Considered the gold standard of education, Harvard University is one of the most prestigious and oldest institutions of higher learning institutions in the world. Year after year it has maintained a highly competitive admissions process. If we could determine the competitiveness of Harvard, checking their acceptance rate is a key indicator. Over the past three years, the acceptance rate at Harvard has seen slight variations due to a variety of factors including the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in applicant pool size, and shifts in admissions policies.
Changing Trends
According to the Harvard Crimson, Harvard University accepted 3.59% of applicants for the Class of 2028, its highest acceptance rate in four years. In the application year 2023-24, Harvard, for the fourth year in a row received more than 50,000 applicants. In 2023, Harvard saw a slight decline in applications to approximately 57,000, but the acceptance rate remained extremely competitive at 3.4%. Harvard Accepts 3.59% of Applicants to Class of 2028 | News | The Harvard Crimson
Geographical Diversity
The Class of 2028 also comes from all 50 states and every region of the United States. The Class of 2028 is also “unusually international,” Fitzsimmons said. More than 15 percent of accepted applicants are international students, hailing from 94 countries. Canada, the United Kingdom, and China are the top three most represented countries.
Standardized Testing
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Harvard adopted a test-optional policy, which led to an increase in applications from students who might not have applied under normal circumstances. However, for the application year 2024-25, the university has decided to return to requiring standardized test score submissions. Harvard sees Standardized tests as a way for all applicants to provide information that could potentially be predictive of success in college and beyond. Harvard continued to refine its holistic admissions process, placing greater emphasis on qualitative factors such as essays, recommendations, and interviews. Return to Required Testing – Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
A diverse student body
The Class of 2028 African American or Black student population fell from 18% to 14%. Hispanic or Latino enrollment, Harvard’s Class of 2028 experienced an almost 2 percentage point increase. it admitted 47% males and 53% Females for the class of 2028. Meet the Class of 2028 | Harvard Independent
Competitiveness
In this post-pandemic era, the initial surge of applications is leveling off. The university maintains exceedingly high standards and its holistic review process considers a wide range of factors beyond test scores and GPA, such as extracurricular activities, leadership roles, personal essays, and recommendation letters.
The financial aid program which promises to meet 200% of demonstrated financial need without requiring loans, has made the institution more accessible to students from various socioeconomic backgrounds thereby increasing its competitiveness.
Finally, Harvard’s reputation as a leading global institution continues to attract top-tier applicants from around the world, contributing to the consistently low acceptance rate. Prospective students, vying for a spot in this prestigious institution are showcasing their unique strengths, experiences, and potential contributions to the Harvard community to stand out in this highly selective process.
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