harvard political science phd acceptance rate

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Questions about these requirements? See the contact info at the bottom of the page. 

Candidates for the PhD in political science are expected to complete the required coursework during their first two years of graduate study and take the general examination at the end of the second year. A typical schedule consists of these two years, followed by three or four years of work on a dissertation, combined with supervised teaching.

Requirements

Courses  — A student must successfully complete at least 12 4-credit courses, of which 8 must be in political science. At least 10 of these 12 4-credit courses and 7 of the 8 4-credit courses in government must be listed in the catalog as 1000- or 2000-level courses. Courses cross-registered with Harvard Divinity School, Harvard Law School, the Fletcher School, MIT, or Brown University can be used toward these requirements. Prior approval from the director of graduate studies is needed for courses from Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School.

Students must complete six four-credit courses by the end of their second term in residence and nine by the end of their third.

Directed Reading/Independent Study – A student may receive academic (or course) credit for one Gov 3000-level directed reading with a relevant faculty member provided the arrangement produces a gradable seminar style paper.  While one Gov 3000 directed reading may count toward the overall 12 courses for the degree, it may not count toward the 8 (of the 12) that must be in political science. 

Course Requirements for Students Admitted for Fall 2021 and beyond 

Beginning in fall 2021, a student must complete three out of the four field seminars: American government (Gov 2105), comparative politics (Gov 2305), international relations (Gov 2710), and political philosophy (Gov 2093) and one course in quantitative methods. Students in political theory have the option to be exempted from the methods course requirement.

Course Requirements for Students Admitted prior to Fall 2021 

Every first-year student must enroll in the Department of Government graduate seminar, Gov 3001: Approaches to the Study of Politics. The course, offered each fall, is to be taken SAT/UNSAT for a full term of credit.

Quantitative Methods Requirement — During their first or second year, every student must successfully complete, with a grade of B or better, at least one graduate-level course in quantitative social science methods relevant to political science from a list of appropriate Department of Government and other Harvard/MIT courses regularly updated by the Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee. 

Political Theory Requirement — During their first or second year, every student must take a minimum of one graduate-level four-credit course (or section) in Political Theory chosen from a list of courses approved by the Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee. 

Additional Requirements for all students 

Incompletes  — A grade of Incomplete can be converted into a letter grade if the student completes the work before the end of the term following the one in which the course was taken. If an Incomplete has not been completed within the period, the student must have the instructor and director of graduate studies (DGS) approve a petition for an extension of time. No grade of Incomplete can be used to satisfy any departmental requirement.

Seminar Papers  — In order to ensure that students secure adequate training in research and writing, at least three seminar-style research papers must be completed. The usual means is through enrollment in seminars, but the requirement may also be satisfied by reading or lecture courses in which papers of this type are written. Only one of the three papers may be co-authored. Additionally, only one of the three papers may be written outside the department. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain written verification from the instructor that the completed paper is of seminar quality.

Research Tools Requirement  — By the end of their first year, every student must submit to DGS a written Research Tools Plan outlining intentions to acquire tools and methodological expertise connected to their areas of research interest. The Tools Plan also should list the courses, modules, or workshops the student intends to take in order to meet the research tools requirement.

Every student must complete a minimum of 3.5 4-credit course-equivalent units of research tools and methods courses, modules, or workshops by the end of their seventh term in residence (middle of the fourth year). The graduate course in quantitative social science methods count for one unit within this total. Students may count language training in various formats (e.g. term courses; intensive summer sessions) toward fulfillment of this requirement. The Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee will determine what counts for 1.0 or 0.5 units.

Research Workshops  — The Department of Government offers a series of research workshops in each of the four fields (American government, international relations, comparative politics, and political theory), applied statistics, and political economy for graduate students to present and discuss work in progress. Every student should attend at least one research workshop each term when in residence. Research workshops do not count toward the requirement to complete 12 4-credit courses.

