| Applying to Harvard College |
| Thank you for your interest in Harvard College. We are pleased to provide some links to help you. The Harvard Club of Japan, however, has no direct involvement in the application process beyond this preliminary information so that people interested in applying can understand and research on their own. The HCJ Secondary Schools Committee also arranges interviews for prospective candidates with alumni after we receive from the admissions office the names of those who have begun the admissions process.
We encourage and invite applicants to take the time to investigate thoroughly resources on the web in specific to understand how Harvardfs offering may match to their needs. The following resources represent the Colleges official information sources, and should be checked directly, regardless of the information provided here, especially regarding the application schedule. The first link contains information particularly targeted to applicants from abroad: |
| http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/prospective/applying/international/index.html |
| http://www.harvard.edu/admissions/ |
| It is important to research carefully. For example regarding Financial Aid, the first and most important point is that all of Harvardfs admissions decisions are made on a need-blind basis, even for international applicants. That means that the Harvard admissions committee will admit the best candidate regardless of whether or not he or she is an aid applicant and regardless of the amount of aid the student needs to attend. Harvard will also meet the full need of all admitted students, including non-U.S. citizens. For financial information please check: |
| http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/prospective/applying/international/financial_aid/index.html |
| Is Harvard right for you? |
| Applicants abroad will have heard of Harvard, but they may not have any idea of what Harvard is really like. Many will have little (or incorrect) knowledge about the application procedure, the selection process or the standards for admissions; an even greater number may not understand Harvardfs programs of study or about a liberal arts education in the U.S. Once again as there is so much information available to learn about Harvard, we thoroughly encourage you to visit the following sites: |
| http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/prospective/links/index.html |
| http://www.college.harvard.edu/ |
| A good number of international students come from an educational system where producing excellent results on the national leaving exams is sufficient for entry into the best colleges. They may not understand that in Harvard's selection process other factors, such as those listed below, are just as important as their excellent tested results. |
 Outstanding intellectual ability.
Rank in Class.
Unusual attractiveness of personality.
Outstanding capacity for leadership.
Creative ability in literature, music, or the arts.
Athletic ability.
Geographic, ethnic and economic distribution
Maturity and strength of motivation for a liberal education. |
| College Board or ACT Scores |
| College Board or ACT Scores. Most successful candidates achieve SAT I and SAT II: Subject Tests scores in the range of 650 to 800. It is the candidatefs responsibility to refer to the official Harvard admissions websites or information to find out about specific test requirements. |
| English proficiency |
| A strong knowledge of the English language is essential for successful study at Harvard. A student from abroad must be able to understand the rapid, idiomatic English used in lectures and class discussions. Each student must have the ability to express thoughts quickly and clearly in both spoken and written English and must be able to read the language with ease. The quantity and quality of academic work required at Harvard cannot be accomplished without such mastery of the English language, and this mastery must be achieved before the student enrolls. Students whose native language is not English should document their level of English proficiency. They should take the Writing Test (in English) as one of their three SAT II: Subject Tests, if at all possible. |
| TOEFL |
Because changes in the administration of the TOEFL have made the test more expensive and less accessible, Harvard does not require TOEFL results from our candidates. The computer-based TOEFL is scored on a scale of 40-300. A score of 250 on the computer-based test is approximately the equivalent of a 600 on the scale used on the paper-based test. TOEFL scores at or above this level usually indicate sufficient English ability.
Harvard would also like to see the results of any other English language proficiency testing that candidates have available. Writing samples included in the application will also be considered important. |
| Thank you once again. We hope this preliminary information can be of benefit to your desire to find out more about Harvard College. |
Thank you.
HCJ |
