Harvard Essay 2024-2025

Harvard Essay 2024-2025

Where is Harvard?

Harvard University is one of the eight Ivy League universities in the United States. It is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Founded in 1636, Harvard has been a leader among higher education institutions for centuries. It is a medium-sized university with over 7,000 undergraduate students. Its campus is idyllic for those looking to study in New England. Just over 5,600 acres, the campus is filled with historic buildings in which students receive one of the most renowned educations in the world. 

Applying to Harvard University

With an acceptance rate of just 3%, Harvard admissions receives — and rejects — many qualified candidates each admissions cycle. For that reason, your Harvard application needs to stand out from the crowd. All applicants will have high grades and impressive extracurricular activities. As such, each Harvard application essay is a new opportunity to impress admissions. 

The Harvard supplemental essays make up a significant part of the application. Every Harvard essay is an opportunity to show a new part of yourself that hasn’t been seen elsewhere in your application. When applying to Harvard, you need to tell a compelling story. The five Harvard supplemental essays and the Harvard personal statement will help you do so. 

In addition to the Harvard application essays, students will also complete the Harvard personal statement. This is also known as the Common App or Coalition App personal statement. 

Harvard Personal Statement

As a part of the Harvard application essay requirements, students must complete the Harvard personal statement. Depending on which application platform you decide to use, the Harvard personal statement prompts will vary. That is to say, the Common Application has different prompts from the Coalition Application. However, the five Harvard essay prompts for the supplemental essays are the same, no matter the application platform. 

The Harvard personal statement is an important part of your overall application. Keep in mind that you will likely send your personal statement to various schools. Since your Harvard personal statement should ideally add new and valuable information to your candidate profile, think about your supplemental essays in relation to the personal statement. You don’t want your Harvard personal statement to repeat information from a different Harvard application essay. 

What are the Harvard supplemental essays?

The Harvard essay requirements for the 2024–2025 admissions cycle are straightforward. Students must submit five short answer supplemental essays in addition to the Harvard personal statement. Essay requirements can change yearly, so it’s important to stay on top of your schools’ requirements.

Harvard admissions wants to learn more about applicants through every Harvard essay. No one Harvard application essay is more important than another. Therefore, you should give each Harvard essay the attention it deserves to craft an outstanding overall application. 

Wondering what this year’s Harvard essay prompts are? Here are the current five short answer Harvard application essay prompts: 

The Harvard essay prompts have a word limit of 150 words. These are indeed short answer essays, so you’ll need to choose your words carefully when responding to the Harvard essay prompts. 

What should I write my Harvard essay about?

Choosing the topic to respond to these Harvard essay prompts can feel overwhelming. You may have many possible topics you’d like to write on, or maybe you have absolutely no idea what to say. Don’t worry! There are plenty of ways to get ideas for your Harvard supplemental essays. 

Consider reading Harvard essay examples or Ivy League essay examples. Although the Harvard essay prompts may change yearly, reading Harvard essay examples can help get you started on your unique story. You’ll be able to see what makes a successful Harvard essay. However, when reading Harvard essay examples, don’t simply reuse a topic in your own essay. Your topic should be unique, personal, and meaningful to you. Essay examples should just be used to get you started when brainstorming potential topics. 

Keep in mind that each Harvard essay should share something new with admissions. That’s why it’s important to choose topics that don’t simply reiterate other parts of your application. Harvard is a competitive school, and every candidate is well qualified. Writing an impressive Harvard essay is an opportunity to stand out and impress. So choose your topics carefully! 

Harvard Short Answer Questions

Each Harvard essay is an important part of the application. That can be stressful to think about, since essay writing can be time consuming even when you have a great idea. Of course, it’s even more stressful if you don’t plan ahead or aren’t comfortable with writing in this format. Luckily, Harvard offers some tips on filling out their application. Additionally, doing your research on Harvard will help when writing the Harvard supplemental essays. Learn the ins and outs of Harvard’s admissions process, as well as different opportunities only available at Harvard. 

Now, let’s dive into how to approach the Harvard essay prompts. 

Harvard Essay #1- Contributing to Harvard

The first of the Harvard essay prompts asks applicants to consider what they will bring to Harvard’s campus. Here’s the first Harvard essay prompt: 

Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?

This essay is a take on the classic diversity essay. As such, you’ll want to consider important aspects of your background, identity, culture, personality, or upbringing that have made you who you are. What lived experiences have defined your values, goals, or perspectives? How will where you came from impact what you bring to Harvard’s campus?

