How to Apply to SSP and SIEL
This page contains content from the Summer School 2009. For current information, visit the Harvard Summer School website at www.summer.harvard.edu.
The application period for the 2009 Secondary School Program has closed.
You can apply to the SSP and the Secondary School English Language Program (SIEL) online or by mail. There is a nonrefundable $50 application fee. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis, and students are advised to apply as early as possible.
You can follow the receipt of your application materials through online services. Please do not call the SSP Office and ask whether we have received your materials. Delivery of mail can be delayed, as can the data-entry process. Once your envelope has been received, opened, logged, and entered in the database, confirmation of receipt will be available to you online. This process may take up to two weeks, so please be patient. Calling us to ask whether your application materials have been received will only delay the process.
You may apply and register online or by mail only. Some forms cannot be completed online. Materials sent by e-mail or by fax cannot be accepted.
For SIEL applicants only: Eligibility for SIEL is limited to secondary school students in grades 10 to 12 who will be 17 years of age or younger as of June 30, 2009. Students 18 years of age and older as of July 1, 2009, while ineligible for SIEL, may register for intensive English language classes.
Apply online
Begin the online application process by filling out the new student information form, then following the instructions.
Are you a former SSP student? You may submit an abridged application.
- Log in to online services.
- Choose “Secondary School Program” under Group Options on the left side of the screen (if not already in your default menu).
- Choose “Apply to Secondary School Program.”
Apply by mail
Complete the following forms and submit them together, along with your writing sample and application fee, to the address on the form:
- Application form:
- SSP applicants: complete the Secondary School Program 2009 application form.
- SIEL applicants: complete the Secondary School Intensive English Language Program 2009 application form.
- Supplementary application. On this form you answer questions about your interests, ambitions, and background.
- SIEL applicants only: on this form you will need to write a brief answer to the question: “Why do you want to study at Harvard?” and attach a short essay corrected by your current English teacher.
- International students only: International Student Information and I-20 Request form. Whether you need an I-20 certificate for an F-1 visa or not, you will need to complete this form. (See more information below.)
The following forms also need to be completed but can be submitted separate from your application.
- Teacher report. Give this form to one of your teachers from the current academic year, along with a stamped, addressed envelope. If your native language is not English, you must have your English teacher complete this form. (This form is not necessary for SIEL students.)
- Counselor report. Complete the applicant section, then give it to your advisor, guidance counselor, or school head to complete, along with a stamped, addressed envelope. Don’t forget to remind your counselor to submit your current transcript, in English, with the report.
Students are responsible for ensuring that all the forms and other application materials are received by the Harvard Summer School as soon as possible.
International students
All application materials must be written in English, or in the case of your transcript, translated into English. Apply online, download and complete the forms mentioned above, and send the documents to the SSP Office via the US Postal Service or a reliable international courier. Materials sent by e-mail or fax cannot be accepted.
English proficiency
You must be proficient in English to be admitted to the Secondary School Program. If your primary language is not English you must submit an official TOEFL score with your application. For information on the test, refer to the ETS-TOEFL website. The Harvard Summer School institution code is 8578.
Visas
For full-time study in the United States, an F-1 student visa is required. All international SSP students who choose to live on campus are full-time students, and must request an I-20 form from Harvard to obtain a student visa from a US embassy. For Harvard to issue an I-20 form, the following requirements must be met:
- You have been admitted to the SSP or the SIEL program.
- All required documents have been received by the SSP Office, including the Form HS-F and a copy of the identification page of your passport. If you are transferring your I-20 to Harvard Summer School from your current institution, we need to receive your Transfer-In-to-Harvard form as well.
- SSP: You have registered for 8 credits.
- SIEL: additional registration beyond acceptance into the program is not required; SIEL is a full-time academic commitment.
- You have submitted the required prepayment.
You must follow the guidelines for obtaining a visa outlined in International Students.
Immunizations
All students who attend the Summer School must comply with Massachusetts immunization regulations. Immunization forms and instructions can be downloaded from the Forms page. They are also included in the Summer School catalogue mailed to students upon admission.
Payment
- A $50 payment is due with the application, paid in US currency through a US bank. Do not send cash or traveler’s checks through the mail. Make checks payable to Harvard Summer School. MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover are also accepted.
- A prepayment of $950 is due by Thursday, April 30, from students who requested an I-20, and due with the housing application from other students who request on-campus housing. For students not requesting an I-20, half of the housing prepayment is nonrefundable.
- Full payment of all tuition and fees is due by Tuesday, May 26.
A $100 late fee will be applied to outstanding accounts after May 26. Bills may be paid by MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, personal check, or cash. All checks should be made payable to Harvard Summer School. (Due to inevitable banking delays, wiring funds is not recommended.)
Financial aid
Accepted students who are US citizens or permanent residents may apply for SSP financial aid. Financial aid applications are processed on a rolling basis as long as financial aid is available. The review process may take up to three weeks after you have completed your application, so please be patient. The last date to complete the financial aid application is April 30; however, there is no guarantee that funds will still be available by that date—early application is strongly advised.
- SSP financial aid assists students who demonstrate financial need.
- A typical SSP financial aid award covers only a portion of tuition.
- You are encouraged to seek other sources of funding in addition to applying for SSP financial aid.
- Early application is strongly recommended.
Awards are granted on the basis of academic merit, financial need, and availability; preference is given to those in their 11th, or junior, year. SSP financial aid cannot cover all expenses, and only rarely does it cover any portion of room-and-board fees.