Prospective Harvard undergraduates who attended secondary school in the U.S. or Canada and have not previously enrolled in an institution of higher learning can apply following the freshman application procedures. Students must take the SAT or ACT along with two SAT subject tests. Harvard also requires applicants to submit two recommendations from high school teachers and a secondary school report, which a school counselor completes. Applicants can mail in Harvard's Common Application or submit it online. The university notes that it reads applications in order of receipt beginning on December 1. Applicants can complete an optional interview with Harvard alumni in their area.
Prospective Harvard undergraduates from outside the U.S. and Canada follow the same timeline for admissions as students in the United States. However, students applying from abroad must follow additional instructions when submitting an admissions application. Translations of teacher recommendations from another language into English must include the translator's name as well as an untranslated copy of the translated materials. Foreign applicants must also submit the SAT English proficiency test and international financial aid application. Harvard recommends interviews for international applicants, but they are not required.
Harvard's transfer program admits a small number of highly qualified applicants who have a demonstrated academic need to transfer into Harvard. Admission depends on a review of college grades and recommendations from faculty members. Factors such as intellectual curiosity, creativity and independent thinking also weigh into the admission process for transfer students. Transfer applicants also submit high school transcripts, a financial aid application and scores from the SAT subject test. Competitive transfer applicants usually have verbal and math SAT scores of 600 or better.