The General Examination

Every student will sit for a general examination in May of their second year, with the exam administered orally by faculty not known in advance. The 90-minute exam will cover two of the four major substantive fields in political science (chosen by the student from among: American government, comparative politics, international relations, and political philosophy), plus an additional focus field defined by the student. For the focus field, each student will submit by a date designated by DGS a five- to eight-page statement outlining a special area for examination. This area may encompass a special literature; an area of the world; a realm of special interest spanning subfields or disciplinary boundaries; or a research approach. Political philosophy and social policy students are not required to submit focus field memos.

Students are allowed a “course-out” option instead of taking a minor field oral exam in either quantitative methodology or formal theory by taking four courses from our methods sequence with an overall grade of B+ or higher. At most, one course outside the methods sequence may count toward the course-out requirement, but those who want to use outside classes should consult with a member of the methods faculty (such as the methods field coordinator) before taking those courses for approval. Students who choose to course out will sit for the other two 30-minute exams as usual.

The department regularly offers “field seminars” introducing each of the four major fields of the discipline. However, no examination field is co-terminus with any one course, or even with any group of courses. The student is responsible for preparation in the field and should not assume that satisfactory completion of a course or courses dealing with the material in the field will constitute adequate preparation for the examination. The student should consult faculty members in each field to ensure such preparation. All students who choose a field are responsible for the same range of materials.

Progress toward the Degree after the General Examination

Requirements relating to courses and seminars (research) papers should normally be completed before the general examination, that is, during the first two years of graduate work. In special circumstances, a student may defer fulfillment of two four-credit courses or one four-credit course and one seminar paper until after the general examination.

Within six months of passing the general examination, the student must have fulfilled one of these deferred requirements. Within 12 months, they must have completed both deferred requirements.

Following completion of the general exam, each student will engage faculty advisors through a two-stage process of research exploration and prospectus approval, marked by two meetings as follows:

• An initial “Research Exploration Meeting” must convene in the fall term of the third year to discuss an approximately 10-page statement from the student, which, as appropriate, may either present a potential research question for the dissertation or set forth alternative possible research questions for consideration and development. The student may consult the director of graduate studies to identify three or four appropriate faculty consultants, if these are not readily apparent.
• Involving the same three or four faculty, or a different set where appropriate, the second “Prospectus Evaluation Meeting” will convene to discuss and approve the student’s written dissertation prospectus. These faculty members are chosen by the student with the approval of the director of graduate studies. The evaluation meeting will preferably be held in the spring term of the third year and in no instance later than October 1 of the fourth year. Whenever this meeting is held, there may be a one-month follow-up period for final changes in the prospectus. To be in good standing, therefore, all students must have an approved prospectus, with the dissertation title and name(s) of the advisor(s) registered with the Graduate Program Office, by no later than November 15 of the fourth year.

First-year and second-year students are not permitted to hold Teaching Fellow appointments.

Students may not teach or take on other employment if they are receiving a PhD dissertation completion fellowship. 

Students in their third year and beyond are eligible for teaching fellowships, which enable them to participate in Harvard’s undergraduate tutorial program, teach sections in the introductory government courses, or assist undergraduates in middle-group courses by leading discussion sessions or directing senior theses. 

In the third year, most graduate students are teaching a full load (two sections) and working on the dissertation. The fourth year may be devoted entirely to writing the dissertation or to a combination of teaching and research. 

Students who have passed the general examination may teach the equivalent of three standard sections time in a single term (or six sections per academic year), with the following exception: Ordinarily, no graduate student may hold a teaching fellowship for more than 4 academic years regardless of whether the appointment is for 1 or 2 terms within the same year; students who have taught fewer than 16 standard sections in 4 years will be permitted to teach a 5th and 6th year up to the total of 16 standard sections.

All first-time Teaching Fellows must enroll in Gov 3002a: Teaching and Communicating Political Science. This is a required course for government PhD students who are teaching in the department for the first time (typically G3s).  The course has an orientation and six required meetings in the fall term. Between meetings, students will have the chance to apply what they learn through peer observation, having their section videotaped, and watching their section with the department’s Pedagogy Fellow. The ultimate goal of this course is to help the student to become a purposeful, effective, and efficient teacher.

