Harvard Outreach Newsletter
140th Issue, April 2025
In this issue:
- Welcome Class of 2029!
- Expanded financial aid program
- 'Visitas' welcome event for new admits
- Information for students who have received offers of admission to US colleges
- Information for students who will be applying to US colleges next year
Welcome Class of 2029!
Click the photo to play a ‘Welcome’ video from current Harvard students to the Class of 2029
Admissions decisions for the Class of 2029 were posted on the applicants’ online portal on 27 March 2025, and those offered places included an excellent group from the UK. Congratulations to all of you!
In previous years, admissions information for Early Action and Regular Action admits had been made available immediately after decisions had been released in mid-December and late March. But beginning with the Class of 2029, Harvard will share admissions data for all applicants in October or November each year, following the University’s mandatory reporting to the U.S. Department of Education. The reasons for the change are explained on the Admissions Statistics page of the Harvard Admissions website
“Moving to a single, annual admissions data release each fall will provide the most complete view of the newly enrolled class, reducing confusion and offering a predictable timeline. Due to the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision, we are unable to access all information about Harvard’s applicants, admitted students, and enrolling students, while the application review process is still underway. Harvard will release admissions data, including final numbers of enrolled students consistent with our mandatory reporting to the U.S. Department of Education, as well as other information on applicants and admitted students.
“The new timeline for sharing admissions and matriculation data will provide clear and comprehensive information about the entire admissions process that can be compared on an annual basis. This approach will enable prospective students to have all the information they need to consider Harvard as a possible college choice – not simply partial information they may receive while the application cycle is still in progress.”
The information provided will include numbers of applicants and admits, geographical breakdown, intended field of study, and ethnicity. You can see the data profile of last year’s class (Class of 2028) on the Harvard website.
Expanded financial aid program
Beginning in the 2025/26 school year, Harvard students will benefit from Harvard’s expanded undergraduate financial aid program, which is available to international students on the same basis as US citizens.
The new financial aid package is summarised in the slide below, taken from the Harvard Club of the UK’s ‘Study in the USA’ presentation for UK schools. (Due to the volatility of current exchange rates, the pound equivalents may be different by the time you read this – so please check).
Harvard’s net price calculator has also been updated to take into account the new financial aid package. Click here to find out how much aid you might receive based on your family’s income and assets.
'Visitas' welcome event for new admits
Visitas, Harvard’s annual welcome event for new admits, will be held on campus this year on 27-28 April. For those students who cannot make it to campus, the Admissions Office will host virtual events via Crimson Connect, their online platform for the Class of 2029. This platform is active throughout the spring and allows admitted students to engage with current students, faculty, staff, and each other.
As a new addition this year, up to two family members or supporters will be allowed to accompany admitted students to Visitas, and will be offered programming tailored specifically for them. The family programming will take place on Sunday 27 April. A new Visitas website has been created specifically for families – login information can be found in the email you have received from the Harvard Admissions Office.
For those unable to make the trip across the pond, the Harvard Club of the UK will be sponsoring its own ‘Welcome’ event for UK admits in London on Sunday 18 May. All UK admits have already received an invitation to the event, which was a huge success last year (see photo below).
(Photo subject to copyright)
Information for students in the final year of secondary school who have received offers of admission from Harvard and/or other US colleges
This information is relevant to UK year groups equivalent to the Senior Year of a US High School:
Year 13 (England and Wales)
S6 (Scotland)
Year 14 (Northern Ireland)
Firstly, many congratulations on receiving an offer of admission from one or more US colleges. You have until the national deadline of Thursday 1 May to accept, decline or defer any offers you have received.
How do I respond to my offer from Harvard? To reply to your offer of admission, to apply for housing, and to find out about your financial aid decision, go to the online portal you have been using throughout your application and respond online. You will be able to join your classmates on campus in August, when there will be comprehensive orientation and pre-orientation programs available to help you get settled in before you start your classes.
Orientation Program
First-Year Orientation for the Class of 2029 will take place from the evening of Tuesday 26 August until Monday 1 September. The full schedule will be made available in early August. Students should not plan additional events outside of Orientation as there will be full days of activities.
In previous years, Harvard’s Orientation Program for first-years has included:
- Organised workouts at the Harvard gyms
- Regular walking tours of campus
- ‘First Chance Dance’, the opening social of the year for first-years only
- Training regarding laws, regulations, and university policies
- Intramural field day, optional day of sports events & games
- Day of Service – optional day of volunteering around Cambridge and Boston community programs
- Extracurricular fair
- Concentrations fair
- The First-Year Convocation – a formal welcoming event in Harvard Yard with music and speeches, followed by a barbeque.
