Students Enrolled at Harvard
Millions of people had Harvard University at the top of their list of the best colleges that offer excellent education. Its reputation is known all over the world because the university possesses a special allure that endears it to its students and makes a special space in their hearts as they learn more about it.
Parents and students in the United States commonly refer to Harvard University as a “dream college” when describing their ideal educational institution for their children. This is because it has produced more successful people than any other country, including 150 winners of the Nobel Prize and seven presidents of the United States of America. Students at Harvard University have gone on to become physicians, journalists, artists, poets, historians, and publishers, among other professions.
It is no wonder that there’s a huge increase in the total number of students at Harvard currently studying at the university aiming to become great professionals after their graduation. There is a great deal more to it than what you hear, and while you will most likely need a book full of facts and information to cover its splendor, here at AdmissionSight, we will offer some interesting facts about Harvard.
What are 5 interesting facts about Harvard?
Aside from being one of the most prestigious universities in the entire world, there are also a lot of fascinating facts about Harvard you should know so continue reading to learn the answers to what are 5 interesting facts about Harvard.
The university has astonishing museums and libraries
With the growing number of students at Harvard, it’s apparent that its museums and libraries could cater to a lot of visitors. The Widener Library, located in Harvard Yard, serves as the hub of the Harvard library system. It is made up of 80 separate libraries that collectively store over 20.4 million books and other objects. The Harvard library has been around for four centuries, making it the oldest library in the entire country of the United States of America.
The Harvard Library manages the functioning of other university libraries as an entity. As part of their shared services, the libraries provide a variety of services, including access, preservation, digital infrastructure, digital imaging, and discovery service. It has shelves that span more than 92 kilometers over ten. In addition to its six stories above ground, there are four floors below ground.
The collection held by the Harvard library ranks third among all libraries in the United States of America. The library has a collection of ten million photos, in addition to twenty million books and four hundred million manuscripts. The library at Harvard University has a collection of one million maps. The Harvard Art Museums include three distinct locations. This contains the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, which features artwork from the Middle East, Asia, and the Mediterranean. Harvard University has Busch-Reisinger Museum. It focuses on art from the middle and northern parts of Europe. The inclusion of the Fogg Museum encompasses western art dating back to the Middle Ages.
The university is the home to a lot of previous presidents
When we think of George Bush and John F. Kennedy, we think of them as famous former presidents of the United States whose stories we learned about in our history studies. However, Harvard University remembers them as former students at the university. The list of presidents does not end with them; there have been many more. When you read the following list of Harvard graduates who went on to become presidents of other countries, you will understand why we consider this to be one of the most remarkable facts about Harvard University:
- Barack Obama
- Rutherford B. Hayes
- George W. Bush
- John F. Kennedy
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Theodore Roosevelt
- John Quincy Adams
- John Adams
The total number of students at Harvard that are interested to achieve greater heights similar to the aforementioned Harvard notable alumni is almost everyone else. Each aspires to get a great education at Harvard and use them to be successful in their chosen career paths in the future.
The university has a strong reputation known worldwide
It has been regarded by several people that Harvard University is the best of the Ivy League schools. According to the latest rankings, Harvard University is the third finest university in the entire world. The university has an outstanding track record, which contributed to the institution being ranked at the very top, making students from around the world aspire to become part of this prestigious university.
Ever since the overall academic rankings were made public, they have consistently placed Harvard University at the very top of the list as the best university in the world. The University has maintained its position at the top practically every year, and this trend has not changed over the past several years.
Parents and students in the United States often refer to certain universities as their “dream colleges,” and Harvard University is one of those universities. It is responsible for producing the highest number of successful people in the world, including 150 Nobel Prize winners and seven presidents of the United States of America. The university is responsible for the education of some notable surgeons, artists, CEOs, publishers, and journalists, among other professions. The total number of students at Harvard that became Nobel laureates after they graduated from the university is an amazing 79 notable alumni.
The university produces well-known achievers
As we previously discussed here at AdmissionSight, Harvard University has produced a record number of Nobel laureates, heads of state, and even Pulitzer prize winners, giving the university a record amount of honors and distinctions. It has a history of producing alumni of high caliber, including the previous presidents of the nation.
