Harvard College adheres to the purposes for which the Charter of 1650 was granted: "The advancement of all good literature, arts, and sciences; the advancement and education of youth in all manner of good literature, arts, and sciences; and all other necessary provisions that may conduce to the education of the … youth of this country." In brief: Harvard strives to create knowledge, to open the minds of students to that knowledge, and to enable students to take best advantage of their educational opportunities.
To these ends, the College encourages students to respect ideas and their free expression, and to rejoice in discovery and in critical thought; to pursue excellence in a spirit of productive cooperation; and to assume responsibility for the consequences of personal actions. Harvard seeks to identify and to remove restraints on students’ full participation, so that individuals may explore their capabilities and interests and may develop their full intellectual and human potential. Education at Harvard should liberate students to explore, to create, to challenge, and to lead. The support the College provides to students is a foundation upon which self-reliance and habits of lifelong learning are built: Harvard expects that the scholarship and collegiality it fosters in its students will lead them in their later lives to advance knowledge, to promote understanding, and to serve society.
Admission Considerations:
Secondary school GPA (Recommended), Secondary school rank (Recommended), Secondary school record (Required), Completion of college-prepatory program (Recommended), Recommendations (Required), Admission test scores (Required)
Test Scores (2006) :
25th Percentile
75th Percentile
SAT Critical Reading
690
800
SAT Math
700
790
SAT Writing
690
780
ACT Composite
31
34
ACT English
31
35
ACT Math
30
35
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Notes:
25th Percentile = 25% of students scored at or below
75th Percentile = 25% of students scored above
Tuition and Fees :
Undergraduate Academic Year Cost:
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
Tuition and fees
$32,097
$33,709
$34,998
Books and supplies
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
Room and board (on campus)
$9,578
$9,946
$10,622
Room and board (off campus)
$9,578
$9,946
$10,622
Financial Aid Information:
Financial Aid Office Phone: (617) 495-1581
Percentage of students receiving any financial aid: 77%
Average amount of types of financial aid received from:
Federal Grants: $4,524
State/Local Grants: $2,321
Institutional Grants: $28,582
Student Loans: $3,898
Additional Information:
Today, Harvard comprises a Faculty of Arts and Sciences, including Harvard College, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. There are eight other faculties: Business Administration, Design, Divinity, Education, Government, Law, Medicine (including Dental Medicine), and Public Health; and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Its total campus area occupies about 500 acres, concentrated in Cambridge and Boston. Its faculty and staff number about 20,000 individuals, many of them part-time. The University has a regular enrollment of 17,000 plus some 30,000 other students who take credit courses, non-credit courses, and seminars in University Extension, the Summer School, and other programs in continuing education.