Whether you are still making up your mind about graduate study at Harvard Griffin GSAS or are looking for guidance on next steps, this section will give you all the information a new student needs!
Responding to the Offer of Admission
You must respond to your offer of admission by logging in to the Applicant Portal and submitting the reply form. The reply deadline is April 15, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. (EDT).
Harvard ID (HUID) and HarvardKey
Beginning in March, an email with instructions on how to get your Harvard ID number (HUID) and claim your HarvardKey will be sent within 7–10 days of accepting your offer of admission. Your HarvardKey is the primary credential that you will use to access Harvard resources as a student. If you do not receive this email, contact admiss@fas.harvard.edu.
Resources
As a student, you will have access to Harvard Griffin GSAS and Harvard-wide resources designed to aid your academic career. Resources provides a wealth of information including support for international students, students with families, and more!
Submitting Official Transcripts
Before you enroll for fall term classes, you will need to arrange for official transcripts to be sent to the Office of Admissions from each academic institution that you have attended. Transcripts must be received no later than July 31, 2024. If you anticipate being unable to meet this deadline, please contact the Office of Admissions well in advance of the deadline to discuss your situation.
Official Transcript Requirements
Official transcripts issued and certified by the registrar or central records office of the institution are required from all institutions attended, even if you did not earn a degree (i.e. transfer credits from summer and study abroad programs and community college coursework).
- Transcripts must include all courses, final grades, and degree(s) including the date of conferral of the degree(s).
- Recent graduates should make certain that the transcripts are not sent before being updated with the degree(s) and date of conferral of the degree(s). You may wish to confirm this with the central records or registrar’s office before arranging delivery.
- All non-English documents must be accompanied by a professional, certified, literal English translation. Student-created translations are not accepted. (See English Translations of Transcripts section below for more information.)
- Copied documents are not accepted unless each page is officially certified by the institution's registrar's office that issued the original documents.
- If official transcripts from your institution do not include the degree or date of degree conferral information on the transcript itself, you will also need to arrange for the delivery of official documents that contain this information to the Office of Admissions.
Sending Electronic Transcripts
If the registrar’s office at your previous institution offers official electronic transcripts that are sent through a secure transcript submission service, you are welcome to send your transcripts electronically to gsas_apphelp@fas.harvard.edu. Please note that not all institutions provide or partner with a secure transcript submission service.
- Documents sent as email attachments are not accepted as official transcripts. Transmissions from institutions through non-transcript submission services (such as Google Docs) are also not accepted.
- If using a secure transcript submissions service, we advise that you manually enter our gsas_apphelp@fas.harvard.edu email address as the recipient to help ensure that transcripts are successfully delivered to the Harvard Griffin GSAS Office of Admissions.
- Selecting a preset recipient may result in a delivery to one of the other Harvard University schools or to another Harvard email address. Please be aware that transcripts sent to other Harvard schools cannot be retrieved.
- Online verification systems are not accepted in place of an official transcript sent through a secure transcript submission service.
Sending Mailed Transcripts
Transcripts must be sent directly from, or issued in an envelope officially sealed by, the registrar's office of your institution. Transcript envelopes must remain sealed until received by the Office of Admissions. Please send transcripts to:
Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Office of Admissions
1350 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 350
Cambridge, MA 02138-3846
If you have any questions, please email gsas_apphelp@fas.harvard.edu.
Sending World Education Services (WES) Evaluation and Verified Transcripts
If you have a WES Course-by-Course International Credential Advantage Package (ICAP) evaluation, WES Course-by-Course ICAP reports can be sent to the Office of Admissions if they contain copies of verified transcripts received by WES from your institution as well as English translations of any non-English documents.
- WES Course-by-Course ICAP evaluation reports should be sent to Harvard Griffin GSAS directly from WES. Personal copies of WES reports are not accepted.
- Other types of WES evaluation reports are not accepted.
To add Harvard University, Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as a recipient for a WES Course-by-Course ICAP evaluation report:
- Search for and select Harvard University
- Under School/Division, choose Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
- Under Department/Office Name, choose Office of Admissions
English Translations of Transcripts
If your institution does not issue official English translations of transcript documents, you must arrange for the submission to the Office of Admissions of a professional, certified, literal English translation of your official transcript. The English translation must be sent directly from, or issued in an envelope officially sealed by, the translator.
- Once sealed by the translator, the translation envelope should remain unopened until received by the Office of Admissions.
- The translation must be accompanied by the copy of the transcript that the translator used to generate the translation.
Demonstration of English Proficiency, if Applicable
Students whose native language is other than English are required to demonstrate English proficiency. Should this apply to you, you are responsible for ensuring that the Office of Admissions has received either your official TOEFL or IELTS scores or an official transcript confirming receipt of your undergraduate degree from an institution in which English is the language of instruction.
If you are required to provide official TOEFL or IELTS scores and were unable to take one of these examinations prior to submitting your application, you must take one of these examinations and provide official scores as soon as possible, and no later than June 30, 2024.
Health Insurance
Learn about Harvard University Student Health Program (HUSHP) and review information for new students.
Immunization Requirements
Learn more about immunization requirements on the Harvard University Health Services Immunization Compliance page.