Dissertation

A student is required to demonstrate ability to perform original research in political science by writing a dissertation that makes a significant contribution to knowledge in the field. The requirement may also be fulfilled in the form of a three-article dissertation by approval of the dissertation committee.

Dissertations must be approved by at least three committee members, two of whom must be faculty members of the Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The chair must be a member of the Department of Government. Any member of the committee who is not a member of the department must be approved by the dissertation chair. Dissertations must be approved for defense by the committee. The final copies of the dissertation must conform to the requirements described online in  Dissertations .

Special Examination

After the dissertation has been approved, and after all other degree requirements have been met, a student will take the “special” oral examination, or defense. This examination is focused on the dissertation and on the relevant special field, which is ordinarily one of the fields that the student presented in the general examination, or an approved portion of that field.

Students who defend their dissertation later than six years after taking the general examination must retake the focus field of the general examination. Approved parental leave extends this period by one year per child, but no other reason for leave does.

Depositing Dissertation Data

Students are required to make all of the quantitative data they have compiled to reach the findings in their dissertation available to the  Harvard-MIT Data Center . This data must be in machine-readable form (together with accompanying explanatory materials). These data will be made available to other users five years after receipt of PhD or sooner, if the PhD recipient permits.

Ten-Year Enrollment Cap

An overall policy has been established that students ordinarily will not be permitted to register beyond their 10th year. However, exceptions to this rule may be made for students who have taken medical or parental leave or for students with other special circumstances. Students who are administratively withdrawn are free to apply for re-admission, so as to re-register for the purpose of the defense and the awarding of the degree, when their dissertation is completed.

First-year students are assigned two faculty advisors by the director of graduate studies. In subsequent years, students may either remain with the first-year advisor or choose an advisor (or advisors) on their own.

Before the end of the second year, students must ask a faculty member to serve as their third-year advisor and submit a signed “third-year advisor form” to the Graduate Office. This faculty member has the responsibility for guiding a student through the pre-prospectus meeting and the process of forming a committee. 

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Information for prospective graduate students

Like all of my colleagues, I receive a large number of email queries from prospective students about the application process to Harvard's Government Department. In case it's helpful, then, a couple of pieces of advice specific to the graduate program here at Harvard, before some more general advice about graduate school applications, including some thoughts from friends and colleagues in the discipline:

You may wish to consult the information posted on the Government department website , which has more details about the program and admissions process, as well as descriptions of research interests of current graduate students and faculty members. Unlike PhD programs in other disciplines/countries, our admissions process does not rely on faculty sponsors: that is, if you’re admitted, you’re admitted to the program more generally, rather than to work with a specific faculty member. In this sense, because the admissions process is centralized, and there aren't particular slots reserved for particular supervisors, you don’t need to go through the hassle of contacting individual faculty members to tell them that you're applying, ask them if they're taking graduate students (we are!), or ask them to sign off on your application or research interests. (There is a misperception that contacting faculty of interest increases your odds of getting in; it does not. The application website at Harvard includes a box where applicants can indicate which faculty they've been in touch with, but to my knowledge, no one looks at this.) Similarly, the sheer number of applications we receive (in a 1993 PS article, King, Bruce and Gilligan report the Government department was receiving ~700 applications a year) means that it's logistically impossible for us to meet with all of the prospective applicants who might wish to do so. The good news is that because the admissions process is centralized, this isn't something you need to do anyway! If you're admitted to the program, we'll fly you in to meet with us, so you'll have ample chance to meet with us then, figure out if the program is a good fit, and so on.

