Admissions News
Two Years Later, Griffin Gift Impacts Potential Donors
More than two years after Kenneth C. Griffin ’89’s record-breaking gift to Harvard in support of the College’s financial aid program, administrators said the gift has been impactful both for hundreds of undergraduates and potential donors.
Rethinking the New SAT
The College Board's changes to the SAT exam, posing potential disadvantages to students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, are concerning.
Experts Put New SAT to the Test, Examining Changes and Implications
The new test comes during a time of national discussion on the accessibility, predictive ability, and consequent future of standardized testing in the college admissions process.
College Admissions Experts Describe Unease Over New SAT
The first administration of the revised SAT exam will take place this Saturday, and experts remain unsure as to whether students have been able to adequately prepare for the new test.
Admissions Lawsuit Continues in ‘Slow Motion’
A lawsuit brought against Harvard’s practice of affirmative action has moved into the discovery stage with both sides stuck in a protracted back-and-forth battle over access to documents.
Scalia’s Death Could Affect Affirmative Action Lawsuits
The death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin G. Scalia could affect the Court’s upcoming decision in Fisher v. Texas, an affirmative action case that experts say may change the admissions processes of universities including Harvard.
Fitzsimmons Endorses GSE Report, with Some Reservations
Admissions administrators, including Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67, have largely supported a recent Graduate School of Education report that calls for widespread change to the college application process.
Record-Breaking 39,044 Apply for Class of 2020
Harvard College received 39,044 applications for admission to its Class of 2020—setting a new record for admissions the second year in a row and surpassing last year’s 37,305 total applications
College Accepts 14.8 Percent of Early Applicants to Class of 2020
While the size of the early action pool increased slightly—about 4.3 percent larger than last year—the acceptance rate fell 1.7 percent, with 918 students receiving offers of admission.
Fitzsimmons Voices Concerns About Common App Alternative
Admissions experts and Harvard officials alike are skeptical that the new portal will actually make higher education more accessible to under-resourced students, as the group claims.
Students Debate Affirmative Action Goals at Discussion
At a discussion hosted by several cultural student groups, undergraduates debated merits of affirmative action policies in college admissions amid widespread scrutiny of Harvard’s own admissions process.
Minow Champions Affirmative Action in Amici Brief
Counsel for Harvard Law School Dean Martha Minow and Yale Law School Dean Robert C. Post ’69 filed the brief last week. Harvard also submitted an amicus brief in the Fisher case offering a similar pro-affirmative action argument.
Group Continues Push To Intervene in Admissions Lawsuit
Lawyers representing a pro-affirmative action group of current and prospective Harvard students argued against the court’s rejection of the group’s motion to intervene in an ongoing lawsuit against the College last week.
Harvard Tuition Jumped 31 Percent Since 1998, Report Says
The price tag on a Harvard undergraduate education, when adjusted for inflation, increased by nearly one-third between 1998 and 2015, according to a recently released report by The Chronicle of Higher Education.
In Fisher Amicus Brief, Harvard Defends Affirmative Action
In the 27-page brief, Harvard urged the Court to continue permitting the consideration of race as a factor in college admissions processes, arguing that a diverse student body is “a compelling interest that justifies race-conscious admissions in higher education.”
