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Program Contacts and FAQs

This page contains content from the Summer School 2009. For current information, visit the Harvard Summer School website at www.summer.harvard.edu.

Contact the program

E-mail: ssp@dcemail.harvard.edu

Frequently asked questions

Application and admission

Academics and registration

Transcripts and transfer credit

Campus life

Getting to campus

Privacy

For more information

Application and admission

Who is eligible to apply to the Harvard Summer School Secondary School Program?

Students who have just finished their 10th, 11th, or 12th year of high school may apply. To put it another way: if you will begin your university studies in 2009, 2010, or 2011, you may apply to the SSP.

May recommendations from more than one teacher be submitted?

Yes. The application asks for recommendations from one teacher and one counselor or school head. If you wish to submit additional teacher recommendations, you may.

Is there a class at Harvard on preparing for the SAT?

Although there is no course specifically geared to the SAT, you may find the college prep workshop “Preparing for and Taking Tests and Exams in College” helpful. You may also choose to enroll in Harvard’s noncredit course, Reading and Study Strategies. This popular and traditional course includes instruction on strategies for taking several kinds of tests, as well as guidance on many other topics (such as time management and in-class notes) designed to enable students to perform better both in college and in high school.

Will attending the Secondary School Program guarantee admission to Harvard?

No, there is no relation between admission to the Harvard Summer School Secondary School Program and admission to the freshman class at Harvard College. However, attending Harvard Summer School and performing well will strengthen your application to any college or university. Additionally, the Secondary School Program offers many opportunities designed to help you navigate the college-application process, gain admission to the college of your choice, and enhance your performance once enrolled in college.

Is financial aid available?

Yes, financial help is available to accepted students who are US citizens or permanent residents. But SSP financial aid is limited, so early application is strongly advised. Awards are granted on the basis of financial need, academic merit, and availability. Preference is given to high school juniors. Financial aid applications from admitted students will continue to be reviewed until SSP scholarship funds are depleted. The last date to apply for financial aid is April 30. See Financial Aid on the How to Apply page for instructions on how to apply for financial aid.

Are you able to waive the $50 application fee for students in need of financial aid?

Unfortunately, we cannot waive the application fee.

May homeschooled students apply?

Yes, we welcome applications from students who are being schooled at home. Where possible, teacher and counselor reports should be completed by educators who are not related to the applicant.

I haven’t taken the PSAT, the ACT, or the SAT yet. May I still apply?

Yes.

I haven’t taken the TOEFL yet. May I still apply?

Proficiency in English is an absolute necessity at Harvard. Summer School courses are intensive and fast-paced, and most involve a great deal of reading and writing. Thus, all applicants who are not native English speakers are encouraged to take the TOEFL as soon as they can, and include evidence of English-language proficiency—a TOEFL score—in their SSP application. Presenting a TOEFL score to the SSP admissions committee is to the applicant’s advantage. However, in rare circumstances, an applicant whose native language is not English may request a waiver of the TOEFL application requirement. Such a request should be made by e-mail. Write to us at ssp@dcemail.harvard.edu and include the following information:

  1. The reason for your request of a waiver of the TOEFL requirement
  2. The number of years you have been studying and speaking English
  3. The number of years you have been attending a school in which the primary language of instruction is English

May I substitute my score on the SAT Reasoning Test for the TOEFL score?

No, we cannot use any test other than the TOEFL to determine your level of proficiency in English. However, if you absolutely cannot take the TOEFL and wish to request that we waive the requirement, please follow the instructions above.

What are the cut-offs for test scores, like the TOEFL, or my GPA?

The SSP admissions committee does not use a cut-off figure for any test score, like the TOEFL, or for grade point averages (GPA). The committee carefully reads all the material in a student’s application file, then makes an admission decision based on all the evidence, not just on one score alone. If improving your English-language skills is your goal this summer, you should consider applying to the Secondary School Intensive English Language Program.

For my writing sample, may I submit a lab report or a poem?

No, your writing sample should be an essay written in English, and graded by one of your teachers. The topic of the essay is your choice.

I submitted my application three weeks ago. When will I hear from the SSP?

The admissions committee reads application files only after all completed forms, including the teacher report, the counselor report, and the most recent transcript, have been filed. Once an application is complete, it takes approximately two weeks for a decision to be made and recorded. Please be patient.

What does it mean to be waitlisted?

