Online submission of the application for admission is encouraged. If you choose to apply using the paper application, the application for admission and all supporting documents must be submitted in the enclosed envelope to ensure full consideration.

The application for admission, together with all supporting materials, becomes the property of the Graduate School. No materials, except those noted in the section on "Transcripts," will be returned to the applicant nor forwarded to other schools or agencies. All materials related to your application will be filed by your last or family name. It will facilitate our handling of your application if you identify your family name on all correspondence with this office. This is of particular importance for names that do not follow standard English word order. Those who have filed an application to the Graduate School in a previous year should read carefully the information on "Reapplication".

Deadline and Fee Information

Application deadline December 3, 2007, at 5:00 p.m. EST  

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

Application deadline December 7, 2007, 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 14, 2007, at 5:00 p.m. EST

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

Application deadline January 2, 2008, 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 and American Literature and Language
• Germanic Languages and Literatures
• Government
• History of American Civilization
• History of Art and Architecture (Formerly Fine Arts)
• History of Science
• 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
• Religion
• Romance Languages and Literatures
• Sanskrit and Indian Studies
• Slavic Languages and Literatures
• Social Policy
• Sociology

Refer to the list in Program Details for the appropriate department deadline. The application fee is $90. All applications received by the appropriate deadline with the correct application fee are guaranteed full con sid eration. Applications and supporting documentation delivered after the appropriate deadline might not be considered.

It is important that you send all supporting materials in the same envelope. If you are submitting a paper application, use the enclosed envelope. Consideration of your application may be delayed if supporting materials are sent separately. The Graduate School cannot guarantee review of supporting material received after the appropriate deadline.

The only acceptable form of payment for the online application is credit card. If you are submitting a paper application, the fee must accompany the application for admission.

The only acceptable forms of payment for the paper application are:

1. Any domestic (US) check or money order.
2. Foreign checks or money orders if explicitly written in US dollars and if drawn against a corresponding US bank.
3. Any Canadian check or money order if drawn in US dollars.
4. Japanese Postal Money Orders.

Checks and money orders should be made payable to GSAS-Harvard University and must bear the applicant's full name- with family name and program number circled. Please do not send cash. Do not send the application fee separately. The application fee is not refundable.

Selecting a Department and Subject

The term "program" refers to the various departments, divisions, and committees that offer graduate degrees. "Programs, Subjects, Degrees, and Requirements" appears in Program Details. Programs are described in the Degree Programs section of this Website.

When completing the application, consult the list of "Programs, Subjects, Degrees, and Requirements." Locate the department, division, or committee to which you wish to apply, and enter the program number and name on the appropriate line, at the top of the application. Indicate on the "subject" line the subject name and number you wish to study and on the "degree" line, the degree you seek. Note that though most programs accept applications only for study leading to the PhD, a few offer AM degrees.

Consideration by More than One Program - Occasionally, an application may be transferred by the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid to a second department that may be more suitable to the applicant's academic interest. Candidates for admission to member programs in the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences (HILS) may also apply to more than one program (see following section).

The Graduate School does not recommend submission of more than one application. However, if you choose to submit multiple applications (up to a limit of two), the applications may not share any item. Each must have its own transcripts, recommendations, financial data, test scores, etc., and must be accompanied by the correct application fee. If you file more than one application, attach a note to the front page of each, indicating the program numbers and names to which you are applying.

It is Graduate School policy that an individual may submit only one application per program.

It is Graduate School policy that an individual may submit no more than three applications during the course of his or her academic career.

Applying to a Harvard Integrated Life Sciences (HILS) Program

To apply to a Harvard Integrated Life Sciences (HILS) program, students complete and return the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) admissions application by December 7, 2007. HILS students are admitted to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard, and register in one of the 12 life science PhD study areas that are members of the HILS federation.

Ordinarily, students apply to one HILS program, and we strongly recommend this targeted approach. While each program's admission committee makes its admissions decisions independently, the committees also consider each candidate's suitability in adjacent HILS programs as part of their evaluation process, and will transfer files accordingly. You will be notified by the GSAS Admission Office if this occurs.

For candidates who nonetheless wish to formally apply to more than one program, HILS will accommodate the submission of up to three applications to its member programs under a single $90 application fee. Applicants who wish to submit multiple applications must indicate their program choices on the online application form using the specific code numbers listed in the section "Programs, Subjects, Degrees, and Requirements," and, for each program applied to, must complete a separate Statement of Purpose explaining their specific interest in each program. Online submission of the applicaton is encouraged.

If you formally apply to more than one HILS member program using the online application, follow the instructions online to "Apply to more than one program."Using the paper application, complete two (or three) applications and Statements of Purpose, submit one application fee, and submit all applications in the same envelope.

Note that it is the policy of the Graduate School that an individual may submit no more than three applications during the course of his or her academic career. This policy applies to multiple HILS applications, whether or not they are submitted under a single admission fee. If you apply to two HILS PhD programs this admission cycle, for instance, you will be able to apply to just one Harvard PhD program in the future. If you apply to three HILS PhD programs this admission cycle, you will be unable to apply to any other Harvard PhD program in the future.

