Admissions Factors

What Harvard University Looks For

How Harvard University describes its own admissions process, from its Common Data Set.

How Harvard University rates each factor

Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.

Considered

Not considered

The numbers behind the class

Overall admit rate

4.2%

2,003 of 47,893 applicants

Early decision admit rate

No early decision

Admitted from the waitlist

Not reported

Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 4.22. 95% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.

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A link to this page, plus the comparison table for every college we track.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Harvard University consider legacy status?

Harvard University rates alumni relation as "considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.

Does Harvard University track demonstrated interest?

Harvard University rates the level of an applicant's interest as "not considered".

Source: Harvard University’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.