“Life experiences” is a broad term. This means that you have plenty of room for interpretation in this Harvard essay. Really, the most important part of this Harvard essay is choosing a meaningful topic that shows what sets you apart from the crowd. It could be something as simple as a unique hobby. For example, you might write about how instead of keeping a journal, you write short stories loosely based on your life. 

The second part of this Harvard essay asks you to show how this part of your identity will inform your time at Harvard. Harvard needs to know that you will make a positive impact on their campus community by bringing a unique perspective. Going back to our previous example, maybe by romanticizing your daily life with short stories, you’ve found an appreciation for the little things. This gratitude makes you more prepared to take on any obstacles in life.

Harvard Essay #2- Harvard Roommate Essay

While the first Harvard essay prompt was a college essay classic, the second is a bit more quirky.  

Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you.

This Harvard essay also leaves the response quite open-ended. You could share anything! However, you’ll want to choose three things that only someone who will live with you would want or even need to know. This prompt is meant to be light and fun. So, you don’t need to get serious here or try to work in something academic to impress admissions. On the contrary, keep things aligned with the prompt: quirky, creative, and fun. 

To start brainstorming, you’ll want to think about your routine. Is there anything that is out of the norm? A unique interest or superstition? If you’re at a complete loss, you might ask your family members. If you share a room with a sibling, they might have some valuable intel about your quirks!

You might also consider what you’ll want your college room to be like. Will you bring a bunch of photos from home or deck it out with your favorite artwork? Or will you prefer to have it clutter less, instead using the minimal space for the necessities? It may not seem like it, but room decor can be very telling. 

Additionally, think about what you’d like from the roommate experience. Do you hope to have weekly Sunday dinners? Or would you love to have movie night on Tuesdays? These dreams of what you could share with your future roommate can absolutely be highlighted in this Harvard essay. 

Finally, make sure to follow the prompt guidelines. Choose just three things to mention, and keep it under 150 words. Don’t just simply write a list. This is a Harvard essay, so it needs to flow. Think about how to connect your three points and tell a story that captivates your reader. 

Harvard Essay #3- Using Your Harvard Education

Let’s move back to a more traditional Harvard essay. Here’s the third of the five Harvard essay prompts: 

How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future?

This is the time to show that you have done your research on Harvard. This prompt is similar to a “why this school” or “why this major” essay. The key is to be specific about why you need a Harvard education. You’ll want to highlight opportunities that would only be available to you as a Harvard student. Of course, these should genuinely align with your future goals. If you plan to major in economics or sociology, you might highlight those specific programs at Harvard. However, you certainly don’t have to know your specific major to successfully write this Harvard essay. 

You might start by making a list of future goals. If you aren’t certain where you see yourself in five years, that’s all right! You’re certainly not alone. And you don’t have to know to be able to write a successful and impressive Harvard essay. 

For example, maybe one of your goals is living and working in another country. If this has influenced your major, then highlight specific curriculum opportunities or professors at Harvard. Or perhaps you might mention Harvard’s study abroad opportunities. You don’t need to know your future career or even major to write this Harvard essay. You just need to hone in on your interests, passions, and future goals and connect them back to your Harvard education. 

Harvard Essay #4- Extracurricular Essay

The fourth Harvard essay focuses on a meaningful extracurricular activity. 

Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are.

Similar to the diversity, you’ve probably come across this type of essay in your college applications. And, if not, you surely will! This is a typical extracurricular activity essay. In this type of essay, you have the opportunity to expand or introduce an important activity that you haven’t yet been able to highlight in your application. 

Of course, this essay should add new information — don’t just repeat what’s on your extracurricular activities section. More important, however, is writing about an activity that has deep meaning to you. What has shaped who you are? Is there an activity that is integral to your life? Now’s the time to highlight it!

If you’re at a loss for a topic, consider the less traditional options listed in the prompt. You don’t need to talk about a club, sport, or volunteer activity. After all, “extracurricular” means anything outside of the classroom. You might focus on a job, family responsibility, or particularly meaningful travel experience. Do you work at a diner on the weekends? How has the experience impacted you? What have you learned and how has it affected who you are?

You might also consider mentioning a unique hobby. For example, maybe you learned to crochet from your grandmother, and you’ve bonded over the craft. You could write a powerful essay about discovering a new passion while making a blanket with a relative.

