Harvard University

Overview

Harvard College is the undergraduate part of Harvard University, a private research university across the Charles River from Boston. Students apply to the College as a whole rather than to a department, and they choose a field of study (Harvard calls it a concentration) after arriving. First-year students live in and around Harvard Yard, and most students then move into one of the residential Houses for their remaining years, which gives the campus its small-community feel inside a large university.

Harvard publishes one set of requirements for everyone. Its application requirements page says the process is the same for domestic and international applicants, and it gives no separate rules for Canadian students. A student from Ontario, Alberta or Quebec applies exactly as a student from Ohio would.

How to apply for 2026-27

Harvard takes the Common Application and is also a QuestBridge partner. There are two rounds:

• Restrictive Early Action (REA): apply by November 1, 2026. It is not binding, but it limits which other early applications you can send, so read Harvard's rules before you commit.
• Regular Decision: apply by January 1, 2027.

Transcripts must come from your school, not as email attachments from you. Students in IB or A-level programs should expect their school to send predicted midyear grades, and the final school report is due by July 1, with IB and A-level results following later in the summer.

Testing policy

Harvard requires the SAT or ACT. Its page lists alternatives (AP results, IB actual or predicted scores, A-level or GCSE results, or national leaving exams) but says these apply only when the SAT or ACT is genuinely not accessible, for example because of cost or test availability. If you can reasonably sit one of the two tests, Harvard expects you to.

You may self-report scores while applying, and enrolling students send official reports later. For REA, Harvard asks for results by the end of October but accepts the November sitting. Harvard's SAT code is 3434 and its ACT code is 1840. No minimum score is published.

Costs and financial aid

Harvard's aid is entirely need-based, with no merit scholarships. Its financial aid page states that your financial need and aid application will never affect your chance of admission, that it meets 100 percent of demonstrated need, and that international students are eligible for exactly the same aid as American students.

The same page says that for families with annual incomes below $100,000 the expected parent contribution is zero, and that aid covers at least full tuition for families earning up to $200,000. Students are still expected to contribute from summer earnings or savings, and families with significant assets may be asked to pay more. Run the net price calculator on the Harvard financial aid site with your family's real numbers rather than relying on general figures.

Notes for Canadian applicants

Canadians apply as international students. Report your provincial grades as your school issues them; Harvard reads transcripts in the context of each school, and you do not need to convert to a US GPA. Our guide to Canadian GPA scales explains how different provinces report marks if you want to describe your record clearly in the Additional Information section.

For study permits and entry rules, rely on the US government. Canadian citizens are generally exempt from needing a visa stamp but still need the school's immigration document and student status; the US State Department student visa page is the place to confirm current rules. This is not immigration advice.

Preparing with StudyBrix

Harvard's supplement asks short-answer questions, and alumni interviews are offered where possible. The interview and MMI skills deck is a light way to practise talking about yourself under time pressure. For a wider view of how US admissions differ from Canadian ones, start with our United States university guide.