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Are you in the process of applying to college and are looking at applying to Harvard College? This post is here to give you Harvard's essay prompts so you can start planning and writing your essays. Remember each question should be answered in a maximum of 200 words.
Harvard College Essay Prompts
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? (200 words)
In this topic, you should talk about some experiences in your life that will make you stand out against the other applicants. You should choose to highlight an experience that has helped you grow as a person that will help you outline how you will make a positive contribution towards the Harvard community. For example, how did any leadership experiences or hardships help you develop your skills?
Tell a story about a formative experience and link the lessons learned to your future impact on diversity at Harvard.
Consider your past community experiences and how they have moulded you.
Project how these experiences will shape your role at Harvard, such as applying leadership skills from past activities to new endeavours on campus.
Show deep reflection on your personal growth and how it will inform your Harvard experience.
Briefly describe an intellectual experience that was important to you. (200 words)
In this topic, you should highlight any experiences that fueled your interest in learning. For example, did you take any summer courses, seminars or workshops on a topic that interests you? This is a chance to show the admissions officer that you are passionate about learning and are eager to enter the Harvard community.
Harvard seeks students enthusiastic about learning, so share an exciting recent learning experience.
Include an in-depth discussion of something that interests you, such as attending a seminar with a professor whose research you care about or participating in courses that helped develop your skills in the field of study you are applying to.
Reflect on how this experience fueled your passion for knowledge and its impact on your overall growth as a person.
Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are. (200 words)
In this topic, the admissions officer wants to see who you are as a person outside of academics, as it is important to be a well-balanced applicant. You should focus on 1-2 activities to allow for a more in-depth discussion of how these have helped you gain skills and grow as a person.
Choose an activity that hasn't been extensively discussed in other parts of your application, but it can be from your resume.
Select an activity that has been fundamental to your personal growth and understanding of yourself.
Describe how this activity has shaped you, such as how a trip abroad expanded your worldview or how family responsibilities enhanced your time management and multitasking skills.
How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future? (200 words)
In this topic, you should describe why you think Harvard is a good educational institute for helping propel your future career. The rest of your application already has information about your past grades, extracurricular activities, etc. so this is a chance for you to tell the admissions officer how you plan to use your Harvard education to shape your future. Explain how attending Harvard will help you achieve your goals. You should make sure to identify any research groups or faculty whose work you find interesting as this shows that you have carefully considered the benefits of attending Harvard.
Reflect on why Harvard is the next step in your life's trajectory.
Consider your long-term goals in the next 10-20 years and how Harvard fits into that vision.
Show how a Harvard education is crucial for your future success.
Mention specific Harvard programs, activities, or organizations that align with your goals.
Demonstrate that you have thoroughly considered your post-graduation plans and how Harvard plays a role in them.
What are the top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you? (200 words)
In this topic, the admissions officer wants to know about you outside of an academic setting and how you interact socially with your peers. This is an important chance to show your people skills as well as highlight a few good points about yourself that show the admissions officer that you will be able to integrate well into the Harvard social network and get along well with your peers.
Begin by brainstorming a list of interesting facts about yourself.
Select three items from your list to focus on so that you have enough words to describe each trait
Create a narrative that gives admissions a glimpse of your personality and what it would be like to live with you.
Highlight how you connect with others, what excites you about residential life, and what unique traits define you.
We hope this helps you get started on choosing a topic and writing your essays, good luck!
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