There has been a total of 150 individuals who have won the Nobel Prize after attending Harvard University. Some of these individuals are Ralph Bunche, Mario Capecchi, John Enders, Philip Anderson, and J. Michael Bishop.
In case anyone forgot, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO, and co-founder of Facebook attended Harvard. It was also an unforgettable moment when Mark even gave his commencement speech at the university for the Class of 2017.
The university offers extensive academic programs
Students at Harvard University can pursue a wide variety of interests because of the extensive range of academic and extracurricular opportunities available to them, reflecting on the increasing total number of students at Harvard admitted each year. The majority of the educational opportunities provided by the university are in the fields of medicine, law, sociology, and astronomy. Anthropology, applied mathematics, the arts, film and visual studies, business administration and management, chemistry and physics, and literature are some of the other programs that can be pursued at Harvard University.
Is it difficult to get into Harvard?
Since the university is regarded as the top university in the country, it is understandable that it is selective in accepting students. The question “Is it difficult to get into Harvard?” had been asked by thousands of students hoping to be a part of this university. Well, it can be both difficult and challenging.
Harvard University is ranked third on the list of the most competitive educational institutions due to its admission rate of 4%. This rate represents acceptance into Harvard College, the undergraduate program offered by Harvard University. Some colleges at Harvard, such as the Harvard Medical School, have an even more stringent admissions process but it does not hinder the growing number of students at Harvard since the institution continues to expand and grow its amenities.
When selecting students to enroll in the undergraduate program at Harvard, the university looks at several factors, including the applicant’s personal qualities as well as their aptitude in the classroom. The institution makes a concentrated effort to offer serious consideration to each application to acquire a comprehensive understanding of an applicant’s academic pursuits, personal history, and extracurricular abilities.
Since the majority of students who apply to Harvard already have strong academic credentials, the admissions committee relies primarily on recommendation letters, in-person interviews, and extracurricular activities to single out exceptional candidates. Every student indeed possesses unique characteristics that the university finds valuable.
Can an average student get into Harvard?
If you aspire to be a part of Harvard but are afraid because you are not very intelligent, thus asking yourself several times “Can an average student get into Harvard?” You’re not alone, several students had also asked that question before sending their application and being admitted to the university. Heed in mind that the total number of students at Harvard does not only include geniuses.
Students who have maintained a grade point average of 3.0 may still have a shot at admission to Harvard; however, their applications must be able to convincingly illustrate why they are the ideal candidates for the university. Even if an applicant has an average grade point average (GPA), they may still be admitted to Harvard if they have an “in,” or hook, such as being an athlete.
If you think that you should give up on your goal of attending Harvard because you have a low GPA, you should rethink that decision. Did you know that there are applicants who have a perfect 4.0 grade point average but who are still denied admission to Harvard?
The reason for this is that the admissions officers at the institution take into consideration a wide variety of additional factors in addition to the applicant’s grade point averages when making their decisions, including hooks, standardized test scores, personal essays, and recommendation letters.
What is the most important thing for Harvard?
For the university’s admission officers, “What is the most important thing for Harvard?” As previously discussed, expect that among the total number of students at Harvard, there are students that combine their outstanding characteristics with hard work.
In addition, students who have been aspiring to attend Harvard ever since they finished middle school or even before they entered middle school are aware that they will be required to submit certain things to be considered for admission to Harvard. Let’s have a glance at these fundamentals for a moment:
GPA
If senior high school student wants their application to Harvard to be considered seriously by the university’s admissions officers, they will almost certainly need to demonstrate that they have a strong academic background.
In general, the average unweighted grade point average (GPA) of students admitted to Harvard’s campus is 3.9, and the average weighted grade point average is 4.15. Since a grade point average (unweighted) of 3.0 is the minimum requirement for admission to most schools and universities in the United States, it is pretty obvious that Harvard seeks students who are above average.
There are, however, always going to be some notable departures from the norm. It is feasible for Harvard to admit a student with a grade point average of 3.0 but who also has an interesting story. It’s also conceivable for a student to be rejected from Harvard while having a perfect 4.0 grade point average if they lack certain attributes that are valued by the Ivy League admissions authorities.
The total number of students at Harvard that are recently accepted have a grade point average of at least 3.0.