General advice about graduate school applications in political science

One of the challenges about offering more general advice about applying to PhD programs in political science is that the process is so idiosyncratic, both across subfields (a competitive file in political theory might look very different than in American politics), across institutions (some schools care a lot about subfield divisions, and others don't believe in subfields altogether), across time (who happens to be on the admissions committee that year often determines which files make it to the top), and across space (the information below is probably the most useful for applications to schools in the United States). Moreover, given structural changes in post-secondary education that have shrunk the size of the academic job market, there are plenty of good arguments against doing a PhD! The advice below, then, is focused less on the question of whether you should apply to PhD programs (though some of the advice from colleagues below speaks to this point), and more on demystifying the admissions process itself. In general you can think of graduate school applications as a signaling problem. Admissions committees are looking through hundreds upon hundreds of applications spanning thousands upon thousands of pages, trying to predict from your file whether you'll be able to succeed in their graduate program. At many of the top PhD programs, then, it's not about trying to figure out whether you're smart, but about trying to figure out if you're ready. So, committees are going to be looking for signals to help gauge how ready you are, both in your materials, and in letters from your letter writers. Here are a couple of things I wish I knew about this process when I was applying to graduate school.

Signaling you understand the field

Sometimes advisors will tell you about the importance of asking an interesting question in your research statement, but this isn't very actionable advice, because few of us deliberately study things we think are boring — and how do you know if your question will count as interesting to admissions committees? A better way to think about this is as an encouragement to do some reading. Academic disciplines are collective enterprises, in which scholarship is produced in conversation with others. Your research statement is a chance to show that you understand where the conversation is going. If you take a look at the recent books published in your subfield of interest at Princeton University Press or Cambridge University Press , for example, and read the first chapters of the ones that interest you (often times the first chapters are available free online!), what sorts of questions are they about? Take a look at articles published recently in the journals where the faculty you want to work have published. If some of them seems interesting to you, read them, along with some of the other articles they cite. Read pieces written by the faculty you want to work with too. The more you read, the better the sense you'll have of the landscape of the field, and the better sense you'll have about how to "sell" your interests. This is also helpful because sometimes the way we're exposed to the field in the introductory undergraduate classes that first hook us on the topic may not represent the state of the discipline. Similarly, when I was applying to PhD programs, the field looked very different in Canada, where I was from, than in the United States. You should ask one of your advisers to take a look at your research statement to solicit their feedback before you send off your application. Signaling you understand the field also matters in other ways: in your statement of purpose, if all of the faculty members you indicate you're interested in working with are outside of your subfield of interest, or who do work of a very different style (e.g. you want to do game theory, and they do critical theory, or vice versa), or are all in a different department, that can be a sign to admissions committees that you haven't done your homework.

Signaling you understand how to do research

If being a successful undergraduate student is typically about being a skilled consumer of research, being a successful graduate student is typically about being a skilled producer of research. Having previous research experience is valuable not only because it will teach you whether you really want to apply for grad school in the first place, but also because it will help you better understand the field , help you produce a strong writing sample , and help you get stronger letters . Not everyone gets the chance to do a lot of research in college, but research experience can take a variety of forms, from writing a senior or master's thesis, to working as a research assistant, either in college or afterwards. The kind of research experience you'd want to have is likely is going to vary based on the kind of work you're interested in doing (e.g. in parts of comparative politics, many applicants often have spent a year working as an RA or predoctoral associate running studies and analyzing data, which isn't necessarily the norm in quadrants of the field that don't rely as heavily on field experiments), but more experience is usually better than less. There are also a number of programs that offer research opportunities to college graduates from historically underrepresented groups. If this applies to you, you should speak to one of your advisers.

What makes an informative writing sample?

Some writing samples are more informative than others. If possible, your writing sample should be a solo-authored piece (i.e., isn't coauthored with one of your advisors, whereupon admissions committees might be unsure about how much of the work you did, even if you did the whole thing!), written in the subfield you're interested in studying (i.e. if you want to study American politics, your writing sample should ideally be about American politics, not IR). Ideally, it should also be consistent with the norms of academic research in whatever subfield you're studying (for most subfields, it shouldn't just be a literature review, political commentary, or a book report, say).

What makes a useful letter of reference?

The most helpful letters come from faculty members who can speak to your ability to conduct academic research in the discipline you want to study. Letters from celebrities, politicians, your boss in a non-research-based job, and so on, are going to be less useful to you, since they can't credibly speak to what you need your letters to speak to. This is another reason why having research experience before applying to graduate school is useful, since letter writers who you work as a research assistant for are well positioned to speak to your abilities in this front. Similarly, although it's not at all the case that you need to be a political science major in college in order to get into political science PhD programs, you do want to have at least one of your letters come from a political scientist, ideally in the subfield you want to study. (Chemists and comparative literature professors, say, can speak to your ability to do research, but not necessarily your ability to conduct research in political science).

