptance rate; the official rate is in Harvard’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 4.00 | 3.98 |
| SAT | 1,550 | 1,540 |
| ACT | 35 | 35 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What Harvard admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service67%
- Research47%
- Athletics46%
- STEM club/competition37%
- Tutoring/Teaching34%
- Student government32%
- Advocacy/Politics31%
- Internship31%
Held a leadership role
90%
Founded something
52%
National or intl. award
82%
Did research
47%
Early vs. regular decision at Harvard
- Early (186 results)31%
- Regular (721 results)14%
Share of posters in each round who were admitted. Early applicants are a different group (often stronger and more certain), so read this as a description of these posts, not as odds.
Intended majors of Harvard admits
- Political Science13%
- Computer Science11%
- Economics10%
- Engineering10%
- Math8%
- Biology8%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 21% first-generation, 27% low income, 22% underrepresented minority, 13% legacy, 3% recruited athlete and 14% international. Of those who said where they enrolled, 51% chose Harvard.
Three recent Harvard admits
2027 cycle · RD
Rural-raised robotics club president who founded a science outreach program for rural schools.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1570 · ACT 33 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · Physics
Physics-focused student with T5 quantum computing research, an international competition semifinal, and extensive tutoring.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1570 · Original post
2026 cycle · Political Science
Race-focused policy advocate and researcher who founded a national campaign and reshaped school curriculum.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1550 · Original post
Essays that worked for Harvard
“"Shhhh!" my mother whispered as the tanks rumbled by under the cold Afghan night, the stars twinkling above the mountains surrounding us.”
Published by Harvard Magazine
“I am first in my class, an all-state football player, weigh 220 pounds, and can lift up small cars, yet I have a secret which I have kept hidden for years.”
Published by Harvard Magazine
“Brothers and sisters are rarely friends. Perhaps comrades and confidants, even inseparable-but rarely do they actually agree.”
Published by Harvard Magazine
“One of the biggest influences in my life is my Mom. She is one of 10 children born to an Appalachian coal miner who could not read or write.”
Published by Harvard Magazine
How the Harvard admissions office reads a file
Where else Harvard admits got in
Harvard admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into Harvard?
- Among 268 applicants who posted a Harvard admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 4.00 and the middle half reported 3.96 to 4.00 (193 reported a GPA). Harvard sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for Harvard?
- Among 268 applicants who posted a Harvard admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,550 and the middle half scored 1,510 to 1,580 (197 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 35.
- Does applying early help at Harvard?
- In these posts, 31% of early applicants who reported a result were admitted (58 of 186), against 14% in regular decision (102 of 721). Early pools differ in who applies, so this is a description, not a promise.
- What extracurriculars do Harvard admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (67%), research (47%), athletics (46%), stem club/competition (37%). 90% held at least one leadership role and 82% listed a national or international award.
- What is the Harvard acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by Harvard in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to Harvard?
A Specialist who got into a school like Harvard can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2016 to 2027 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Harvard. All colleges