Incoming Students
Welcome Class of 2030!
Welcome to Harvard College
We are thrilled to officially welcome you to our community. During the summer, you will receive regular communications from Harvard College. This site contains all of the information you need to know and aims to support your transition from high school to college. We look forward to meeting you in the fall!
Thomas Dunne, Dean of Students, Harvard College
Amanda Claybaugh, Dean of Undergraduate Education, Harvard College
Nekesa Straker, Senior Assistant Dean of Residential Life and First-Year Students
Katherine Veach, Assistant Dean for First-Year Academic Programs
Jason Meier, Associate Dean for Student Engagement
Receive a warm welcome to the Harvard Community from peers and faculty from around the College.
Considering a Gap Year?
Over the years, many students have deferred their matriculation to Harvard College, and they report their experiences to be uniformly positive. The admissions committee encourages admitted students to defer enrollment for one year to travel, pursue a special project or activity, work, or spend time in another meaningful way. Please be aware that you may not enroll as a degree or diploma candidate in a university or secondary school during your interval year.
Class of 2030 Communications
Housing Assignment Clarification: Suitemates
In your housing assignment email shared with you yesterday, we included a name/list of names and emails for your suitemates. Context for that information was left off of yesterday’s email.
Your Housing Assignment and Advising Network
We are thrilled to welcome you to the Harvard College residential community this fall! As we’ve shared before, residential life is one of the defining aspects of the Harvard undergraduate experience.
Take the Pre-Matriculation Survey
In just about a month, you will be arriving to campus and we can’t wait until you get here. Before you arrive, we ask you to complete the pre-matriculation survey.
Summer in the Yard: 7.20.26
Residential Life, Tips for Packing, and 100-Day Annenberg Challenge
Summer in the Yard: 7.13.26
Academic Webinars, Expos Advising, SMART Start, and Academic Resources
Summer in the Yard: 7.6.26
Exploring Your Intellectual Interests, Small Group Advising Sessions, First-Year Seminars
Register for a Small Group Advising Session
Students must attend Building Your Harvard Education, a virtual small group advising session offered July 9-28, in order to register for courses.
Summer in the Yard: 6.22.26
Understanding our Culture of Curiosity, Engaging in Constructive Dialogue, Preparing for Online Educational Modules
Family Connection Newsletter
A welcome message to all parents, guardians, and families that were opted-in to communications from the College through the my.harvard Family Information Form.
Summer in the Yard: 6.8.26
Identity Exploration & Development, Pluralism Passports, and Student Organizations
Summer in the Yard: 6.1.26
Transitioning to Harvard, Understanding Harvard Lingo, and 3 Tips for College Success
Placement Exams and Academic Advising Questionnaire
Complete the required Placement Exams and Academic Advising Questionnaire to prepare for your transition to academics at Harvard. Placement Exams help determine the best starting point for your studies, while the Advising Questionnaire helps members of your advising network understand how to best support your academic interests.
Housing Questionnaire and Pre-Orientation Applications
It’s time to fill out your Housing Questionnaire and if you are interested, apply to an optional Pre-Orientation program. The questionnaire helps match you with roommates, while Pre-Orientation can help you connect with peers over a shared interest before Orientation begins.
Welcome to Harvard College
Please be attentive to and review the information shared, complete necessary tasks in a timely fashion, and engage in exercises and experiences that are designed to help deepen your understanding of our community’s values and aims.
Navigating Harvard
The College has an extensive guide library to help you through completing your FAFSA, finding textbooks, Harvard terms & acronyms, and even to walk you through reading and examination period. The guides can act as a resource to learn more about navigating Harvard.
Senior Creates Caregiving Cultivation App
Growing up in Japan and Australia, Wong discovered that exposure to deep connections and diverse communities proved essential for holistic well-being.
Pictures of joy, friendship fill the Yard before Commencement
Graduates queueing up for the big ceremony paused to reflect and soak it all in.
Deming summons ‘power of gratitude’ in valediction address
Commencement Day opened with a final assignment for Harvard College’s Class of 2026: impromptu thank-you notes.
Cancer turned her into a scientist
Diagnosis transformed Mary Cipperman ’26 into a hyperproductive student researcher with diverse interests in physics, medicine, and AI.
Frames of Creative Expression: Arts Fest 2026
Presented by The Office for the Arts at Harvard, Arts Fest is a four-day annual celebration that transforms Harvard’s campus into an arts makerspace that is free and open to all.
Four Harvard College Students named Gates Cambridge Scholars
Two fourth-year students at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) along with one alum and one fourth-year Physical Science concentrator have been named 2026 Gates Cambridge Scholars.
First-Year Seminar Program launches post-seminar experiences
When the Fall 2025 semester ended, learning in First-Year Seminars did not.
Twenty Years of Peer Advising at Harvard College
When students arrive at Harvard College for the first time, many experience a mix of excitement and uncertainty about classes, community, and where they fit within it all.
Harvard Students Attend UN Commission on the Status of Women
Six Students Participate in Global Gender Equity Discussions at UNCSW 70.
Housing Day Spirit Week 2026
In 2026, Harvard College’s Housing Day tradition expanded to an entire week of Housing Day programming, building upon community, connection, and House pride.
