The Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is a bit of a mouthful. However, simply, it is the engineering school at Harvard. Much like the rest of the Cambridge-based Ivy League, Paulson is very competitive to get into. If you hope to attend Harvard Engineering, you must be a top student.
While Harvard has an engineering school, it is set up a little differently than engineering schools at other colleges. The biggest difference is that undergraduates do not apply directly to Paulson. Rather, applicants apply to Harvard’s Arts & Sciences program and declare their engineering major once there. This means whether you are coming in as a hopeful Engineering, Econ, or East Asian Studies major, you need to be a Harvard-level applicant. Make no mistake, it is hard to be a Harvard-level applicant. Last year, their acceptance rate was only around making it one of the most competitive rates out there. If you are serious about Harvard, you must be an outstanding applicant. Let’s break down some tips to do just that.
Get the Grades
You need to have perfect or near-perfect grades to get into Harvard. If you don’t have a 4.0 unweighted GPA (or very close to it), getting into Harvard might just not be for you. We know this is harsh. Perfection is a lot to ask for… but, c’mon kiddos, it’s Harvard. You know this.
Over 70% of admitted students last year had a 4.0 unweighted GPA. That is what you need to be shooting for. But more than that, you need to take as many challenging courses as possible. Last year, the average accepted weighted GPA was 4.21. This means you must be taking honors, IB, accelerated, AP, or dual enrollment classes and doing well in them. If you are coming in as a hopeful engineering major, you should especially challenge yourself in your STEM classes. Take the highest level of math and science you can while still getting an excellent grade. This is the bare minimum.
Starting for the Fall 2025 application cycle, Harvard is no longer test-optional. This means you will also have to submit impressive test scores on top of your standout transcript. Last year, only around 73% submitted test scores, so take these numbers with a grain of salt, but the 50th percentile of admitted students was a 1550 on the SAT (with a 790 on math) or a 35 on the ACT. The 75th percentile in SAT math was 800 or 36 on the SAT. That means over 25% of the people who submitted scores had perfect ones in math. You want to be shooting for something similar (or better when applicable). Again, we know this is a lot to ask for, but you need it for Harvard.
Build a Niche
It should be immediately clear from your application what you hope to study. It isn’t just saying, “I want to be an engineer.” First, “engineer” is a little vague. There is a big difference between electrical engineering and biomedical engineering. You want your interests to be as specific as possible. Second, your resume needs to back it up. Having well-defined and demonstrated academic interests is what we call your academic niche. You need an academic niche to even get on Harvard’s radar as an applicant. But how do you build one? We are glad you asked.
Courses and Reading
To define your academic niche, you will need to learn everything you can. The more you know about the field of engineering, the better. We highly recommend starting with books. Before you ask, yes, there are books about engineering. You don’t need to be an English major to read. Honestly, many young people don’t read books outside of class. The simple act of reading a book will make you better at writing and talking about your academic interests and sets you apart from other students (since so many don’t.) You need to show academic curiosity outside of class, and truly, reading is step 1. You can supplement your reading list with podcasts, journals, etc., but there needs to be books on it.
We also recommend signing up for some online classes. Many colleges and universities offer pre-tapped (often free) courses through resources like Coursera. You can also look for summer programs at universities and local community colleges. You should take a class or two. It is a great way to learn more and explore. We love it when students take the initiative to learn outside of school.
School Extracurriculars
School clubs can help you establish your academic niche. You want to specifically look for clubs that relate to what you want to study. Popular clubs for engineers often include robotics teams, science olympiads, mathletes, STEM tutoring clubs, solar car teams, computer science societies, etc. See what your school offers when it comes to STEM extracurriculars. If your school doesn’t offer much, talk to your administration about starting your own club.
One note here: signing up for clubs is not nearly enough for Harvard. You need to commit to your activities. That means spending time and effort on them. You also want to take on leadership roles and responsibilities in these clubs. Ideally, you should be on the board of a high-commitment club or two that connect directly to your academic niche. You want your robotics team to win regionals, not just meet once a month for an hour.
Out of School Extracurriculars
You need to maximize the impact of your summers. While you can also do out-of-school extracurriculars during the school year, you need to have impressive and strategic summers. This means research, academic summer programs, and internships. There are other great out-of-school extracurriculars as well, but most Harvard-level applicants will also have some mix of these three during their summers. Just like your in-school activities, your summer activities need to connect to your academic niche. If you don’t know what makes a great summer, we can help. Trust us, you need to pack your summers with impressive internships and research if you are looking at Harvard. We help students plan impactful summers. Make sure your resume is working for you.
Build Something Cool
This is where you’re going to truly differentiate yourself. You have to show off your skills by building something. And it has to be specific. By this point, you’ve narrowed your niche. These are sometimes called “capstone projects.” Crystallize what you already know, or better yet, challenge yourself to learn some new skills. We have worked with students who have built computers, drones, solar panels, apps, and more. Figure out what you want to make and go for it! Also, let us know if you want help. We’re moving through this very quickly, but this is hard stuff.
Apply Early
Harvard hasn’t released their Early Action acceptance rate in several years, but in the past, it has been slightly higher than the overall acceptance rate. TBH, even if it wasn’t higher, we would still recommend applying early. It shows that you are serious about Harvard. For qualified applicants, this helps. Applying early needs to be a part of your admissions plan.
It is hard to get into Harvard, but following these steps will help. You need to go above and beyond to be a great candidate, but if that sounds too hard, we can help. Whether you are a rising freshman or a rising senior, it is never too early to start planning for college, especially if you have your sights set on Harvard.
Contact us today to speak with a dedicated counselor!