--- title: How to Use the Harvard Common Data Set description: The Harvard University Common Data Set is a powerful tool for understanding Harvard's admissions priorities. image: https://admitreport.com/hubfs/Harvard%20CDS.jpg --- [Think you can get into a top-10 school? Take our chance-me calculator... if you dare. 🔥](https://uq2z800a22f.typeform.com/to/GSbIvdW0) [![](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/admit-report-logo-black.svg)](https://admitreport.com/) [College Essays](https://admitreport.com/college-essays) Personal Statement Supplemental Essays Writing Advice Example Essays Other Application Writing Sections Personal Statement Foundations [How to Write a Personal Statement](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Brainstorming a Personal Statement](https://admitreport.com/blog/college-essay-brainstorming-questions) [Personal Statement Mistakes](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-end-a-college-essay) [How to Revise a Personal Statement](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-edit-a-common-app-essay) Personal Statement Strategy [Writing About Strengths](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Finding a Topic](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-choose-a-college-essay-topic) [Tone & Theme](https://admitreport.com/blog/college-essay-requirements#college-essay-conventions) Common Application [Common Application Prompts](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-app-essay-examples#the-2022-2023-common-application-essay-prompts) [Common Application Requirements](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/owlhkp/my_giant_guide_to_to_the_common_app_what_is_it/) [How to Write a Common App Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Common App Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples) Personal Statement Examples ["Great" Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#the-best-personal-statement-examples) ["Good" Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#good-personal-statement-examples) ["Bad" Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#bad-personal-statement-examples) Types of Supplemental Essays [Why Us](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-college-essay) [Diversity Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/diversity-essay) [Community Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/community-essay-examples) [Academic Interest Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/academic-interest-essay) [Why This Major Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-major-essay-examples) [Challenge Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-challenge-essay-examples) [Extracurricular Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-activities-essay) Supplemental Strategy [Writing About Strengths](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#goal-1-write-persuasively-about-your-strengths) Our College Essay Philosophy [Creating a Cohesive Application Narrative](https://admitreport.com/blog/cohesive-application) [Writing Vulnerably](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Strengths-Based Writing](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#goal-1-write-persuasively-about-your-strengths) Writing Techniques [Brainstorming a College Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/college-essay-brainstorming-questions) [Drafting a College Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-draft-a-common-app-essay) [Revising a College Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-edit-a-common-app-essay) Personal Statement ["Great" Example Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#the-best-personal-statement-examples) ["Good" Example Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#good-personal-statement-examples) ["Bad" Example Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#bad-personal-statement-examples) Supplemental Essays [Why Us Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-college-essay) [Diversity Supplemental Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/diversity-essay) [Extracurricular Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-activities-essay) [Academic Interest Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/academic-interest-essay) [Community Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/community-essay-examples) [Why this Major Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-major-essay-examples) [Challenge Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-challenge-essay-examples) School-Specific Supplementals [Harvard Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/harvard-supplemental-essays) [Yale Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/yale-supplemental-essays) [Stanford Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/stanford-supplemental-essays) [USC Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/usc-supplemental-essays) [Dartmouth Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/dartmouth-supplemental-essays) [All Supplemental Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/supplementals) Activities Descriptions [Writing Activities Descriptions that Stand Out](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-activities-essay) Admissions Office Communications [Finding Your Admissions Officers](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-an-email-to-a-college-admissions-office-sample#contacting-your-admissions-counselor-vs-the-admissions-office) [Emailing an Admissions Office](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-an-email-to-a-college-admissions-office-sample) [Preparing to Apply](https://admitreport.com/how-to-apply-to-college) Preparation Pathways Extracurricular Activities Academic Basics Testing Admissions 101 Grade-Based Timelines [First-Year Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/first-year-timeline) [Sophomore Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/sophomore-timeline) [Junior Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/junior-timeline) [Senior Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/senior-timeline) International Students [How to Apply as an International Student](https://admitreport.com/blog/applying-to-college-as-an-international-student) Extracurriculars in Admissions [How Admissions Officers Evaluate Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurriculars-and-college-admissions) [How to Find Authentic Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-organically-find-your-extracurricular-interests) [Basic Extracurricular Pathways](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-pathways) [Extracurricular Magnitude and Impact](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-magnitude-and-impact) [Leveling Up Your ECs](https://admitreport.com/blog/leveling-up-your-extracurriculars) [Crafting ECs by Combining Interests](https://admitreport.com/blog/craft-amazing-extracurriculars) [Passion Projects](https://admitreport.com/blog/passion-project-ideas) GPA [How Admissions Officers Evaluate Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurriculars-and-college-admissions) [Unweighted vs. Weighted GPA](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/15ehsq5/aos_dont_want_you_to_know_this_one_weird_fact/) [Assessing Your GPA & Admissions Chances](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) [Class Rank](https://admitreport.com/blog/academics-gpa) Course Work [Course Rigor](https://admitreport.com/blog/do-colleges-care-about-ap-scores) SAT & ACT [How Admissions Officers Evaluate Standardized Test Scores](https://admitreport.com/blog/what-does-test-optional-mean#how-do-admissions-officers-evaluate-my-test-scores) [Test-Optional Admissions](https://admitreport.com/blog/what-does-test-optional-mean) AP & IB Tests [Do AP & IB Tests Matter in Admissions?](https://admitreport.com/blog/do-colleges-care-about-ap-scores) [When to Send Your Scores](https://admitreport.com/blog/senior-timeline) Types of Institutions [Liberal Arts College](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#liberal-arts-colleges) [Private University](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#highly-selective-private-institutions) [State University](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#large-state-schools) [Community Colleges](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#community-colleges) How Applications are Reviewed [How Applications are Reviewed](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) [The Job of the Admissions Officer](https://admitreport.com/blog/reading-5k-essays-in-a-top-15-admissions-office) [What is the Committee?](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications#the-third-trial-committee-recommendations) [Your Application Strategy](https://admitreport.com/application-strategy) Navigating the application College Application Strategy College Research Building Your College List Application Materials Common Application Guide [How to Use the Common Application](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/owlhkp/my_giant_guide_to_to_the_common_app_what_is_it/) [Common Application Essay Prompts](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-app-essay-examples#the-2022-2023-common-application-essay-prompts) Applying to International Schools [A Guide to Applying as an International Student](https://admitreport.com/blog/applying-to-college-as-an-international-student) Our Strategy Philosophy [Creating a Cohesive Narrative](https://admitreport.com/blog/cohesive-application) [How Admissions Offices Process Applications](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) College-Specific Application Guides [Harvard](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-harvard) [Stanford](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-stanford) [Yale](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-yale) [MIT](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-mit) [USC](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-usc) [See the full list](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/application-strategy) Tools & Resources [Demonstrated Interest](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-show-demonstrated-interest) [How to Use the Common Data Set](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-data-set) Visiting Colleges [When to Visit Colleges](https://admitreport.com/blog/touring-colleges#ways-to-visit-college-campuses) Resources [Common Data Set](https://admitreport.com/common-data-set) [Colleges That Change Lives](https://ctcl.org/) School List Basics [How to Build the Perfect School List](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list) [Safety Schools](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#what-is-a-safety-school) [Target Schools](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#what-is-a-target-school) [Reach Schools](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#what-is-a-reach-school) Early Decision Strategy [Early Action vs Early Decision](https://admitreport.com/blog/early-action-vs-early-decision) [How to Pick Your ED](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-strategize-your-early-decision-application) [Early Decision II](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-strategize-your-early-decision-application#what-s-the-strategy-for-ed-ii-schools) Letters of Recommendation [Teacher Letters](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college) [Counselor Letters](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college) [How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college#how-to-get-the-best-letters-of-recommendation-possible) School Report [What Is a School Report?](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/vz09mf/the_document_in_every_application_most_students/) [All