Strong GRE scores

When I was applying to graduate school, I assumed that everyone understood that standardized tests were noisy and imperfect measures and that admissions committees wouldn't place much weight on them. Suffice it to say, the admissions committees at the schools I applied to disagreed! Regardless of how much weight committees should place on the GRE (although many critiques of the diagnostic value of the GRE suffer from some methodological flaws ), however, many do take them into account (although some departments have made them optional in recent cycles). For those programs that do require GREs, these scores are useful because they provide one of the few metrics in common across files that typically differ from one another along a large number of dimensions. (When I'm on admissions, I might not know how to compare a 3.9 GPA at school X with a 3.7 GPA in a different program of study at school Y, but I know how to compare a 168 GRE with a 160). You're unlikely to get into a graduate program just because of your GRE score (we reject applicants with 170/170 GREs all the time!), but doing well on the GRE (especially the quantitative score, since that's the part of the test that applicants tend to perform the most poorly on in relative terms) will be helpful. What counts as doing well will depend on the program to which you're applying (see some of the suggestions below for details).

Skills relevant to your proposed program of study

To some extent, your GPA matters less than the courses you've taken, or skills you've acquired. Admissions committees want to know whether you have the skills you need to do the research you're interested in. If you're interested in doing political economy-style work, a 4.0 GPA without any economics or math classes will be less helpful than a lower GPA that includes more technical coursework. Similarly, it's hard to study East Asian politics if you don't speak or have never studied any East Asian languages.

Additional resources

Finally, a number of friends and colleagues in the discipline have put together some helpful resources with advice about applying to PhD programs in political science in general, and in international relations in particular: "Should I Get a PhD?" is an interview-based site run by Tim Hopper that isn't specific to political science, but offers lots of helpful suggestions more generally about the more fundamental question of whether you should apply for a PhD in the first place. Dan Nexon has helpful advice at the Duck of Minerva on applying for a PhD in political science, and how to make your application more competitive. Nuno Monteiro has great advice both on how to decide whether to go to graduate school, and the tradeoffs between PhD programs (like those offered by the Government department) and MA programs (which the Government department doesn't currently offer as a standalone degree). Erica Chenoweth has similarly helpful advice; her discussion of the difference between policy-oriented degrees (like those offered at the Harvard Kennedy School ) versus academic degrees (like those offered in the Government department) is especially valuable. Steven Wilkinson has useful advice especially relevant for international applicants. Terri E. Givens has a series of helpful articles at Inside Higher Education on her graduate school experiences, especially relevant for first-generation students, and students of color. Duke's Sociology Department has a helpful FAQ page that's technically about applying to sociology PhD programs, but many of its suggestions apply to social science PhD programs more generally. Dan Drezner has a series of helpful posts at Foreign Policy on PhD programs in political science: see here for advice for undergraduates , here for advice for students who have already graduated , and here for advice on PhD applications for aspiring policymakers . Erin Simpson and Andrew Exum have helpful advice on the CNAS blog from the perspective of policymakers. Bradley Potter, Nathaniel Allen, and Torrey Taussig have helpful advice at War on the Rocks about good and not-so-good reasons to pursue a policy-oriented PhD. Chris Blattman has extensive advice on many of the above topics from a political economy perspective. Cyrus Samii has helpful advice on much of the above; his advice about applying to "boutique" departments is also particularly helpful. Justin Esarey has a helpful post on The Political Methodologist about how to know whether to apply to grad school in the first place, and if so, how to choose where to apply. Austin Carson has helpful advice on whether to go to grad school, along with what to do when you get there. Once you've been admitted to a PhD program, Chris Kennedy has useful advice about how to prepare for your first semester. Finally, here's some advice for early career researchers I was asked to put together by International Society of Political Psychology's Early Career Committee .