There are plenty of topics you could write about for this Harvard essay. Just remember to consider the following questions: Have you mentioned this activity elsewhere in your application? If so, find a new angle on it that highlights something new for the admissions team. Also, has this activity shaped who you are, and does that growth align with the rest of your application?

Harvard Essay #5- Disagreement Essay

The last Harvard essay prompt can be the most challenging. However, you may come across similar prompts in other applications. 

Describe a time when you strongly disagreed with someone about an idea or issue. How did you communicate or engage with this person? What did you learn from this experience?

Believe it or not, this Harvard essay will tell admissions a lot about how you navigate the world around you. Are you able to engage in discussions with people of differing perspectives? Are you able to reflect and learn from these types of conversations?

There may be many disagreements or even heated conversations that come to mind when reading this Harvard application essay prompt. However, keep in mind that this is an application essay. You need to choose a conversation in which you demonstrate maturity, good communication, and growth. 

To start brainstorming, think about your causes. What do you believe in? And, what are you willing to stand up for? You’ve probably had some conversations on these topics. Are there any in which you were able to convey your perspective and opinion to another in a respectful manner? What was the overall outcome? Did you learn something from the exchange? These types of questions will allow you to choose the best topic for this Harvard application essay. 

Additionally, your Harvard essay should demonstrate your passion for the topic discussed. You’ll also need to specify what you learned. For example, were you able to compromise or create a unique solution?

In this essay, be sure to not speak down about the other person in the disagreement. You don’t want to come across as patronizing or superior. This could leave a bad impression on the admissions committee. Stay neutral about the person with which you are in the disagreement. Show passion for the topic at hand. The goal shouldn’t be to show that you “won” the argument. It’s to demonstrate you can engage with those of differing opinions, convey your own beliefs, and learn from these exchanges. 

How to write the Harvard supplemental essays

We’ve given you some specifics on how to approach each Harvard application essay. However, let’s review some common best practices to ace your Harvard essays. 

Choose a meaningful topic

There’s no “perfect” topic that will suit everyone. Instead, the key is to choose a topic that is meaningful to you and shares more about who you are to admissions. Additionally, you’ll want to make sure to choose topics that add new information to your application. Don’t repeat the same topic from your Harvard personal statement in one of your Harvard supplemental essays. 

Answer the prompt

This might seem obvious, but you need to be sure that you answer all parts of every Harvard essay prompt. It’s easy to get caught up in writing an enticing anecdote that reels in your reader. However, if in doing so you aren’t left with any words to answer the second part of the prompt, then that’s not good! These are the Harvard essay prompts for a reason. Admissions wants unique and comprehensive answers. A good practice to follow is to ask yourself after writing your draft this question: Did I completely answer every part of the prompt?

Write, edit, and revise

There’s a reason we urge students to start their Harvard essay long before the application deadline. It’s because writing outstanding Harvard supplemental essays is time consuming. You’ll need to write, then revise and edit, and rewrite again! This cycle should repeat until you have the best version possible of each Harvard essay. Enlist the help of a friend, family member, or teacher to check for grammatical or spelling errors. You can also read your essay out loud to check for any oversights or clumsy wording. Don’t let spelling or grammar mistakes distract your reader from the impressive Harvard essay you’ve worked so hard on!

Choosing Outstanding Topics for Your Harvard Supplemental Essays

As we’ve mentioned many times throughout this Harvard essay guide, choosing your topic for each Harvard application essay is the most important part of the process. This doesn’t mean there is a one-size-fits-all topic for each Harvard essay. This simply means that you need to choose the right topic for you!

In short, the right topic is meaningful, highlights your personality and values, and demonstrates what you’ll bring to the Harvard community. Additionally, each Harvard essay should center on a different topic. This way you can highlight new facets of yourself to the admissions committee. After all, they receive thousands of qualified candidates every admissions cycle, and only 3% are accepted. Each Harvard application essay is an opportunity to stand out from the crowd. 

Let’s look at some questions you can ask yourself to be sure you’ve chosen the right topic for each Harvard application essay:

What does Harvard look for in applicants?

With such a low Harvard acceptance rate, you might be wondering what Harvard wants to see in its applicants. Well, there isn’t any one factor that will secure your admission. While academics are highly important, Harvard needs to see other outstanding qualities in candidates for them to earn admission. 

