Getting into Harvard is an extremely competitive process. With acceptance rates below 5%, Harvard rejects thousands of applicants, including many with perfect grades and test scores. While grades and test scores are important factors, they are not the only criteria Harvard uses to evaluate applicants. Exceptional achievements, recommendations, essays, and interviews also play a major role. There is no explicit minimum GPA or test score, but accepted students generally have outstanding academic records.
Average GPAs and Test Scores of Accepted Harvard Students
While there is no explicit GPA cutoff, Harvard only accepts students in the top of their class academically. The middle 50% of admitted students tend to have GPAs between 3.8 and 4.0 on a 4.0 scale. Nearly all accepted students rank in the top 10% of their graduating class. Harvard also does not have an explicit minimum SAT or ACT score requirement. However, the middle 50% of admitted students tend to score between 1460-1570 on the SAT or between 33-35 on the ACT.
In recent classes, the average admitted Harvard student had the following academic qualifications:
| Academic Qualification | Average for Admitted Students |
|---|---|
| High School GPA | 3.9 (unweighted) |
| SAT Middle 50% Scores | 1460-1570 |
| ACT Middle 50% Scores | 33-35 |
These averages can provide a benchmark, but there are always exceptions. Some students with slightly lower grades or test scores than these ranges still get accepted to Harvard each year.
What is the Lowest GPA to Get Into Harvard?
While Harvard does not publish an explicit minimum GPA requirement, looking at actual accepted students can provide guidance on the lowest GPAs. In recent Harvard classes:
- The lowest GPA for admitted students was around 3.7 unweighted (approximately 3.9 weighted).
- The bottom quarter of accepted students had GPAs between 3.7 and 3.9 unweighted.
- Less than 5% of admitted students had GPAs below 3.8 unweighted.
These statistics indicate it is exceptionally rare for a student with below a 3.7 GPA to be accepted to Harvard. However, grades are considered in the context of a student’s high school and opportunities available. A rural public school valedictorian with a 3.7 could potentially still be admitted if other parts of their application were compelling enough.
What is the Lowest SAT Score to Get Into Harvard?
Similar to GPA, Harvard does not publish an official minimum SAT or ACT score. But looking at actual accepted students provides guidance on lowest scores:
- The lowest SAT score for an admitted Harvard student is around 1350.
- The bottom quarter of accepted students had SAT scores between 1350 and 1460.
- Less than 5% of accepted students had SAT scores below 1400.
Again, these statistics indicate it would be highly exceptional for a student with an SAT score below 1350 to be accepted. But outstanding achievements in other areas could potentially outweigh a lower test score for some applicants.
What is the Lowest ACT Score to Get Into Harvard?
For the ACT, the lowest scores among admitted Harvard students are:
- The lowest ACT score was around 29 composite.
- The bottom quarter of accepted students scored between 29 and 33 on the ACT.
- Less than 5% of accepted ACT takers scored below 31.
As with other academic criteria, an exceptionally strong applicant on other dimensions could potentially overcome an ACT score below Harvard’s normal range. But it would be very rare for a student with below a 29 ACT to be admitted.
What Other Factors Does Harvard Consider Besides Grades?
Due to the extremely competitive nature of Harvard admissions, grades and test scores alone are not enough to guarantee admission. Harvard conducts a holistic review looking at many aspects of each applicant, including:
- Extracurricular Activities: Harvard seeks students who show dedication, leadership, and initiative in activities outside the classroom. Strong involvement in a few meaningful activities is better than unfocused participation in many clubs.
- Athletic Recruitment: Being recruited to play varsity sports at Harvard can be a significant boost to an application. Around 15% of each class are recruited athletes.
- Essays: The personal essays in the application provide an opportunity to bring your personality and background to life. Harvard essay prompts are very open-ended to allow creative responses.
- Recommendations: Strong letters of recommendation from teachers who can speak to your abilities and character are important. Having a recommendation from someone prestigious can help.
- Interviews: Harvard offers alumni interviews as an optional part of the process. Performance in the interview and alumni endorsement can strengthen an application.
- Class Rank: Being near the very top of your graduating class percentiles demonstrates academic excellence in the context of your high school.
Having spikes of achievement in these areas can help compensate for weaknesses like lower grades. Students with compelling stories and interests tend to have the most success in Harvard admissions.
Does Harvard Do Super Scoring for SAT/ACT Tests?
Yes, Harvard superscores both the SAT and ACT. This means they will take the highest individual section scores across all test dates to calculate a new composite score. So you do not need to achieve your highest total score on a single test date. Superscoring allows students to showcase their best performance on each section across multiple attempts.
SAT Superscoring
For the SAT, Harvard will superscore by taking your highest Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section score and your highest Math section score to create a new total. For example:
| SAT Attempt | ERW Score | Math Score | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attempt 1 | 680 | 740 | 1420 |
| Attempt 2 | 730 | 700 | 1430 |
Your superscore would be 730 ERW + 740 Math = 1470 total.
ACT Superscoring
For the ACT, Harvard superscores by taking your highest individual section scores across test dates: English, Math, Reading, Science. For example:
| ACT Attempt | English | Math | Reading | Science | Composite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attempt 1 | 31 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 |
| Attempt 2 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 26 | 31 |
Your superscore would be 32 English + 31 Math + 33 Reading + 29 Science = 35 composite.
Conclusion
While there are no absolute cutoffs, successful Harvard applicants typically have GPAs over 3.7 and SAT scores over 1300 or ACT scores over 29. However, outstanding achievements in other areas like essays, extracurricular activities, and recommendations can sometimes outweigh lower grades or test scores. Every applicant is reviewed holistically, so there are always exceptions to the averages. But in general, the lowest GPA to get into Harvard is around 3.7 unweighted, the lowest SAT is around 1350, and the lowest ACT is around 29 composite.