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[2024] Harvard: Average GRE, GPA of Admitted Students

by Talha Omer, M.Eng., Cornell Grad

In gre scores.

Thousands of applicants worldwide dream of going to Harvard each year. 

A persistent question that I get asked by many of these applicants i s what role the GRE plays in gaining admission to Harvard.

Harvard being very competitive, does not rely on any single criterion for acceptance. Instead, it looks at many  factors , from your  essays  to your  interviews  and  letters of recommendation . 

However, the GRE and your GPA are the most critical factors that decide your fate.

In this Article

• Harvard has Several Prestigious Schools.

Harvard is a Tough Nut to Crack

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Harvard University, one of the elite IVY League, has the following schools that accept GRE scores.

• Harvard Law School
• Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
• School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

These schools offer some of the most globally renowned programs, with an  average acceptance rate of less than 15%.  

Most of the programs under these schools require the GRE, whereas some either don’t need it or make it an optional requirement.

Since Harvard is the most prestigious school in the world, it is natural that getting admission there will be highly competitive. 

For over half of the programs offered at various Harvard schools, the  average GRE score requirements are in the upper 80th Percentile . 

Even in  Engineering , where Verbal scores are unimportant, Harvard’s  GRE verbal expected score is 162+ .

Moreover, having a high GRE score does not guarantee admission since Harvard considers so many other factors. Some of these factors include:

• Immaculate Personal Statement or Essays
• The calibre of your referees and their references
• Work Experience (in case of professional degrees)
• Research experience & Publications (in case of research programs)
• GPA and your grades in relevant courses

When applying to Harvard, you should strive to perfect every aspect of your application. 

GRE & GPA are part of the process but don’t solely rely on them. The competition is fierce, so you should be putting months of effort into planning your application to any Harvard program. 

In addition,  purchasing college essays online  can also affect applicant scores, so be careful using those services.

What is Harvard’s Average GRE score?

The average GRE score requirement varies from school to school at Harvard. 

For instance,  Harvard Graduate School of Education  accepted  PhD candidates  with an average of 156 (Quantitative) and 159 (verbal). 

On the other hand, for the  engineering school , the Quant scores were 167, while verbal scores stood at 162. 

So, you cannot aim for one specific score since it varies greatly between disciplines and depends on other broader criteria. 

A graduate program in English would require a 90th percentile or so verbal score. 

Even for Analytical Writing (AWA), which is not considered very important, Harvard’s overall average AWA score is around 4.5.

Regardless of whichever discipline you are targeting, you should aim for a  high 85 percentile score  on each section. 

Harvard law school, for example, requires either the LSAT or the GRE. Though Law schools are not very focused on quant scores,  Harvard Law School  (HLS) students have an average GRE score in mid 80th Percentile.  (162+ Quant and 161+ Verbal) 

Those looking for  bursaries  will have a better chance with a higher GRE score.

Moreover, anomalies are always there – for instance, a student recently got into Harvard business with a GRE score of 159 Q and 154 V. 

Now, why did this happen? 

It is simple; he had over seven years of professional experience with over four marketing publications in reputed international journals. 

The key is not to fret over the GRE scores since you are a well-rounded candidate – however, if you lack in other areas, then GRE can be a saviour.

Below I have divided the average GRE score requirement of each of Harvard’s schools. 

Moreover, within each school, you will find the average GRE scores of the admitted applicants for the respective individual programs. 

All programs have been arranged for you, and in case you have trouble finding your program, you can use the search bar in the tables.

Harvard Business School’s programs have an average GRE Quant Score of 166 (84 percentile), Verbal Score of 162 (90 percentile), and AWA Score of 5.0 (91 percentile).

Moreover, they recommend an average GPA of 3.85.

Specifically, HBS’s MBA program has an average GRE Quant score of 167 (87 percentile), Verbal score of 163 (92 percentile), and AWA Score of 5.0 (91 percentile). The MBA program also requires and average GPA of 3.7.

Therefore, a good GRE score for getting into the MBA program at Harvard would be 168+ on Quant, 164+ on verbal, and a 5.5+ on the AWA.