Resources](https://admitreport.com/blog) [College Consulting](https://sierraadmissions.com/) [About Us](https://admitreport.com/about-us) [![](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/admit-report-logo-black.svg)](https://admitreport.com/) [College Essays](https://admitreport.com/college-essays) [Preparing to Apply](https://admitreport.com/how-to-apply-to-college) [Your Application Strategy](https://admitreport.com/application-strategy) [All Resources](https://admitreport.com/blog) [College Consulting](https://sierraadmissions.com/) [About Us](https://admitreport.com/about-us) ###### Contents Last updated March 21, 2024 Every piece we write is researched and vetted by a former admissions officer. Read about [our mission](https://admitreport.com/standards) to pull back the admissions curtain. [Blog](https://admitreport.com/blog) > [Application Strategy](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/application-strategy), [Ivy League](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/ivy-league), [Private University](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/private-university) > How to Use the Harvard Common Data Set # How to Use the Harvard Common Data Set Admissions officer reviewed by [Ben Bousquet, M.Ed](https://admitreport.com/about-us) Former Vanderbilt University Written by [Ben Bousquet, M.Ed](https://admitreport.com/about-us) Former Vanderbilt University Admissions ###### Key Takeaway The Common Data Set usually reveals a lot about institutional priorities in admissions. With Harvard, the case isn't as clear. Still, academic excellence, essays, recommendations, and extracurriculars are vital. There’s no “hack” to getting into Harvard, but the Harvard Common Data Set is about as close as you can get. It reveals critical information that you can use to write a better application. Let’s get into it. ## How Harvard Evaluates Applicants — based on CDS data As far as Common Data Sets go, Harvard’s definitely isn’t the most helpful. We don’t learn much about what’s prioritized in the admissions process because all of the applicable admissions criteria are simply labeled as “considered.” We do learn, however, that class rank, applicant interest, state residency, and religious affiliation aren’t taken into account. But the rest is up for grabs. Since there’s no way to tell which factors Harvard admissions officers prioritize, you should focus on curating an application that tells your story in the most genuine and strategic way. | Very important | Important | Considered | Not considered | | --- | --- | --- | --- | |   |   | Rigor | Class rank | |   |   | GPA | State residency | |   |   | Test scores | Religious affiliation | |   |   | Essay | Applicant interest | |   |   | Recommendation |   | |   |   | Interview |   | |   |   | Extracurriculars |   | |   |   | Talent/ability |   | |   |   | Character/personal qualities |   | |   |   | First Generation |   | |   |   | Alumni/ae relation |   | |   |   | Geographical residence |   | |   |   | Racial/ethnic status |   | |   |   | Volunteer work |   | |   |   | Work experience |   | ### Does Harvard track demonstrated interest? No. Harvard does not track demonstrated interest. As you can see from the chart above, the level of applicant interest is not evaluated as part of the admissions process. ### Does Harvard care about standardized test scores? Yes, Harvard cares about standardized test scores like the SAT or ACT. Unfortunately, we don’t get a sense of where test scores rank in importance relative to other admissions criteria like GPA or extracurriculars. But from elsewhere in the Harvard Common Data Set, we can see that 54% of enrolled first-year students submitted an SAT score, and 31% submitted an ACT score. ### Does Harvard care about essays? Yes. Harvard takes your essays into consideration when evaluating your application. Since Harvard doesn’t assign any specific importance to these criteria, we can’t say for sure how Harvard admissions officers take them into account. But it’s a safe bet to assume that your [personal statement](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay) and [Harvard supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/harvard-supplemental-essays) serve a critical role in your application. ### What GPA do I need to get into Harvard? Of the students who were admitted and enrolled as first-year Harvard students, 99.7% were in the top half of their high school graduating class. What’s more, 98.9% were in the top quarter, and 93.1% were in the top tenth. Now, we learned from the admissions criteria that Harvard doesn’t take class rank into consideration when reading your application. But class rank data can tell us a lot about the academic credentials of admitted students. With almost 93% of enrolled first-year students in the top tenth, it’s easy to see that Harvard students don’t just excel in the classroom. They also excel in relation to their high-achieving peers. Unlike many highly selective schools, Harvard provides specific data about how enrolled students fell across the GPA band. As you can see in the table below, almost 73% had a perfect 4.0 GPA. A full 93.73% had at least a 3.75. So if you want to have a chance of getting into Harvard, you’re likely going to need to be in the top half of your class and have at least a 3.75 GPA as a baseline. More realistically, you’re shooting for the top tenth and a 4.0, and even then nothing is guaranteed. Of course, if you want to actually earn admission, you’ll also need exceptional extracurriculars, writing, and recommendations. | GPA | % of Enrolled Students | | --- | --- | | 4.0 | 72.91 | | 3.75-3.99 | 20.82 | | 3.50-3.74 | 4.18 | | 3.25-3.49 | 1.3 | | 3.00-3.24 | 0.43 | | 2.50-2.99 | 0.29 | | 2.00-2.49 | 0.07 | ## Harvard Acceptance Rate Almost 60,000 students—57,786 to be exact—applied to Harvard. Admissions officers admitted only 2,318 of them. That makes the acceptance rate a dismal 4%, a