Standardized Test Scores
It is common knowledge that Harvard is a very competitive educational institution. This indicates that the Ivy League institution gives priority to applicants who have achieved good scores on both the SAT and the ACT.
Even though the average SAT score that Harvard accepts falls somewhere in the range of 1460 to 1580, the university gives preference to applicants whose SAT scores are closer to the maximum possible.
When it comes to ACT scores, the same thing holds: the school will accept ACT scores ranging from 33 to 35, but it will give preference to a score that is closer to 36, which is the maximum possible score on the ACT.
However, you should be aware that, as of right now, Harvard is a test-optional institution.
This indicates that applicants do not need to send in their SAT or ACT results to be considered. In point of fact, at the beginning of the academic year 2021, Harvard announced that in light of the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, the university will maintain its status as a test-optional institution for a further academic year.
In other words, the results of your standardized tests are currently irrelevant in Harvard’s admissions decision-making process.
On the other hand, this could shift at any moment.
Admission Application Requirements
For those who have their sights set on attending Harvard, completing and submitting the application form is one of the most critical tasks that must be taken. It can be done through the Universal College Application (UCA), the Coalition Application (Coalition App), or the Common Application (Common App). Harvard does not have a preference for any one of these applications.
The application form requests a lot of information from you, and you’ll need to give it to them. The most important part of your essay, however, is the part in which you discuss your extracurricular activities since the current total number of students at Harvard includes students that have both strong academics and extracurriculars.
An interview with William R. Fitzsimmons revealed that the admissions staff at the university carefully review application forms for extracurricular distinctiveness and personal traits, proving that each student at Harvard has incomparable characteristics.
In addition to this, they investigate the applicants’ moral fortitude, capacity to make rational decisions, and creative intellectualism.
There is room on the application form for a maximum of ten extracurricular activities to be included. You do not have to fill up all ten of the blank places, though. You must place your attention on the activities and causes that you are deeply invested in and care deeply about.
When it comes to presenting a list of extracurricular activities, having a list of high-quality activities is more significant than providing a list of many different activities.
Essay
Your application form can only reveal a limited amount of information about you. Your essay is a great place to reveal the qualities that set you apart from other similar applicants. Your essay allows you to inform the admissions staff at Harvard why they should choose you above the other students who are drooling at the prospect of attending Harvard.
Make sure that your essay, which is a response to one of the many essays prompts that the Common App, Coalition App, or UCA provides, is teeming with things about you that you cannot include or expound on in your application form. For example, you may not be able to include a specific example of how you overcame a challenge.
In addition to this, you have to make sure that the application essay you write is done in your genuine voice. Keep in mind that the current total number of students at Harvard had their essays done in their honest opinions and thoughts before.
You should strive to keep the length of your essay to fewer than 650 words, but ideally, you should keep it between 500 and 550 words. If you make it too short, it will feel incomplete, and if you make it too long, it will be difficult or time-consuming to read.
In addition to a personal essay, you have the option of submitting an additional essay that is entirely discretionary.
Recommendation Letters
Both your essay and your supplemental essay can indeed tell a great deal about you, including information that the admissions officers won’t be able to find out about you through your application form alone.
However, the admissions staff at Harvard want to get to know you far better, which is why they demand applicants to additionally provide letters of recommendation.
You will need to provide the Ivy League institution with two letters of recommendation to complete your application. The first is from your guidance counselor in high school. The second one comes from one of your instructors, and you can choose anybody you like.
Because of this, it is a good idea to pick a teacher who is familiar with you on a deep level and who will extol your many admirable qualities while speaking about you.
Since there is typically just one guidance counselor at a high school, likely, you will not have a say in the matter of who writes your letter of reference. However, things are different when it comes to teachers, so make sure you make an informed decision.
The individual you plan to approach may ask you to write a recommendation letter in certain circumstances.
You can also find meticulous discussion on Harvard’s enrollment here at AdmissionSight.
How many students are at Harvard?
It’s not unusual for the university to have tens of thousands of applications each year, making it very selective during admissions and you’re probably curious about the total number of students at Harvard. The following are some facts and figures about the university including how many students are at Harvard now:
- Opened In: 1,636
- The graduation rate of their students: 98%
- Total Number of Students at Harvard (As of Date): 7,103
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
Who gets accepted to Harvard?
