Lowest GPA that got into Harvard?

I'm just really curious to know: what's the absolute lowest GPA that someone has had and still been accepted to Harvard? I know they say 'holistic admissions,' but how low is too low?

While it's impossible to pinpoint the absolute lowest GPA ever accepted by Harvard, as the school would not release that information out of respect for that student's privacy, Harvard is extremely selective, with an acceptance rate of around 5% and a strong emphasis on academic excellence. Accepted students usually have an unweighted GPA that's right around 4.0.

However, it's essential to remember that Harvard dos evaluate applicants holistically, so they consider many factors beyond GPA, including extracurricular involvement, leadership experience, essays, and letters of recommendation. Additionally, they also pay attention to a student's overall background, and to factors that may have caused that student to have a GPA that doesn't truly reflect their academic abilities.

For example, perhaps a student experienced intense hardship, like the death of their parents or a serious illness, that tanked their GPA, but their resilience and potential for success still comes across clearly in other areas of their application. Or, for a less extreme example, perhaps an international student has a lower GPA by US standards, but comes from a county with a far more demanding academic curriculum in high school.

Overall, while there is no precise GPA cutoff at Harvard, and there may indeed be rare instances where someone with quite a low GPA is accepted, generally speaking students who hope to attend Harvard should shoot as high as possible with their academic achievements.