full 0.10% lower than MIT’s. Of those 2,318 admitted Harvard students, 1,951 chose to attend. ### Harvard Restrictive Early Action Acceptance Rate Harvard doesn’t offer an Early Decision application plan, but you can apply Restrictive Early Action by November 1st. While the Harvard Common Data Set doesn’t distinguish between Regular Action and Restrictive Early Action in the admissions data, the *Harvard Crimson* has reported on REA acceptance rates for the class of 2026 and 2027. For the [class of 2026](https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/12/17/harvard-early-admits-2026/), the REA acceptance rate was 7.9%. For the [class of 2027](https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/12/15/2027-early-action/), the REA acceptance rate was 7.56%. Those are 3.9 and 3.56 percentage point boosts in your chances. ### What’s the right application option for you? The Harvard Restrictive Early Action application option [restricts your early applications to other schools](https://college.harvard.edu/resources/faq). Because of the level of restriction associated with this option, the students applying REA to Harvard are likely very qualified candidates. That probably accounts for some of the bump in acceptance rates between REA and Regular Decision. So while the higher REA acceptance rate may entice you, you should still be strategic about where you submit your early applications. ## Most popular majors at Harvard We can’t tell the specific breakdown of majors based on the Harvard Common Data Set alone, but we can see how many degrees were awarded to students in every major academic field. From this information, we can infer what Harvard’s most popular majors are. As you can see from the data, the top three most popular degree types went to students in the social sciences, the biological and life sciences, and mathematics and statistics. Other popular majors include computer science, history, physics, and psychology. Compared to some of the other Ivy League institutions—Cornell, for example—Harvard has a relatively low percentage of engineering students, with only 3% of degrees going to engineering majors. | Major | Percent of Degrees Conferred | | --- | --- | | Social sciences | 26 | | Biological/life sciences | 14 | | Mathematics and statistics | 12 | | Computer and information sciences | 11 | | History | 9 | | Physical sciences | 8 | | Psychology | 4 | | Engineering | 3 | | Foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics | 3 | | English | 3 | This information also helps us see what disciplines Harvard is most well-known for. Even though Harvard is one of the most prestigious schools in the world, you can see from the percentage of degrees in each field that students tend to flock to Harvard for specific disciplines. A student in mathematics, for example, may be more drawn to Harvard than, say, [UPenn](https://admitreport.com/blog/upenn-common-data-set), where mathematics and statistics account for only 2% of degrees awarded. ## What should you do with all this information? With the second lowest acceptance rate in the Ivy League (second only to Columbia’s 3.89%), your chances of getting into Harvard aren’t great. But every year, that lucky 4% accomplish what seems impossible. To be one of those 4% of applicants, you’ll need everything: outstanding academic credentials, noteworthy extracurriculars, recommenders who sing your praises, and a memorable personal story. Doing that is a lot easier said than done. Keeping the Harvard Common Data Set in mind will help you know what you’re aiming for. When you’re ready, look to our [How to Get Into Harvard](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-harvard) guide for next steps.       ###### Liked that? Try this next. ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/12%20Common%20App%20Examples.jpg) 12 Common App Essay Examples (Graded by Former Admissions Officers)](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-app-essay-examples) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/Join%20us%20on.png) 21 College Essay Examples (Graded by Former Admissions Officers)](https://admitreport.com/blog/college-essay-examples) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/Power%20of%20a%20Cohesive%20College%20Application.jpg) The Incredible Power of a Cohesive College Application](https://admitreport.com/blog/cohesive-application) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/siora-photography-hgFY1mZY-Y0-unsplash.jpg) How A Selective Admissions Office Reads 50k Applications In A Season](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) ### Upgrade your college journey ###### Content [Admissions Guides](https://admitreport.com/admissions-guides) [Categories](https://admitreport.com) ###### Legal [Privacy Policy](https://admitreport.com/privacy) [Terms of Use](https://admitreport.com/terms) K&S Canon, PLLC 1200 5TH Ave Ste 1950, Seattle, WA, 98101-1183, United States Copyright © 2026 McNeil Admissions ### "The only actually useful chance calculator I’ve seen—plus a crash course on the application review process." Irena Smith, Former Stanford Admissions Officer We built the best admissions chancer in the world. How is it the best? It draws from our experience in top-10 admissions offices to show you how selective admissions actually works. [Get Chanced (We Dare You)](https://uq2z800a22f.typeform.com/to/GSbIvdW0) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Ben Bousquet, M.Ed", "url" : "https://admitreport.com/blog/author/ben-bousquet-m-ed" }, "dateModified" : "2024-03-21T21:32:31.891Z", "datePublished" : "2023-03-09T00:39:46.000Z", "headline" : "How to Use the Harvard Common Data Set", "image" : [ "https://admitreport.com/hubfs/Harvard%20CDS.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://admitreport.com/blog/harvard-common-data-set", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject" }, "name" : "McNeil Admissions LLC" } } ```