Pre-Orientation Program
Harvard’s Pre-Orientation Programs are designed to provide new students with additional support and resources to ease them into college life. There are six programs to choose from, and they take place from mid to late August. The programs occur simultaneously; therefore, participation is limited to one. They enable first-years to build relationships with their peers who share similar interests, learn about student life at Harvard from upper-level student mentors, and connect with faculty and professional staff who are invested in their success. Typically, two-thirds of the incoming class apply for one of the programs, which are summarised below.
First-Year Arts Program (FAP)
FAP is a multidisciplinary introduction to the arts at Harvard, bringing together students who are passionate about the arts, enthusiastic to share their interests, and eager to learn.
First-Year Outdoor Program (FOP)
FOP is a great way to meet new classmates and to ease the adjustment from high school to college. No outdoor experience is necessary to participate.
First-Year Retreat and Experience (FYRE)
This program is specifically for students who are the first in their family ever to go to college. Student leaders, faculty, and alumni will share vital information on navigating the transition from home to college life, including relationships with professors, the purpose of office hours, taking advantage of financial resources, and more.
First-Year Urban Program (FUP)
FUP fosters a commitment to public service and community advocacy; supports diversity, equity, and social justice work on campus; and introduces first-year students to Boston and Cambridge grassroots community organizations.
First-Year International Program (FIP)
FIP is a tremendous program for international students and US residents who have lived and studied primarily overseas. Partnering with the Harvard International Office and Office of International Education, participants receive foundational information for a happy, successful start at Harvard.
Leadership Institute for the First-Year Experience (LIFE)
The LIFE program provides first-year students the opportunity to discover, reflect and exercise what it means to be leaders and change makers at Harvard College, within their communities, and in society at large. For further information on all six programs, go to the Pre-Orientation page of the Harvard College website.
First-year pastoral support
Your first-year advising team will include:
- First-Year Adviser – who may be a faculty member, administrator, or graduate student. This person will assist you with many aspects of your academic experience, such as choosing courses, meeting your degree requirements, considering concentration options, or planning for the summer. You will meet with your academic adviser regularly throughout the year, and intermittently as you need them.
- Resident Deans of First-Year Students take care of the overall well-being of first-year students at Harvard College. They track their students’ academic progress, advise first-year students, and supervise Proctors in their affiliated residences.
- Proctor – this is an administrator or graduate student who lives in your dormitory and acts as your resource for personal, residential, social, and other issues. Each Proctor oversees an entryway community of approximately 20-40 students, and helps plan residence-based social activities. In some cases, your Proctor will also serve as your First-Year Adviser.
- Peer Advising Fellow (PAF) is an older Harvard student who has been specially trained to offer assistance throughout your first year. PAFs work with a specific dorm entryway, but don’t live in first year dorms. As your peers, PAFs have a unique perspective within the advising team. They can give you advice on how to balance your curricular and extracurricular choices, how to face the challenges of transitioning to college life, and how to tap into College resources.
Information for students in the penultimate year of secondary school who will be applying to Harvard and/or other US colleges next year
This information is relevant to UK year groups equivalent to the Junior Year of a US High School:
Year 12 (England and Wales)
S5 (Scotland)
Year 13 (Northern Ireland)
How does Harvard assess its candidates?
To assess its candidates, the Admissions Office carries out what it calls a ‘whole person review.’ It looks at everything about a candidate, not just grades and scores:
Where can I find further information about the assessment process? Please read the Admissions Overview on the Harvard College website.
What admissions criteria does the Harvard Admissions Committee use?
There is no formula for gaining admission to Harvard. Academic accomplishment in your secondary school is important, but the Admissions Committee also considers many other criteria, such as community involvement, leadership, distinction in extracurricular activities, and personal qualities and character. The Committee relies on teachers, university advisors, and alumni to share information about an applicant’s strength of character, their ability to overcome adversity, and other personal qualities.
Will I have to take standardized tests? Yes. Harvard requires the SAT or ACT to meet its standardized testing requirement. In exceptional cases, when those are not accessible for a student, one of the following can meet the requirement:
- AP exam results
- IB Actual or Predicted Scores
- GCSE/A-Level Actual or Predicted Results
- National Leaving Exams Results (externally assessed) or Predictions
Exceptional cases typically involve a student facing challenges in paying for or accessing a test site or a student being unable to secure an available seat at a test site prior to the Regular Decision deadline.
Will I have access to financial aid? Yes. Harvard’s generous financial aid program is to be enhanced still further from the 2025/26 academic year. Students from families with an income of less than $100,000 (around £77,000) per year with average assets will receive a free Harvard education. Further details can be found in the article near the top of this newsletter.
Where can I find information about Harvard’s application requirements generally? You will find excellent information in this article.
Do you have any application tips? Yes. This article contains many useful tips about how to fill out the main application as well as the Harvard supplement.
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