I'm starting to look into colleges, and Harvard's definitely a top choice. What specific requirements does Harvard have for high school courses? If anyone's applied before and has some advice, that would be awesome!
2 months agoHarvard is very clear on what it looks for in terms of high school coursework. They like to see a strong academic curriculum that challenges the student. Specifically, here are the requirements:
- English: 4 years
- Math: 4 years (with calculus recommended)
- Science: 4 years (with 3 of the 4 sciences)
- Social Science: 3 years
- Foreign Language: 4 years of study in a single foreign language (or following a language until you've achieved proficiency)
Remember, these are not strict minimum requirements, but rather a recommendation of what would make a competitive applicant. Harvard looks at the whole picture, including not just the quantity, but quality of the coursework. For example, if your school offers Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) classes, Harvard would like to see that you've taken advantage of them. They firmly believe you should be challenging yourself with the coursework available to you.
In addition to the course rigour, Harvard also pays attention to the Academic Index, which represents a student's grade point average (GPA), standardized test scores, and class rank, if available. If your Academic Index falls in-range with other Harvard students, that's a good sign!
Lastly, always ensure to pursue your interests in high school! Whether that's through advanced coursework, or through a diverse range of extracurricular activities, Harvard likes to see students who are deeply passionate and engaged in fields that interest them. Best of luck in your high school journey and future application to Harvard!
2 months agoCollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.