Harvard Engineering has an average GRE Quant Score of 167 (87 percentile), Verbal Score of 163 (92 percentile), and AWA Score of 3.8 (54 percentile).

Moreover, the program recommends an average GPA of 3.8.

Therefore, a good GRE score for getting into Harvard Engineering would be 168+ on Quant, 165+ on verbal, and 4.5+ on the AWA.

Harvard Design and Architecture has an average GRE Quant Score of 159 (64 percentile),  Verbal Score of 158 (78 percentile), and  AWA Score of 3.6 (37 percentile).

Moreover, they also recommend an average GPA of 3.6.

So, in terms of GRE and GPA, Harvard Architecture is not as rigorous as other programs like Engineering and Business.

Therefore, a good GRE score for getting into Harvard Design and Architecture would be 160+ on Quant, 160+ on verbal, and a 4.0+ on the AWA.

Harvard Education program has an average GRE Quant Score of 157 (57 percentile), Verbal Score of 158 (78 percentile), and AWA Score of 3.6 (54 percentile).

Moreover, they recommend an average GPA of 3.6.

Like Harvard’s School of Architecture, Harvard’s School of Education is not cutthroat regarding GRE scores and GPA.

Therefore, a good GRE score for getting into the Harvard School of Education would be 158+ on Quant, 160+ on verbal, and a 4.0+ on the AWA.

Harvard’s MPH program has an average GRE Quant Score of 160 (67 percentile),  Verbal Score of 158 (78 percentile), and  AWA Score of 4.5 (79 percentile).

Moreover, the programs also have an average GPA of 3.8.

Therefore, a good GRE score for getting into Harvard’s Public Health programs would be 162+ on Quant, 160+ on verbal, and a 5.0+ on the AWA.

Harvard Kennedy School programs, like MPP and MPA, have an average GRE Quant Score of 160 (67 percentile),  Verbal Score of 163 (92 percentile), and  AWA Score of 4.5 (79 percentile).

Moreover, the programs also has an average GPA of 3.7.

Therefore, a good GRE score for getting into their Public Policy and Administration programs would be 162+ on Quant, 165+ on verbal, and a 5.0+ on the AWA.

GRE recommended, GPA Average: 3.8

Arts programs at Harvard mostly don’t require a GRE score.  However, some do.

The ones that do require a GRE score, recommend an average GRE Quant Score of 155 (51 percentile),  Verbal Score of 158 (78 percentile), and  AWA Score of 3.5 (37 percentile).

Moreover, the arts programs also require an average GPA of 3.6.

Similarly, some science programs at Harvard also don’t need a GRE score.  But the ones that do, recommend a 164 on Math, 158 on verbal and a 4.5 on AWA.

Harvard values  diversity . None of the programs offered at Harvard has any fixed selection criteria.

Based on Harvard’s data, a minimum GRE score is 158 on Math, 155 on Verbal, and 4 on Analytical Writing.

You can get into Harvard even if you have low GRE scores.  There are numerous cases where applicants scored far below the minimum GRE score but they got admitted.

Moreover, if you have a strong profile – international publications in high impact factor jorunals and conferences, strong recommendation letters, a pursuasive personal statement, and a high 3.5+ GPA – then you can get into Harvard even with a very low GRE score of below 300.

For STEM programs, an ideal GRE score for Harvard is 165+ for Math, 162+ for Verbal, and a 4.5+ for AWA.

For Non-STEM programs, an ideal GRE score for Harvard is 160+ for Math, 164+ for Verbal, and a 5.0+ for AWA.

Harvard considers several factors before deciding admissions decisions. However, Harvard uses  no formulae or quantitative measures  to determine success.

Academic excellence is one critical parameter that Harvard uses to assess applicants. This is usually determined by a high GRE score or a high GPA.

If you don’t have a very high GRE score, you should have a 3.5+ GPA so that Harvard feels confident in your academic abilities.

Conversely, if your GPA and GRE are below par, then admission is unlikely.

It also depends on the program to which you are applying. Engineering, Business, Economics, and Finance are incredibly Quant and GPA heavy.

