Admissions
‘Still Doesn’t Feel Real’: Class of 2028 Reacts to Harvard Acceptance
When Eric Li, a senior at Deerfield Academy, opened his Harvard admissions decision, he jumped up, screamed with his friends – and, in the excitement, broke his glasses. Still, Li said, it was all worth it.
In Year of Crisis, Harvard Admissions Has Resilient Showing
Harvard emerged mostly unscathed from its first application cycle since the fall of affirmative action, silencing critics who speculated the University’s recent controversies would deter students from applying to the College.
After Fall Turmoil, Harvard Admissions Dean Says He Is Happy With Application Numbers
After Harvard was rocked by nonstop controversy last semester, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67 said his office was heartened to see that application numbers remained consistent.
Harvard Accepts 3.59% of Applicants to Class of 2028
Harvard College accepted 3.59 percent of applicants to its Class of 2028 — the highest acceptance rate in four years.
Harvard Professors Discuss Affirmative Action, Legacy Admissions at IOP Forum
Ahead of Ivy Day on March 28, a two-professor panel discussed the impact of legacy admissions and the fall of affirmative action on admissions at elite colleges during a Tuesday forum at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics.
Class of 2028 Results Will Offer the First Clues About Harvard’s Post-Affirmative Action Admissions
When Harvard College admits the Class of 2028 on Thursday, the admissions data released by the College might raise more questions than it answers about whether the fall of affirmative action and a prolonged crisis stemming from the University’s response to the Oct. 7 attack on Israel have changed Harvard’s appeal to prospective students.
College Dean Khurana Says He Hopes Class of 2028 Attends Harvard Despite Controversies
Nine days before Harvard College is expected to release its regular decision admissions results, Dean Rakesh Khurana said he hopes the University’s recent controversies surrounding campus antisemitism will not deter applicants from attending Harvard.
As Peer Schools Ditch Test-Optional, FAS Dean Says Harvard Is in No Rush
As its Ivy League peers return to requiring standardized testing, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra said Harvard is still “in the midst of analyzing” the effectiveness of its test-optional admission policy.
Harvard GSAS Sees 8% Increase in Applications for 2024
The Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences received 25,239 applications during its 2024 cycle, a 15 percent increase from last year that suggests the University’s leadership crisis and allegations of antisemitism on campus has not deterred prospective graduate students from applying.
As Peer Schools Leave Test-Optional Behind, Is Harvard Next?
After recent decisions from Yale and Dartmouth to bring back standardized testing requirements, admissions experts are divided if Harvard will follow suit.
Former University President Derek Bok Says Harvard Should End Legacy Admissions
Former Harvard President Derek C. Bok said top American universities like Harvard should end legacy admissions preferences in remarks to the Financial Times on Monday.
Marsh USA Files to Dismiss Harvard Lawsuit Regarding SFFA Legal Fees
Insurance broker Marsh USA asked the federal District Court of Massachusetts to dismiss its liability for up to $15 million in legal fees, according to filings made last month.
‘Throwing Away Information’: Harvard’s Test Optional Policies Face Expert Criticism
As Harvard College prepares to admit its fourth straight class without requiring applicants to submit test scores, questions — and criticisms — surrounding test-optional admissions policies continue to mount.
Ten Stories That Shaped 2023
In 2023, Harvard had a tumultuous year. Claudine Gay’s first semester ended amid a leadership crisis as she came under fire for her response to tensions on a campus divided by the Israel-Hamas war and faced allegations of plagiarism. Harvard’s legacy and donor preferences in admissions also faced national scrutiny following the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling striking down the University’s affirmative action policy. Across campus, scandal after scandal hit parts of the University. Here, The Crimson looks back at the 10 stories that shaped 2023 at Harvard.
‘Politically Motivated’: Experts Weigh in on Harvard Decision to Not Report Racial Composition of Early Action Admits
Harvard did not report the racial and ethnic composition of students admitted in the early application cycle for the Class of 2028, a move seen by experts as an attempt by the University to avoid potential litigation from anti-affirmative action groups.
Harvard Admissions Dean Discussed Changes to Application Process, in First Interview Since SCOTUS Decision
Harvard Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67 said the admissions office will not decide the future of legacy preference in admissions in an interview Thursday.
Harvard Accepts 8.74% of Early Applicants to Class of 2028 in First Admissions Cycle After SCOTUS Ruling
Harvard admitted 8.74 percent of early applicants to the Class of 2028, the first admissions cycle after the Supreme Court declared affirmative action unconstitutional in a landmark ruling against Harvard over the summer.
After Covid-19 Recovery, Harvard College Sees Rise in International Enrollment for Third Straight Year
Harvard College saw an increase in enrolled international students for the third year in a row, with demographic data from the enrolled Class of 2027 indicating a 32 percent increase in the share of international students compared to the Class of 2024.
Class of 2027 By the Numbers
Each fall, The Crimson surveys freshmen about their backgrounds, academic aspirations, and lifestyles. In this year’s installation, The Crimson also asked students for their views on artificial intelligence and admissions. Scroll through the interactive graphs and charts on the following pages for a visual representation of the Class of 2027.
Harvard Education Press Authors Talk Campus Strategies for Diversity Post-Affirmative Action
Four higher education experts discussed during an online event last Thursday how colleges and universities should reform their admissions processes to maintain a diverse student body, including ending athlete preferences.
Evan Mandery ’89 Says Elite Colleges Increase Social Inequality at Harvard PBHA Talk
Evan J. Mandery ’89, a professor at the City University of New York, said that elite colleges and universities exacerbate social inequality in the United States during a talk on Monday at the Phillips Brooks House Association.
More than 60 Percent of Surveyed Harvard Freshmen Do Not Support Legacy Admissions
The first installment of a four-part series on The Crimson’s Class of 2027 survey examines students’ views on affirmative action, diversity, and legacy.
Education Experts Talk Admissions in the Wake of Supreme Court Decision at Harvard Ed School Webinar
Education experts discussed paths forward for colleges and students in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision effectively striking down affirmative action during a webinar hosted by the Harvard Graduate School of Education Wednesday.
Harvard FAS Dean Hoekstra Says Eliminating Legacy Admissions ‘Under Consideration’
Removing legacy admissions preferences in Harvard’s admissions process “is one of the things that’s under consideration,” Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi E. Hoekstra said in an interview with The Crimson last week.
Will Harvard End Legacy Admissions Preferences? President Claudine Gay Says ‘Everything is on the Table’
As Harvard scrutinizes its admissions practices amid calls to end the use of legacy and donor preferences, University President Claudine Gay said no policy is off limits.