• Harvard’s Pre-College Program is designed for mature, academically motivated students who are interested in exploring a potential major or simply finding out what college is really like.

• The Pre-College Program is open to rising juniors and seniors. 

To be eligible for Summer 2025, you must meet both of the following criteria:

• Will graduate from high school and enter college in 2026 or 2027.

• Are at least 16 years old by June 21, 2025, and will not turn 19 years old before July 31, 2025.

Application Opens Monday, December 2, 2024

• Early Application and Priority Financial Aid Deadline — Wednesday, January 8, 2025

• Regular Application and Financial Aid Deadline — Wednesday, February 14, 2025

• Late Application Deadline — Wednesday, April 9, 2025

• 2025 Session I
  June 22-July 3, 2025

• 2025 Session II
  July 6-18, 2025

• 2025 Session III
  July 20-August 1, 2025

Complete an online application and provide supplemental materials, including:

• Fee: $75 nonrefundable application fee

• Counselor report: You can request a link be sent to your counselor in the application. 

• Transcripts from 9th grade to fall 2023 grades: This can include progress reports, report cards, and educational summaries from your high school

• Rules and Media Release online form: A link be sent to your parent or legal guardian in the application to sign the Media Release online form. 

• If English is not your native language, submit scores from the TOEFL iBT, IELTS, or Duolingo language proficiency exam along with your application.

The total cost for a Harvard Pre-College Program session in 2025 is $5,800. The cost of the program includes tuition, room and meal plan, the program fee, and an accident and sickness insurance plan for the full two weeks.

Financial Aid: A limited number of scholarships are available to assist students who demonstrate financial need. Awards vary based on need, and a typical award covers a portion of the tuition. If needed, we encourage you to seek other sources of funding as well.

• To be eligible as a student, you must be either a U.S. citizen or permanent resident OR granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status.

• You must complete the application and other requirements on time.

• The financial aid application for need-based scholarship is located within the program application portal.

• With almost 30 courses to choose from in each session, you’re sure to find a topic that piques your interest among the courses offered to Pre-College Program students.

• You take one course during a session, and although courses are non-credit and do not have letter grades, they are rigorous.

• At the end of the program, you’ll receive a written evaluation from your instructor, as well as a Harvard transcript with a grade of AR or NM (“requirements met” or “requirements not met”). This is a great way to supplement your college application. 

• Please note: You need to attend every class in its entirety to receive a passing grade of “Met All Requirements.”

Courses (list may be modified, check with program website)

• Speech, Writing and Literature

• Psychology, Medicine, and Public Health

• Law, Politics, Philosophy, and History

• Business and Leadership

• Race, Gender, and Ethics

• Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM)

• Use a desktop or laptop when completing your application. You will be asked to write short essays as part of your application. This may be challenging to do on a mobile phone. Therefore, we advise using a desktop or laptop computer to complete your application.

• Walk through the application – this video provides guidance on how to fill out the application. 

• Watch your inbox — you’ll receive an email prompting you to log in to check your application status after you’ve completed your application.