English Proficiency

Adequate command of spoken and written English is required for admission. Applicants whose native language is other than English and who do not hold a Bachelor degree or its equivalent from an institution at which English is the language of instruction must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), Box 899, Princeton, NJ 08541. When requesting official score reports, be sure to indicate the receiving institution as Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Code 3451. If an "Applicant's Score Confirmation Report" is available, mail it with your application for admission. However, the official institutional score report sent by ETS is still required. A minimum score of 550 on the paper test, 213 on the computer test, and 80 on the Internet test on the TOEFL is required for consideration by the Graduate School; individual departments may require a higher score. Applicants who took the TOEFL more than two years ago must repeat the test. No test other than the TOEFL will be acceptable as proof of English proficiency.

Letters of Recommendation

Submit three letters of recommendation from faculty or others qualified to evaluate your potential for graduate study. The letters must be received by the appropriate deadline of December 3, 7, or 14, 2007; or January 2, 2008. At least one letter should be from a faculty member at the last school you attended as a full-time student unless you have been out of school for more than five years. Substitutions for faculty recommendations may include work associates or others who can comment on your academic potential for graduate work. The Graduate School strongly encourages you to have your recommenders use the online recommendation process. Indicate on the recommendation form whether you are waiving your right to see the letter of recommendation.  If your recommenders are using the paper version of the letter of recommendation, please follow these directions: Recommenders should seal their letters, sign across the seal, and return them to you for inclusion with your application. Recommenders may send letters directly to the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, although doing so might delay the completion of your admission file. If the application deadline is approaching, and you are awaiting letters of recommendation, do not delay submitting your application. Send delayed letters as soon as they are available. GSAS, however, can only guarantee full consideration of applications for which letters are received by the appropriate deadline of December 3, 7, or 14, 2007; or January 2, 2008. Additional copies of the letter of recommendation form can be obtained online.

Graduate Record Examination

The Graduate School requires that applicants present scores of the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Scores from either the computer-based or the traditional paper administration are acceptable. You must take the GRE in sufficient time for score reports to reach us by the application deadline. Many programs also require one of the GRE Subject Tests; requirements are noted in Program Details. 

Make arrangements to register for the tests well before administration dates. Scores should be reported to Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Code 3451. For further information write: Graduate Record Examination, ETS, Box 955, Princeton, NJ 08541.

GRE scores are valid for five years only. Applicants who have not taken the GRE in the last five years and intend to submit scores should take the examinations again. If you have personal score reports available from tests taken within the last five years, include them with your application. However, be sure also to have official institutional score reports sent directly from ETS; only official scores are acceptable.

Transcripts

The Graduate School requires that one official university/college transcript from each university/college attended-bearing the seal of the institution and signature of the registrar or appropriate official-must accompany your application. For admissions purposes, transcripts issued directly to the student, and so marked, are acceptable. Photocopies made by the applicant are not acceptable. If for some reason it is necessary that transcripts be mailed by the institution directly to the Graduate School, make sure that they are sent to the correct Office of Admissions address (see below). An official transcript showing the conferral of the undergraduate degree is required to register in the Graduate School.

Foreign transcripts--records of all courses, seminars, and examinations, including grades, scores, grading scales, and conferrals of degrees--must be in English. If records are not available in English, original records must be submitted with certified English translations. All translations must be literal and complete versions of the original records. Irreplaceable foreign documents will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed envelope large enough to hold the documents. Students from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, and Bangladesh cannot apply for admission until results of their master's degree examinations are available.

The University reserves the right to request additional academic documents.

Abstract of Courses

Although this form may duplicate information available on your transcript(s), it is essential that the admissions committee has available an orderly summary of your courses. The Division of Medical Sciences does not require that you complete this part of the application.

Other Requirements

All applicants are strongly urged to submit a resume or curriculum vitae with their completed application. Please see Program Details for additional requirements of your department.

Summary Form

For applicants submitting the paper application only: The summary form is the key to application materials submitted to the Graduate School. Its thorough and legible completion will allow us to serve you better, particularly when questions arise about your application. Codes for completion of the form appear at the end of this publication.

The address you supply on the summary form is the one at which you will receive your admission decision letter. Please inform us in writing of any address changes.

Papers and Manuscripts

If you submit a paper, manuscript, publication, recording, or other materials in support of your application, print your full name and the program to which you are applying and your US Social Security number on all materials. Since the Graduate School cannot return these materials, applicants are urged to make and keep copies. All materials will be destroyed after admissions decisions are made.

Mailing Application Materials

If you are using the paper application, all other materials related to your application (i.e., application for admission, application fee, transcript(s), recommendations, etc.) should be mailed in the enclosed envelope to:

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Harvard University
Office of Admissions
P.O. Box 9129
Cambridge, MA 02238-9129

Do not mail any application materials directly to the department to which you are applying,
except for specific requests detailed in Program Details.

Please note: The Graduate School does not return any portion of the admission application and supporting documents with the possible exception of certain foreign transcripts.

The Graduate School cannot acknowledge receipt of material received after the appropriate deadline.

Questions?

If you have questions about your application, or if problems arise when completing it, you may call for assistance. We are unable to accept collect calls.

There are two telephone numbers available for your use: one for questions that pertain to your application for admission and all supporting documents, and another for questions that pertain to your application for financial aid. Please be sure to use the appropriate number for your question.

The telephone numbers and hours of operation are:

Questions on the application for admission:
617-496-6100
(Please call between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday.)
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Questions on the application for financial aid:
617-495-5396
(Please call between 2:00 p.m. and
5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday.)

Questions for the Minority Recruitment and Student Programming Officer:
617-495-5315
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If you write, be sure to include the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) in the address.

Please note: Harvard University is closed December 21, 2007, through January 1, 2008.