{"id":1467,"date":"2020-03-27t16:16:17","date_gmt":"2020-03-27t23:16:17","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/?p=1467"},"modified":"2020-03-27t16:16:25","modified_gmt":"2020-03-27t23:16:25","slug":"how-to-get-into-harvard-sat-act-gpa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/college-admissions\/how-to-get-into-harvard-sat-act-gpa\/","title":{"rendered":"how to get into harvard: sat and act scores, gpa and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"how<\/p>\n

real talk: as you\u2019ve probably guessed, it\u2019s not easy to get into harvard university<\/a>. harvard’s admissions process is highly selective, and you\u2019ll have to be a pretty impressive candidate to make it through (and that doesn’t just mean having the perfect harvard sat score or act score). after all, they are ranked #2 in national universities<\/a>! if this is your dream school, read on to learn how to get into harvard.<\/strong><\/p>\n

so you want to go to harvard\u2026 <\/h2>\n

you dream of singing the fight song as the harvard crimson thrashes yale at harvard stadium. you want to join the ranks of such notable alumni as fdr, bill gates, and conan o\u2019brien. maybe you\u2019ll even get to hear will ferrell give your commencement speech while dressed as a sailor (yeah, this really happened<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

quick harvard admissions statistics<\/h2>\n

we\u2019re going to dive in and take a closer look at all of harvard\u2019s admissions requirements, but here\u2019s a quick overview of harvard admissions statistics:
\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
harvard sat scores (average composite)<\/strong><\/td>\n1510 on a 1600 scale<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
harvard act scores (average composite)<\/strong><\/td>\n34 on a 36 scale<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
harvard gpa<\/strong><\/td>\n4.18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
harvard acceptance rate<\/strong><\/td>\n4.6% (for the class of 2023)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

as you can see, harvard is extremely competitive. that doesn’t mean you can’t get in though! you can learn more about harvard admissions here<\/a>, but read on and we\u2019ll tell you exactly how to get into harvard university! <\/p>\n

harvard’s acceptance rate<\/h3>\n

let’s start by acknowledging that statistically, it’s super hard to get into harvard. the most recent numbers available are for the class of 2023, of which a mere 4.6% of students were accepted! that’s… a very small number.<\/p>\n

according to harvard admissions statistics<\/a>, 43,330 students applied for the 2019-2020 school year and of that pool, 2,009 were accepted. of those, 1,650 matriculated, or decided to attend, and 65 were admitted from the waiting list.<\/p>\n

so what kind of student does get into harvard? let’s take a look at all aspects of harvard admissions! <\/p>\n

more about harvard sat scores<\/h2>\n

first of all, harvard requires that you take and provide scores for either the sat or act, but not both. <\/p>\n

if you take the sat, you are not required to complete the essay portion. <\/p>\n

currently, the average composite sat score for admitted students is 1510. the 25th percentile for harvard sat scores is 1460 and the 75th percentile is 1580. what does that mean?<\/p>\n

it means that if you score below 1460, you\u2019ll be below the average<\/strong> and will have a much harder time being accepted. if you score 1580 or higher, you\u2019ll be above the average harvard sat score<\/strong>. so long story short? if you\u2019re taking the sat and want a strong chance of being accepted, aim for a 1580 or higher<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

now what about the percentiles for each sub section? here’s how they shake out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
test<\/th>\naverage<\/th>\n25th percentile<\/th>\n75th percentile<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
math<\/td>\n770<\/td>\n740<\/td>\n800<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
reading and writing<\/td>\n740<\/td>\n720<\/td>\n780<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

so again, for a better chance of getting in, keep your eye on those 75th percentiles. <\/p>\n

here’s one last thing to keep in mind: while harvard does not create a superscore for applicants, the admissions board will consider all of your highest tests scores across all testing dates. this means that you can take the sat multiple times until you get the scores you desire in each section. that said, we don’t recommend taking it more than 5 or 6 times, as repeated attempts can reflect poorly on you.<\/p>\n

for more insight into taking the sat, check out this guide to sat scoring<\/a>.<\/p>\n

more about harvard act scores<\/h2>\n

again, you aren’t required to submit both sat and act scores<\/a>, but you’re certainly welcome to.<\/p>\n

like the sat, if you submit your act scores, you don’t<\/strong> have to include your writing scores.<\/p>\n

for the act, harvard will consider your highest composite score<\/strong> on a given test date.<\/p>\n

currently, the average composite act score for students accepted to harvard is 34! the 25th percentile for harvard act scores is 33 and the 75th percentile is 35. so again, this means if you score less than 33, you’ll be below average<\/strong> compared to other applicants. if you score a 35 or higher, you’ll be above average<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

the takeaway? aim for a composite score of 35 or higher if you want a strong shot at getting in! <\/p>\n

here are the percentiles for the sub sections, in case you’re attempting to improve your score in a specific area:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
test<\/th>\n25th percentile<\/th>\n75th percentile<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
reading<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n36<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
math<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

again, make sure to keep your eye on that 75th percentile if you want to be a strong candidate.<\/p>\n

something to keep in mind when it comes to your harvard act scores is that you don’t need to send every test result to the harvard admissions board. that means that you can take the act as many times as you’d like and then submit your overall highest composite score.<\/p>\n

for more insight into taking the act, check out this guide to act scoring<\/a>.<\/p>\n

a final word on harvard sat and act scores: according to harvard admissions, “<\/a> “there are no score cutoffs, and we do not admit ‘by the numbers.'” <\/p>\n

what does this mean? it means that there’s no minimum score required to apply. it also means that harvard won’t only take your standardized tests scores into consideration when reviewing your application. you’ll want to be as well-rounded a candidate as possible. so without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the other guidelines!<\/p>\n

harvard gpa average<\/h2>\n

your gpa, or grade point average, is a solid reflection of how you’ve performed in all of your academic courses in high school (or college, if you’re a transfer student).<\/p>\n

and if you want to call harvard home, you’ll have to have very high grades to get in. the current gpa of students admitted to harvard is 4.18, so you’ll likely need straight-as all the way. <\/p>\n

high schools vary in how they calculate gpa<\/a> (on weighted vs. unweighted scales), but usually, challenging, college-level courses like ap and ib are weighed more heavily. for example, a “b” in ap bio may be weighted the same as an “a” in a regular-level class. <\/p>\n

so earning high grades in ap, honors, and\/or ib classes is a good way to stand out as a candidate. more than likely, your gpa will be higher because of these grades, but they’ll also reflect your ability to take on and excel in rigorous courses. <\/p>\n

a final word on gpas: they tend to be very tricky to improve dramatically after your second year. so if you have your heart set on harvard, you’ll want to start getting high grades even as a freshman and sophomore. <\/p>\n

harvard freshman profile<\/h2>\n

taking a closer look at the most recent incoming freshman class can help give us a sense of who harvard accepts. now this doesn’t mean that the student demographic will be the same every year, but it’s good intel. <\/p>\n

harvard has published a profile of the class of 2023<\/a> that you can read, but here are some of the highlights.<\/p>\n

as far as diversity goes:<\/p>\n