Hey everyone, I'm a high school junior looking into potential colleges and Harvard is one of my dream schools. I've heard it's extremely competitive, but I'm curious about the full-ride opportunities available there. Does Harvard even offer full-ride scholarships, or are they more focused on need-based aid? If anyone has experience with this or knows about the financial aid process at Harvard, I'd love to hear from you. Tips on maximizing my chances would be great too!
Harvard College is one of the many colleges that practices need-blind admissions and guarantees to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students. This means that your ability to pay does not influence your chances of admission, and if you’re accepted, Harvard pledges to provide enough aid to cover your financial needs.
While Harvard does not offer merit-based scholarships, it does have a very robust need-based financial aid program. The financial aid at Harvard is solely based on need, and it's quite generous. For instance, families who earn less than $85,000 per year pay nothing towards the cost of attendance. Families who earn between $85,000 and $150,000 per year will pay between 0 and 10% of their annual income.
In terms of maximizing your financial aid, the best thing you can do is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile accurately. These are used to determine your financial need, and inaccuracies can potentially hurt your aid package.
Additionally, it's worth noting that even if you don't qualify for a lot of aid from Harvard, outside scholarships can help you pay for your education. You're allowed to use outside funds up to the total cost of attendance, and any scholarships that exceed your student contribution or work expectation will reduce your summer saving expectation, term-time job expectation, and possibly student asset assessment.
Remember that Harvard is extremely competitive academically, so you should focus on maintaining a strong GPA, pursuing rigorous coursework (like AP or IB classes), getting high SAT or ACT scores, showcasing your passion and leadership through extracurricular activities, and crafting a compelling personal essay that tells your unique story. Good luck!
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