 
1636
as the first institution of higher education in the New World, Harvard
College adopted its famous name in 1639 when clergyman John Harvard
donated 1,500 British pounds and his library of 400 books to the
College. Today, Harvard University comprises not only Harvard College,
but 11 graduate and professional schools, a Division of Continuing
Education, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, and, starting
from John Harvard’s 400-book donation, the largest academic library in
the world, totaling over 15 million volumes.
View Facts page
Admissions Overview
Students
at Harvard attend one of 12 Schools (e.g. Harvard Business School,
Harvard School of Public Health) or the Division of Continuing
Education. Each School has its own admissions office and application
process. Harvard College offers
undergraduate (bachelor’s, first) degrees. All students planning to
pursue an undergraduate degree full-time apply to Harvard College for
admission. Ordinarily, it takes four years to earn an undergraduate
degree in the United States. The Harvard Club of the United Kingdom has
developed a website for prospective Harvard College students. Although
it was developed for students from the UK, it does include useful
information for all international applicants. Students
planning to take individual courses without pursuing a degree; or to
pursue a degree in the evenings, on a part-time basis, or online, may
register for courses at the Harvard Extension School. All
other Harvard Schools offer only degrees beyond the undergraduate
degree, usually a master’s (M.A.) or doctoral (Ph.D.) degree. Though
each School has its own admissions requirements, all successful
applicants to Schools offering the master’s or doctoral degree will have
completed the equivalent of an undergraduate degree in the United
States. Links to the home pages and Admissions Office pages of all Harvard Schools are below.
Financial Aid Overview International
and domestic students at Harvard are eligible for many forms of
financial aid. Students are encouraged to explore the different
financial aid options available to them at each of the University’s
schools.
Admissions and Financial Aid Resources
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