Admissions
‘Last One Standing’: William R. Fitzsimmons ’67, the Keeper of Harvard’s Gates
William R. Fitzsimmons ’67, Harvard College Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, served for decades as chief architect of Harvard’s admissions program — including through Harvard’s turmoil in court.
Harvard College Yield Rises Even After Tumultuous Year, Admissions Dean Says
Over 84 percent of Harvard College’s admitted Class of 2028 will be enrolling, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67 announced in his Class Day address to the Class of 2024.
‘Unconventional’ Harvard 2024 Class Day Speakers Promote Optimism, Kindness
Thousands of Harvard College graduates and their families flocked to Harvard Yard to celebrate Class Day 2024 on Wednesday.
‘A’ Game: How Harvard Recruits its Student-Athletes
While some have raised concerns about Harvard’s ability to recruit top athletes without name, image, and likeness collectives, others have begun to ask a larger question: should Harvard be recruiting at all?
Live Updates: Harvard’s Class Days
The Harvard Corporation rejected an effort from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to confer degrees on 13 seniors who were suspended or placed on probation for their involvement in the pro-Palestine encampment of Harvard Yard amid the University’s Class Day celebrations.
Admissions Dean, Securitas Guard To Address 2024 Grads After Other Speakers Turn Harvard Down
The Senior Class Committee wanted Barack Obama or Drake to speak at Class Day this year, but the Harvard Alumni Association said they had Class Day speakers at home.
‘Out of the Blue’: Students and Counselors Share Mixed Reactions to Harvard’s Return to Test-Required Policy
Following Harvard’s decision earlier this month to reinstate standardized testing requirements for the Class of 2029, students, experts, and counselors said applicants and their advisers will need to make quick adjustments for the new policy.
‘Home for the Next 4 Years’: Admitted Students Experience Harvard at Visitas 2024
More than 1,300 admitted students flocked to campus for Visitas — Harvard’s two-day admitted students event — this past weekend.
In Sudden Reversal, Harvard To Require Standardized Testing for Next Admissions Cycle
Harvard will reinstate its standardized testing requirement in admissions beginning with the Class of 2029, a surprise reversal that could leave some students scrambling ahead of fall’s application deadlines.
‘Still Doesn’t Feel Real’: Class of 2028 Reacts to Harvard Acceptance
When Eric Li, a senior at Deerfield Academy, opened his Harvard admissions decision, he jumped up, screamed with his friends – and, in the excitement, broke his glasses. Still, Li said, it was all worth it.
In Year of Crisis, Harvard Admissions Has Resilient Showing
Harvard emerged mostly unscathed from its first application cycle since the fall of affirmative action, silencing critics who speculated the University’s recent controversies would deter students from applying to the College.
After Fall Turmoil, Harvard Admissions Dean Says He Is Happy With Application Numbers
After Harvard was rocked by nonstop controversy last semester, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67 said his office was heartened to see that application numbers remained consistent.
Harvard Accepts 3.59% of Applicants to Class of 2028
Harvard College accepted 3.59 percent of applicants to its Class of 2028 — the highest acceptance rate in four years.
Harvard Professors Discuss Affirmative Action, Legacy Admissions at IOP Forum
Ahead of Ivy Day on March 28, a two-professor panel discussed the impact of legacy admissions and the fall of affirmative action on admissions at elite colleges during a Tuesday forum at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics.
Class of 2028 Results Will Offer the First Clues About Harvard’s Post-Affirmative Action Admissions
When Harvard College admits the Class of 2028 on Thursday, the admissions data released by the College might raise more questions than it answers about whether the fall of affirmative action and a prolonged crisis stemming from the University’s response to the Oct. 7 attack on Israel have changed Harvard’s appeal to prospective students.
College Dean Khurana Says He Hopes Class of 2028 Attends Harvard Despite Controversies
Nine days before Harvard College is expected to release its regular decision admissions results, Dean Rakesh Khurana said he hopes the University’s recent controversies surrounding campus antisemitism will not deter applicants from attending Harvard.
As Peer Schools Ditch Test-Optional, FAS Dean Says Harvard Is in No Rush
As its Ivy League peers return to requiring standardized testing, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra said Harvard is still “in the midst of analyzing” the effectiveness of its test-optional admission policy.
Harvard GSAS Sees 8% Increase in Applications for 2024
The Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences received 25,239 applications during its 2024 cycle, a 15 percent increase from last year that suggests the University’s leadership crisis and allegations of antisemitism on campus has not deterred prospective graduate students from applying.
Former University President Derek Bok Says Harvard Should End Legacy Admissions
Former Harvard President Derek C. Bok said top American universities like Harvard should end legacy admissions preferences in remarks to the Financial Times on Monday.
As Peer Schools Leave Test-Optional Behind, Is Harvard Next?
After recent decisions from Yale and Dartmouth to bring back standardized testing requirements, admissions experts are divided if Harvard will follow suit.
Marsh USA Files to Dismiss Harvard Lawsuit Regarding SFFA Legal Fees
Insurance broker Marsh USA asked the federal District Court of Massachusetts to dismiss its liability for up to $15 million in legal fees, according to filings made last month.
‘Throwing Away Information’: Harvard’s Test Optional Policies Face Expert Criticism
As Harvard College prepares to admit its fourth straight class without requiring applicants to submit test scores, questions — and criticisms — surrounding test-optional admissions policies continue to mount.
Ten Stories That Shaped 2023
In 2023, Harvard had a tumultuous year. Claudine Gay’s first semester ended amid a leadership crisis as she came under fire for her response to tensions on a campus divided by the Israel-Hamas war and faced allegations of plagiarism. Harvard’s legacy and donor preferences in admissions also faced national scrutiny following the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling striking down the University’s affirmative action policy. Across campus, scandal after scandal hit parts of the University. Here, The Crimson looks back at the 10 stories that shaped 2023 at Harvard.
‘Politically Motivated’: Experts Weigh in on Harvard Decision to Not Report Racial Composition of Early Action Admits
Harvard did not report the racial and ethnic composition of students admitted in the early application cycle for the Class of 2028, a move seen by experts as an attempt by the University to avoid potential litigation from anti-affirmative action groups.
Harvard Admissions Dean Discussed Changes to Application Process, in First Interview Since SCOTUS Decision
Harvard Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67 said the admissions office will not decide the future of legacy preference in admissions in an interview Thursday.