What is the required GPA for admittance into Harvard University?

Answer 1

Boastarr is right - the average GPA for incoming students at Harvard is a 4.0. And that makes sense - it is one of the best schools in the world and attracts the best and brightest students from around the globe.

So does that mean you shouldn't apply if you don't have a 4.0?

Absolutely not.

While Harvard (and all Ivy League schools) attracts very smart students, GPA is not the only thing Harvard cares about. And many schools - including Harvard - are putting less and less emphasis on GPA overall every year.

I've said it before in response to similar questions, but there are MANY students with perfect GPAs that get rejected from Harvard every year. And there are also students getting admitted with a GPA below a 4.0. (It is an average, after all! Not a minimum!)

Harvard wants more than just a perfect GPA and a perfect SAT/ACT score. They want students who challenge themselves, and students who engage in the world around them (outside of the classroom!) What does that mean?

Well, for one, it means that you should not choose all the easiest classes in school in order to maintain a 4.0 GPA. Harvard will recognize that instantly, and it won't do you aaaany favors.

At the same time, if you are taking all Honors/AP courses and spending 100% of your time studying in order to get perfect grades, that's not going to help either.

What you want to do is mix things up. Take those challenging courses AND get involved in activities OUTSIDE of school. That can be sports, it can be volunteering, it can be an instrument, it can be... anything! Find something you love and get involved. And don't do it just for the sake of your apps. Schools can tell that, too! Do it because you love it, because you enjoy doing it, because it is your passion and you get excited about it. When you go about it that way, you'll naturally get more and more invested in it, and you'll have a lot more to show for yourself when it comes time to apply to college. (And the schools really want to see who you are as a person and what you care about and all the cool things you've accomplished because it shows them what sort of community member you'll be when you get to campus.)

And while you're doing that, make sure to stay focused on school as well. But don't stress out if your grades aren't 100% perfect. Schools, especially those in the Ivy League, would rather see you challenging yourself and getting a B+ than coasting through high school and getting an A+.

At the end of the day, if you're targeting Harvard you DO want to get that GPA as high as possible. Same with your SAT/ACT scores. After all, consider who you will be competing against to get in. But you should not devote 100% of your attention to getting a PERFECT GPA. There's a LOT more the Harvard admissions committee wants to see, and focusing exclusively on your grades is a bad idea.

Answer 2

GPA range (25 to 75 percentile): 3.95 to 3.72

4.0-4.2Harvard University- At least a 4.2, a 4.0 would be considered. This university looks for uniqueness, and a leader. Stay with your highschool, lend a helping hand, and it may in the future pay off.

There is a college for everyone, which college is best for YOU, not how well its reputation/rank it is categorized in!

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I read that it has to be at least 3.5. It's better though if it's closer to 4.0, but they don't just look at your GPA. They look at what clubs you were involved in, your ACT and SAT scores; things like that. Remember that there are a lot of people applying to Ivy League schools, so you have to stand out.-
I think 4.0 or more than 3.0