Metadata
Title
First-Year Applicants
Category
undergraduate
UUID
c6d15d657a4a41c0af82bbdd3a7328cb
Source URL
https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply/first-year-applicants
Parent URL
https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply
Crawl Time
2026-03-09T03:16:45+00:00
Rendered Raw Markdown

First-Year Applicants

Source: https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply/first-year-applicants Parent: https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply

Overview

Take the next step in your academic journey.

We seek promising students who will contribute to the Harvard community during their college years, and to society throughout their lives.

While academic accomplishment is important, the Admissions Committee considers many other factors—potential contributions to our community, special talents or excellences of all kinds, perspectives formed by life experiences, the willingness to respectfully engage with differing ideas and opinions, and the ability to take advantage of the breadth of Harvard’s resources and opportunities.

First-Year Application Requirements

All first-year applicants—both international and U.S. candidates—must complete the Common Application or Coalition Application by Scoir, along with the required supplements. Visit our QuestBridge site for more information about applying via the National College Match.

For the Common Application or Coalition Application, you will need to submit:

Eligibility: 

View detailed application requirements

Application Timeline

You may apply to Harvard under either our Restrictive Early Action (REA) or our Regular Decision (RD) program, both of which allow you to compare admission and financial aid offers from other institutions and to wait until May 1 to make a final college choice.

Your materials are due by the deadline for whichever round you choose; high school counselors may submit supporting materials up to a week after the deadline if necessary. Please note that standardized test scores (whether submitted directly via the testing agencies or self-reported in the application/applicant portal) are needed by the end of November for REA.

You are welcome to apply to Harvard using the Common Application which opens August 1, or the Coalition Application, Powered by Scoir, which opens August 15.

Harvard is also a QuestBridge partner - please visit our QuestBridge page for the applicable timeline. \  \

First-year Timeline Questions

Spring or Summer  (prior to the year you apply)\ Consider taking the following tests:

SAT or ACT - Harvard requires the submission of standardized testing

Fall (of the year you apply)\ As early in the fall as possible, please submit:

October 31\ Restrictive Early Action applicants: We request that you submit your required test scores by the end of October. However, you are still eligible to apply using the November series as they should reach us in time for consideration.

November 1\ Restrictive Early Action applicants: Your portions of the application are due by November 1 at 11:59pm (your local time); high school counselors may submit supporting materials up to one week later if necessary.

Also submit your financial aid application so that if you are admitted, we will be able to send you financial aid information in mid-December when decisions are released.

Early November\ If you are applying Regular Decision, we recommend that you submit standardized test scores from the November series or earlier, though you may submit December scores (SAT) or February scores (ACT).

Mid-December\ Restrictive Early Action applicants: Decisions released.

January 1\ Your portions of the application are due by January 1 at 11:59pm (your local time); high school counselors may submit supporting materials up to one week later if necessary.

February 1\ Notify the Admissions Office (fileroom@fas.harvard.edu) if you have not received your application confirmation email.

Submit your financial aid application (if still pending), so that if you are admitted, we will be able to send you financial aid information in late March when decisions are released.

Mid-February\ Request that your school submit your Midyear School Report forms with your most recent grades.

End of March\ First-year admission decisions released.

Early May\ Reply deadline for admitted students. No deposit required.\ - #### How and when to submit ACT or SAT scores (for students submitting standardized test scores)

You may self report your SAT and ACT test scores. Admitted students who decide to enroll at Harvard College and have submitted self-reported ACT or SAT test scores will be required to submit official test scores at the time of enrollment.

If you are applying Restrictive Early Action, we would like your testing results by the end of October; however, you may submit the November series if needed.

For Regular Decision, although it is possible to submit scores from tests taken as late as the February, we recommend that you submit testing as early as possible.

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Restrictive Early Action

Applying to Harvard under the Restrictive Early Action program empowers you to make a college choice early. Early applicants apply by November 1 and hear from us by mid-December.

If your record and accomplishments have been consistently strong over time, Restrictive Early Action may be an attractive choice. You don’t have to commit to coming to Harvard, but you will learn earlier if it is an option for you.

Consider if Restrictive Early Action is Right for You

Harvard welcomes interested applicants to apply under our Restrictive Early Action plan by November 1 in order to be notified of a decision in mid-December. Restrictive Early Action is a non-binding early program, signifying that if admitted, you are not obligated to attend, and have until May 1 to reply to our offer of admission.

IMPORTANT:

Harvard does not offer an advantage to students who apply early. While admit rates tend to be higher in Restrictive Early Action, this reflects the remarkable strength of the applicant pool rather than a benefit of application timing. For any individual student, the final decision likely would be comparable whether the student applies Restrictive Early Action or Regular Decision. - #### What are the benefits of applying Regular Decision?

Regular Decision offers important practical advantages.

  1. You will have more time to edit and proofread your portions of the application, and more time for your teachers and counselors to become familiar with you before they write on your behalf.
  2. Your application may be strengthened by senior year extracurricular achievements, course selections, academic performance, or other important factors.

Mailing Your Application

Applications that are received in the mail will be treated equally by the Admissions Committee. However, applications submitted online are processed faster and allow your school officials to submit their part of your application online as well. Please choose one option only: either apply online or send an application through the mail.*

*All application materials sent become the property of the Office of Admissions & Financial Aid. We will not be able to return any application materials as a result. Please do not mail valuable, personal, or original materials as a part of your application if you wish to keep your work.

Click the links below to access the PDF application forms.

Please mail your entire application to:

Harvard College Admissions\ 86 Brattle Street\ Cambridge, MA 02138 USA

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