You’re now aware that the university can be intense in selecting students during admissions but to give an in-depth discussion regarding the matter, the following is provided for you to answer the question, “Who gets accepted to Harvard?”
There is no such thing as a typical Harvard student, in the opinion of the admissions staff at Harvard University themselves. Each one of them is genuine, hardworking, and unique, and had been carefully chosen to be a part of the university.
Every applicant receives the amount of attention necessary for them to determine whether or not they would be a good addition to the school community. In general, they are looking for someone who will be an inspiration to others not only throughout college but also after graduation.
The following is a list of some of the criteria that the admissions officers at the institution look for:
Development and Latent Potential
It is essential that you were involved in a lot of activities during your time in high school. You must, however, be able to do more not only while you are in college but even after you have earned your degree from college. Therefore, when applying to Harvard, you should give some thought to demonstrating to the admissions officers that you have some sense of what you want to do with the rest of your life.
Hobbies and Extracurricular Pursuits
The things that you do and the things that interest you say a lot about who you are. The admissions staff at the school will look at more than just the things that you are interested in and the activities that you participate in; they will also evaluate whether or not you have made the most of the possibilities that have been presented to you.
Characteristics of the Individual
You should remember that the total number of students at Harvard does not only include very intelligent individuals. The fact that you have a high IQ does not guarantee that you will be accepted into Harvard; the university has other requirements besides intelligence. Before deciding whether or not to accept you, they will investigate various aspects of your character, such as your level of maturity and self-awareness, your level of energy and self-confidence, your capacity for leadership, and your level of care for the welfare of others.
Potential Contribution
Before making a final decision about your fate, the admissions staff will investigate whether or not you will be able to make a positive contribution to your future college classmates as well as your alma mater. In addition, they will determine if you will profit more from going to Harvard or from attending another school. If the latter, they will pick which school you should go to.
When applying to Harvard, it’s not only your grade point average that matters; there are a lot of additional factors that might influence how your application turns out. Because of this, you may have a grade point average of 3.0 and still be accepted into Harvard, or you could have a grade point average of 4.0 and yet be denied admission to the most prestigious school in the United States.
And this takes us to another significant issue that any student who wants to go to Harvard but is having second thoughts since they only have a 3.0 grade point average needs to consider: a hook.
If you have a hook (and there are many different kinds of hooks), you can relax in the knowledge that your chances of enrolling at Harvard have been significantly improved.
As was mentioned earlier, the total number of students at Harvard includes students that have great grades and exceptional qualities, which are equally crucial when it comes to gaining admission into a college or university, particularly one that is prestigious or extremely selective.
If a student’s essay or extracurricular activities are not enough to set them apart from other applicants, a strong academic background may be able to assist them to gain admission to their desired school. In a similar vein, even an applicant who does not have the highest intelligence level can be selected if they possess exceptional characteristics, qualities, or experiences.
There is one more factor that admissions officers, including the ones who decide which applicants get to go to Harvard and which ones get to attend another school, take into consideration in the admissions process. This factor is referred to as a “hook,” and it is used to differentiate between applicants.
A candidate with a 3.0 grade point average or an application form that is less than exceptional might go from uninteresting to traffic-stopping with the use of a hook.
In its most basic form, a hook can be anything—a quality, a trait, a talent, etc.—that an applicant possesses that can give him or her an additional advantage in the process of getting admitted.
In the vast majority of cases, it is something that the college or institution is interested in or requires.
There are two distinct varieties of hooks, which are as follows:
Inherent
To put it another way, an intrinsic hook is something that you have from the moment you are born. If you have this “hook,” you won’t even have to try to get into Harvard; they will admit you automatically. While some applicants may make the most of the inherent hook they have, others will work to remove it as a factor and focus only on their qualifications to get admission to Harvard based on their merit.
Self-developed
A self-developed hook is a type of hook that requires a lot of hard work to achieve, as suggested by the name of this type of hook. It might be any trait or skill that you have gained over time that has the potential to turn the heads of college admissions personnel toward you because it impresses them or because it fulfills a requirement of the university.
We at AdmissionSight can help you realize your ambition of attending Harvard, which is one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world. The application process can indeed be challenging, but our team of experienced professionals is here to help you through each step of the way. Get in touch with us if you’re interested in learning more about the expert admissions counseling services we offer.