Harvard College

Essay prompts (5)

1. identity2026-27150 words

   Applies to: all first-year applicants

   Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a student body with a diversity of perspectives and experiences. How will the life experiences that shaped who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?

   This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Harvard College has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

   source

2. community2026-27150 words

   Applies to: all first-year applicants

   Describe a time when you strongly disagreed with someone about an idea or issue. How did you communicate or engage with this person? What did you learn from this experience?

   This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Harvard College has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

   source

3. activity2026-27150 words

   Applies to: all first-year applicants

   Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are.

   This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Harvard College has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

   source

4. short answer2026-27150 words

   Applies to: all first-year applicants

   How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future?

   This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Harvard College has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

   source

5. weird2026-27150 words

   Applies to: all first-year applicants

   Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you.

   This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Harvard College has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

   source

We haven't found a published AI policy for this school yet. When in doubt: feedback and brainstorming are widely accepted; AI-written essay content is not. Second Read only does the former.

How reviews use this page

When you request a review for a Harvard College supplement, the feedback is grounded in exactly what you see here: the prompt itself, its word limit, and what the school publishes about its values and programs. That's the whole claim — calibrated to the prompt and the school's own published guidance, scored against a consistent rubric. Not insider knowledge, and never a rewrite: Second Read is a coach, not a ghostwriter. It flags weaknesses and tells you what to fix and why; it never writes a sentence of your essay.

Something wrong on this page?

A wrong deadline is worse than no deadline. If anything here doesn't match the school's official page, tell us — same-day fix is the goal.