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Last Updated: September 10, 8:12pm
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Each year, we accept a small group of exceptional students to transfer to Harvard College from other similar liberal arts programs. U.S. Military veterans may be particularly interested in our transfer program if they've completed at least one full academic year, and not more than two, of college coursework.
Yes. All transfer applicants, including international students, are eligible to apply for need-based financial aid. Transfer applicants should follow the prospective student financial aid application instructions.
Enrolling students take part in a fall orientation program and are connected with a dedicated transfer adviser who helps with academic planning and the transition to Harvard life. Transfer students who live on-campus will find strong community in their undergraduate Houses, and students who live off campus will benefit from the Dudley Community. Transfer students are also supported by peer advisers, who were themselves transfer students from prior years.
The Harvard College Registrar's Office grants credit for work done at another college or university to each admitted transfer student on an individual basis after careful evaluation. The admissions office does not keep a list of transferrable courses and cannot advise on this matter during the application process. Harvard College typically accepts courses taken while enrolled as a full-time student in an undergraduate program similar to our liberal arts curriculum. The Committee also looks for strong preparation in the student's expected field of specialization.
While you can take courses related to these fields, Harvard's academic programs are not pre-professional, in that they do not provide vocational training. Many Harvard graduates plan to continue their education in professional or graduate schools, often in these fields. Please note that both medicine and law are postgraduate programs in the United States. If you are not a U.S. citizen but wish to continue your education in a professional program, particularly in an American medical school, we advise you to consult specific graduate and professional programs in advance to understand those schools' admissions and financial aid policies concerning international students.
The application process and requirements are exactly the same for international students. Our financial aid program also applies to all applicants regardless of nationality or citizenship. For more information, you can view all of the transfer application requirements here.
Each fall, we welcome a very small number (12 on average) of transfer students to Harvard College. We seek students whose previous academic experience will prepare them to flourish in our rigorous and rewarding liberal arts program. In our candidates for transfer admission, we look for:
Recently, we have received more than 1,500 transfer applications per year. In pools of this size, the number of well-qualified applicants far exceeded the number of students admitted and enrolled each year as transfer students. As admission to transfer to Harvard is competitive, we encourage you to explore a variety of colleges in your transfer search.
To be eligible to transfer, you must have completed at least one continuous academic year in a full-time degree program at one college, and not more than two academic years, by the time you would be enrolling at Harvard . You must complete at least two full years of study at Harvard. Once a student has completed more than two years total of college at another institution, regardless of courses taken, that student is no longer eligible for transfer admission.
Students are eligible to transfer only from a liberal arts curriculum that is similar to Harvard’s. Candidates whose education has been in a vocational, professional, technical, online, extension, or performance program will not ordinarily qualify for transfer admission.
If you are too advanced in your studies to qualify for transfer, you may be interested in the Visiting Undergraduate Student Program.
No student with a bachelor's degree or other first university degree from any other university, whether American or foreign, is eligible for admission to Harvard College. Students interested in continuing their studies beyond the bachelor's degree might wish to consider one of the 12 Harvard University graduate schools. The Harvard College Admissions Office is independent of these schools and their admissions policies.
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Through our admissions process, we strive to give you ample opportunities to best demonstrate your interests and accomplishments. We welcome candidates who have gone directly from high school into college as well as those who have followed less traditional paths.
The Admissions Committee looks for achievement in a rigorous program of study, especially in your expected field of specialization. Beyond strong grades, test scores, and recommendations, the Committee considers other non-academic factors such as significant extracurricular engagements and talents. We also consider an applicant’s personal qualities such as a capacity for leadership, creativity, resiliency, intellectual curiosity, and independent thinking.
In addition to our standard application materials, you may submit supplementary materials showcasing exceptional or unusual talents, including musical performance, artistic work, and research material.
Harvard accepts transfer students for fall semester entrance only; we do not admit students for the spring semester. The transfer application becomes available during the fall of the academic year.
Submitting your materials early does not increase your chances of admission, but it does provide more opportunities to track down any missing documents and ensure that your application is full and complete by the time we begin our review. Please note that college transcripts should be sent between January and March in order to reflect your most updated academic credentials.
Veteran transfer students from community colleges make Harvard home
*If you have applied to Harvard in the past, we will have access to your previous application in our review process including any scores that you submitted with earlier applications. Test scores can be particularly helpful for non-traditional students. We encourage non-traditional students to submit an exam taken within three years of applying for transfer to reflect current academic ability.
Self-reported scores are acceptable during the application process; official scores are required of enrolling students.
Submitting the College Report (required), High School Transcripts (required) or Midterm Report (not required) By mail:
Harvard College Admissions and Griffin Financial Aid Office
Attn: Undergraduate Transfer Admissions
86 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138 By fax: 1 (617) 495-8821 Please address documents to the attention of the Transfer Admissions team. If you are faxing internationally, make sure to check if there is any additional number you need to input prior to dialing 1 (617) 495-8821. If your school official is not able to submit materials in these ways, they may send them to us as PDFs at adm-tran@fas.harvard.edu. Please request that your school official include your name and application number in the subject line of the email for easier processing. They must send the document(s) from their official institutional email account (if they have one). Submitting College Transcripts
By electronic credential exchange network (PREFERRED METHOD):
Harvard College Admissions and Griffin Financial Aid Office
Attn: Undergraduate Transfer Admissions
86 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
If your school official is not able to submit materials in these ways, they may send them to us as PDFs at adm-tran@fas.harvard.edu. Please request that your school official include your name and application number in the subject line of the email for easier processing. They must send the document(s) from their official institutional email account (if they have one).
Harvard will honor comparable coursework you have done prior to your transfer admission, while also giving you time to take advantage of Harvard’s course offerings and delve deeply into your concentration.
You will be allowed to transfer in a maximum of 16 semester-long courses—the equivalent of two full years of academic work—providing you the opportunity to take the remaining half of the courses required for your A.B. or S.B. degree at Harvard.
The Harvard College Registrar’s Office grants credit for work done at another college or university to each admitted transfer student on an individual basis after careful evaluation. While Harvard does not audit transcripts prior to application to determine eligibility, the descriptions below should be helpful in determining which of your courses may transfer. Our office is unable to make recommendations in regards to coursework at your current institution or advise on anticipated class standing during the application process.
The Transfer Admissions team will be available to answer questions by email at adm-tran@fas.harvard.edu Monday through Friday between the hours of 9am and 5pm ET.
