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Application Checklist and Answers to Most Commonly Asked Questions

The following information is most frequently overlooked by prospective students when filling out their applications. In order to process your application as quickly as possible, we suggest that you use this as a checklist before mailing your paper application or submitting your online application. If you would like more detailed information, please refer to the appropriate section of the website.

Application Deadline and Fee Information

The Graduate School has four application deadlines. Online applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. EST on the appropriate deadline date.

Application deadline December 3, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. EST

• Business Economics
• Organizational Behavior
• Science, Technology, and Management

Application deadline December 8, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. EST

• Biological Sciences in Dental Medicine*
• Biological Sciences in Public Health*
• Biology: Medical Sciences*
• Biology, Molecular and Cellular*
• Biology, Organismic and Evolutionary*
• Biophysics*
• Chemical Biology*
• Chemical Physics
• Chemistry and Chemical Biology*
• Systems Biology*

* Participating programs in Harvard Integrated Life Sciences (HILS)

Application deadline December 15, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. EST

• Astronomy
• Biostatistics
• East Asian Languages and Civilizations
• Engineering and Applied Sciences (preferred deadline)
• Forestry
• Government
• Health Policy
• History
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Psychology
• Religion
• Statistics

Application deadline December 31, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. EST

• African and African American Studies
• Anthropology
• Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning
• Celtic Languages and Literatures
• Classics
• Comparative Literature
• Earth and Planetary Sciences
• Economics
• Engineering and Applied Sciences (final deadline)
• English
• Film and Visual Studies
• Germanic Languages and Literatures
• History of American Civilization
• History of Art and Architecture
• History of Science
• Human Evolutionary Biology
• Inner Asian and Altaic Studies
• Linguistics
• Middle Eastern Studies
• Music
• Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
• Philosophy
• Political Economy and Government
• Regional Studies - East Asia
• Regional Studies - Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia
• Romance Languages and Literatures
• Sanskrit and Indian Studies
• Slavic Languages and Literatures
• Social Policy
• Sociology

Contact the Kennedy School for deadline information

• Public Policy - Applications for admission to the Committee on Public Policy should be requested from and returned to: Public Policy Committee, Kennedy School of Government, 79 J.F. Kennedy Street, L117, Cambridge, MA 02138.

The application fee is $105. The application fee must accompany the application. No application will be processed without the application fee. Do not send the fee separately. The online application fee must be paid by credit card.

Statement of Financial Resources

• To be filled out by most applicants. Please refer to Program Details for particular department requirements.
• Fill out this form as accurately as you can.
• Complete the entire form (where applicable, use 00's).
• If you are NOT applying for financial aid, you must be able to prove that you have sufficient assured resources for the fi rst two years at GSAS. The total minimum resources needed to cover educational and living expenses for the following academic years are:

2010-2011 - $55,339

2011-2012 - $57,552

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

The GRE General test is required by all departments. The GRE code for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is 3451. Some programs allow the GMAT to substitute, see Program Details. The GMAT code for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is HRL-X8-30. Be sure to take the GRE Subject test if it is required by the department to which you are applying. You should take the GRE or GMAT in sufficient time for your score report to arrive by the application deadline.

Minority Students

The GSAS actively encourages applications from qualified students from ethnic groups historically underrepresented in graduate schools. These groups include Native Americans, Black/African Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Mexican Americans. Please contact the Minority Recruitment and Student Programming Officer ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) to receive information on the application process, financial aid, and minority graduate student life.

Applicants Submitting More Than One Application

Each application must have its own transcripts, recommendations, financial data, test scores, etc. If you mail materials to the Graduate School, be sure to have all materials labeled. An application fee must accompany each application (unless you are applying to a program particiating in HILS See: applying to a Harvard Integrated Life Sciences (HILS) program)

Required Financial Aid Forms

The Statement of Financial Resources for graduate study is required, except for applicants to the following departments: Astronomy; Biological Sciences in Dental Medicine; Biological Sciences in Public Health; Biology: Medical Sciences; Biophysics; Biostatistics; Business Economics; Chemical Biology; Chemical Physics; Chemistry and Chemical Biology; Earth and Planetary Sciences; Science, Technology and Management; Organizational Behavior; Physics; Systems Biology; and for the PhD in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. If you have questions regarding the completion of your application, you may call our office at 617-496-6100 between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time), or you may contact us via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Current and former GSAS students should direct questions to the financial aid office directly at 617-495-5396.