Harvard Athletics Recruiting Central

Why Harvard?
Harvard's legacy of consistent success in intercollegiate athletics mirrors its reputation as the world's finest institution of higher learning.

Harvard fields 41 varsity teams, the most among the nation's NCAA Division I colleges and universities. Nearly 1,500 Harvard undergraduates - or 20 percent of the student body - participate in intercollegiate athletics.

Since its participation in the nation's first college athletic event - a two-mile crew race against Yale in 1852 - Harvard has been a consistent leader in the world of college sports.

• Harvard teams have won a combined 138 national or NCAA championships, including at least one in 23 of the last 24 years.
  
• Harvard teams have won a combined 337 Ivy League championships since the league's inception.
  
• Forty-six Harvard athletes have won the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.
  
• Harvard has been represented at every modern Olympic Games. Ten Crimson athletes and coaches competed in the 2008 Beijing Games; Six Crimson athletes competed in the 2006 Turin Winter Games, while 13 were in action in the 2004 Athens Games.
  
• Alumni of Harvard's athletics programs have gone on to succeed in Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Soccer. Others have gone on to success in professional golf and tennis, and still more move on to ownership and management roles in professional athletics.

Moreover, Harvard provides its students everything necessary for a liberal education in virtually every imaginable field. The sheer number of curricular choices -- the catalog includes about 3,500 courses -- opens doors for the exploration of widely disparate fields and also for concentrations in special areas of interest.

Graduates of Harvard are in demand by the world's leading research institutions and employers, as evidenced by these facts compiled by the Office of Career Services from the 2006-07 academic year:

• 244 employer organizations recruited on-campus, resulting in 6,391 interviews
• 381 Harvard-specific fellowships were awarded, providing nearly $1.8 million in funds to current undergraduates and graduating seniors.
• 125 graduating seniors applied to medical school, and 116 were accepted to at least one school (93 percent). The national average acceptance rate was 45 percent.

The Recruiting Process
If you are interested in competing for one of Harvard's 41 varsity programs, your first step should be to contact the respective head coach, who will send a recruiting questionnaire or direct you to Harvard's online recruiting forms.

You should also begin the application process. While there is no formula for gaining admission to Harvard, successful applicants present strong academic credentials, evidence of highly developed talents or interests, motivation and character.

The Harvard College Admissions Office can answer most of your questions regarding the application process.

Applying To Harvard
Harvard has a singular application deadline for incoming freshman of January 1 for entry in September of the same year. Application forms and more information about the formal application process is available through the Harvard College Admissions Office.

The admissions office also maintains an extensive page of Frequently Asked Questions about the admissions process.

For information regarding taking the SAT, please visit the College Board website. For information on the ACT, click here.

Financial Aid

The Harvard Financial Aid Office works with each family to ensure access to the Harvard education students have worked so hard to secure. Applying for financial aid does not jeopardize a student's chance for admission. Indeed, the Admissions Committee may respond favorably to evidence that a candidate has overcome significant obstacles, financial or otherwise. All of Harvard's financial aid is awarded on the basis of demonstrated financial need - there are no academic, athletic or merit-based awards. Harvard meets the full need of every student, including international students, for all four years.

The Financial Aid Application deadline is March 1.

Statement On Ivy League Admissions
If you are interested in participating in athletics at Harvard, you should also make sure to read the statement on Ivy League admissions issued by the league office.

NCAA Compliance
All prospective student-athletes should read and be aware of Harvard's and the NCAA's requirements and rules regarding recruitment and eligibility. You should also download and read the NCAA's Guide for College-Bound Student-Athletes.

Find Out About Our Student-Athletes
Click the link below to follow our student-athletes on our Crimson Blogs. Here we will follow the lives of our student-athletes - in practice, competition, the classroom and around Harvard Square.