One important factor that admissions looks for is the potential a student has for future contributions to society. Harvard expects its graduates to go on to be leaders, making meaningful impacts long after their time on campus. If there are no signs of this future promise in an applicant, then Harvard admissions will not extend an acceptance letter. 

Additionally, students need to show outstanding talents, skills, or personal qualities. Harvard wants their students to excel in an extracurricular activity. Leadership and community involvement are also important. Harvard admissions also value diversity in their student population, so they want students who will bring unique perspectives and experiences.

Of course, nothing else matters if your academics aren’t extremely impressive. Harvard wants students that excel academically and don’t back down from an intellectual challenge. Therefore, if you’re serious about getting into Harvard, plan to take accelerated courses such as AP and IB. 

Consider these application tips provided by Harvard when applying. Additionally, check out this guide on what to expect after you’ve applied to Harvard. 

Harvard Application Timeline

Your application timeline will vary based on your application deadline. For example, if you’re applying Restrictive Early Action, you’ll need to get started earlier than if you’re applying Regular Decision. 

The Restrictive Early Action deadline is November 1st, and students will receive an admissions decision by mid-December. REA applicants may only apply early to one school. However, it is a non-binding option. Therefore, if you gain acceptance to Harvard, you are not required to attend. If Harvard is your #1 choice, then consider applying early. The early acceptance rate is 7.6%, which is still extremely competitive but higher than the overall Harvard acceptance rate. 

Regular Decision candidates need to apply by January 1st and will receive a decision by the end of March. 

Harvard is not a test-optional school. It requires the submission of standardized tests, so plan to take these exams by spring or summer of the year you apply. These scores should be submitted by the end of October for REA students. 

Consider that you’ll need to submit additional materials such as letters of recommendation. Start requesting these letters months in advance to give your recommenders plenty of time to finish and submit them on time. 

The most time consuming part of your application will be each Harvard application essay and the Harvard personal statement. Start working on your Harvard supplemental essays the summer before you plan to apply. This will give you time to write your best version of each Harvard essay. 

Additional Harvard Essay Resources from CollegeAdvisor

When considering how to get into Harvard, you’ll want to do everything possible to heighten your chances. CollegeAdvisor provides students with a myriad of useful resources to guide them through the college application process. 

When coming up with a “how to get into Harvard” plan, remember the importance of each Harvard application essay. You won’t gain admission without outstanding Harvard supplemental essays. Reading college essay examples will allow you to see what works. They can serve as vital inspiration when starting your own essays. Check out these Ivy League essay examples as well as these Harvard essay examples. 

Additionally, we provide guides on how to get into your dream school, including this guide on how to get into Harvard. While this Harvard essay guide focuses mainly on your essays, our How to Get Into Harvard guide shows you how to maximize every part of your application to optimize your admissions chances. 

We learned about what Harvard admissions looks for in its applicants, but you might still be curious as to how admissions officers rate your application against the rest. Check out this article that outlines just how admissions at Ivy League universities rate their candidates. Or watch our webinar and learn from Harvard alums what it takes to apply and get into Harvard. 

Harvard Essay- Five Takeaways

Knowing how to get into Harvard — or any of the Ivy League universities — and actually getting in are two entirely different things. However, every Harvard application essay is an opportunity to highlight a new and unique skill, interest, value, or goal. Admissions is looking for outstanding students who are engaged in their communities, passionate about their interests, and motivated to learn. The Harvard supplemental essays are your opportunity to fill in any gaps in your application and put your best foot forward!

5 Key Harvard Essay Takeaways 

1. There are 5 Harvard essay prompts that students need to complete in addition to the Harvard personal statement. 

2. Each Harvard essay is important to your overall application. Choosing the best topic for you is vital. Consider topics that highlight your best and unique qualities. 

3. Be creative yet concise when writing each Harvard application essay. The Harvard supplemental essays have a 150 word limit. So you need to choose your words carefully. However, that doesn’t mean you should cut out descriptive language or skimp on style. 

4. Fully and completely answer each Harvard application essay prompt. Setting the scene with descriptive language or an anecdote is important. However, that doesn’t mean you can use your entire Harvard application essay to do so. Many Harvard supplemental essays have various parts to the prompts. Be sure you have answered them all in each Harvard essay. 

5. Plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to revise and edit each Harvard essay. You want each Harvard application essay to be meaningful, interesting, and mechanically impeccable. Be sure to factor in enough time to revise and edit your Harvard application essay. Ideally, start writing in the summer before you apply!

This article was written by Sarah Kaminski. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.