Applicants who are waitlisted have completed their SSP application but have been placed on a waitlist either because the admissions committee feels that their grades need to show improvement, or because the program has almost reached capacity.
  • Waitlist for grades. Applicants waitlisted for grades should send the SSP Office a copy of their next grade report. We may accept a student whose grades improve upon review of the official report.
  • Waitlist for capacity. The lateness of the application and the rate at which the program has filled forces us to put the applicant on the waitlist. The SSP waitlist is not ranked. In past years the number of students admitted from the waitlist varied greatly. We regret the uncertainty a waitlist entails for applicants. Students who have been waitlisted for capacity should let the SSP know in writing as soon as possible (e-mail or regular mail) whether they wish to remain on our waitlist. There is no need to contact SSP otherwise. SSP will contact the applicant if a space opens up.

My application was not successful. Can you tell me why?

Admissions to SSP are made on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis and are very competitive. Each year many deserving young people are denied a place in the program. Because the admissions committee keeps no notes or minutes of their deliberations, the reasons for their decision cannot be explained. Unfortunately, the admissions decision is final and cannot be reversed.

Academics and registration

I understand that students living on campus must be full-time students. How do you define full-time academic status?

A full-time student is enrolled in 8 credits or in the Secondary School English Language Program.

Are there any science research opportunities at the Summer School?

Summer seminars offer research opportunities. There are also laboratory science courses offered that will give students the necessary background to do research later.

When will I receive my grades?

Grades are available online via Summer School online services about two weeks after the close of the academic session. You will need your student identification number and personal identification number (PIN) to view and print copies of your grades. Grades are not automatically sent to students at the end of the summer term. You may request official transcripts at no charge. Transcript request forms are available in the Policy section of the Summer School website.

My high school begins in August before the end of the exam period. May I leave Harvard early to start the fall term back home?

You may leave campus immediately after your last exam. In exceptional cases, students who cannot be in Cambridge at the time of a final examination may petition to take the exam in absentia.

I’m making my travel arrangements. When may I plan to leave campus?

Students often leave campus within a few hours of their last final exam.

I want to apply to the English language program. What are the requirements?

You need to apply to the Secondary School Intensive English Language Program, which requires filling out an application and submitting an essay written in English that was corrected by your current English teacher.

Transcripts and transfer credit

I attended the SSP last summer and am now applying to colleges. How can I have a transcript sent to the colleges I’m applying to?

Order a transcript for each college to which you would like one sent. Transcript request forms may be downloaded; see Forms.

I’m in college now and want to transfer the Harvard credits I earned while I was an SSP student. How can I do this?

You will need to check with the registrar’s office at your college or university. That office will almost certainly ask you to provide them with an official Harvard transcript.

Campus life

May I choose my roommates?

No. We try to make the SSP experience as much like a first-year college experience as possible, and part of that experience is learning to live with new people.

May I know my roommates’ names and home addresses before Summer School begins?

No. Housing assignments are being made and changed right up until the time students arrive at Harvard.

What should I bring to Harvard?

See On-Campus Housing for details about what dorms include and what students should bring.

What is a “typical day” like for an SSP student?

Good question! Read a former student’s take on a “typical day” to see what a day might be like for you.

Getting to campus

I’m flying to Boston, and I wonder how to get to the Harvard campus. Will someone pick me up at the airport?

You are responsible for getting yourself to campus. Transportation from Logan Airport to Harvard is safe, fast, and easy. Taxi is the preferred carrier, especially for those with heavy luggage. The cab ride costs $30 to $35 and takes 15 to 20 minutes. Public transportation takes longer, but costs only $2; the Silver Line will take you from the terminal directly to the Red Line, which goes directly into Harvard Square. (The subway involves a transfer, which is why we recommend a taxi.) Also see Directions.

Where should I tell the cab driver to take me?

If you will be living on campus, details on where to go once you arrive are included with housing information. You will receive an e-mail directing you to the information after your housing is assigned. Also see Directions.

Privacy

How do you protect the personal information that I submit online?

When you browse or enter information on our website, we store that information on a different system apart from where our website resides. Once you register for courses, the privacy of your educational record is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ( FERPA).

Will you give my e-mail address to a third party?

We do not sell, trade, or rent any of your personal information to others.

What are “cookies”?

Cookies are small pieces of information stored on your hard drive so that the web server can “remember” you the next time you visit a website. The cookies created by Harvard Summer School websites do not contain any personally identifying information and therefore do not put your privacy at risk.

For more information

Additional questions? Contact the SSP Office.

Call the SSP Office at (617) 495-3192 or send us an e-mail. Our e-mail address is ssp@dcemail.harvard.edu.