In these programs,  successful applicants have a 3.7+ GPA and a 165+ Quantitative score.  

You can take a shot with a 60+ percentile score if you have some extraordinary achievements like research, publications, or significant professional work.

Otherwise, if your other profile is pretty average, anything below 160 on Math and a less than 3.5 GPA is a sure-shot rejection.

Some applicants can make it into Harvard even with very low Cumulative GPAs. This is because they have  very high grades in relevant and rigorous courses . So, the individual grades of your undergrad courses matter a lot as well.

Some programs recommend taking the GRE, but they don’t require the GRE. In such cases, always take the GRE and aim for at least a 60th percentile score. This is because many applicants take the GRE and apply even if their program doesn’t need one. Therefore, to remain relevant in the eyes of the admissions panel, you should take the GRE.

In these instances, not taking the GRE will not disqualify you, but taking the GRE will give you a better chance of getting accepted.

Ultimately, even just one problem with your application, such as a clichéd statement of purpose or sloppy CV, can make Harvard decide to reject you. So spend time making each element of your application shine!

These scores have been collected from Harvard’s websites. However, some Harvard schools did not publicly provide their GRE scores, so we reached out to them or to their past or current students to get this information. 

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Gre prep online guides and tips, graduate school acceptance rates: can you get in.

Even the most qualified and confident applicants worry about getting into grad school. But don’t panic! Graduate school acceptance rates, which give the percentage of applicants that were admitted to a particular school or program in an academic year, can help you determine how likely you are to get into a given program.  But where can you find grad school admissions statistics?

In this article, we’ll first investigate the trends and factors associated with graduate school acceptance rates. Then, we’ll take a look at some of the current acceptance rates and give you expert tips on how to find acceptance rates for your programs. Finally, we’ll show you how to determine your odds of getting into grad school.

Graduate School Acceptance Rates: Factors and Trends

Grad school acceptance rates are the same as any other acceptance rate: the lower the acceptance rate, the more selective the school or program is. Similarly, the higher the acceptance rate, the less selective the school or program is. As with undergrad acceptance rates, grad school acceptance rates vary widely, from extraordinarily selective (less than 5 percent) to incredibly lenient (nearly 100 percent).

Unlike undergrad rates, though, grad school acceptance rates are usually calculated for specific programs or departments and  not for entire universities. This is because with grad school, you are essentially applying to an individual program rather than an overall institution (as you did for undergrad).

Now that we’ve covered all of the basics, let’s look at a few key trends. Our research indicates there are three major factors that help determine grad school acceptance rates:

• School or program prestige
• Degree type
• Amount of funding

Let’s look at how each of these factors influences grad school acceptance rates.

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#1: School or Program Prestige

How prestigious a particular grad school or program is can affect its overall competitiveness and selectivity. In general, the more prestigious a program is, the more competitive it’ll be and thus the lower acceptance rate it’ll have.

An easy way to determine school or program prestige is to consult official rankings, such as those listed on  U.S. News . (Grad schools are typically ranked by field or program and   not by overall institution.)

For example, a 2017  U.S. News  list of the best political science grad programs  ranked Duke’s political science program at #7 and Northwestern’s at #23. Because both of the programs have fairly high rankings, it’s safe to assume they’re probably quite selective.

And this is true: in 2016,  Duke  reported a mere 10 percent acceptance rate to its political science doctoral program, while  Northwestern  reported a 12 percent acceptance rate.

#2: Degree Type

Another major factor is degree type. Generally,  doctoral programs tend to be more selective than master’s programs (though this isn’t always the case as I’ll explain in a moment). This trend is likely due to the fact that doctoral programs often look for higher-quality applicants with proven academic track records and more relevant experience in their fields.

For example, in 2016  University of Michigan’s math doctoral program  had a 17.2 percent acceptance rate, whereas its master’s program  had a much higher 31.8 percent rate. In this case, the doctoral program is clearly tougher to get into than the master’s program.

Still,   master’s programs can have lower acceptance rates than doctoral programs. If we were to take the University of Michigan’s grad programs in computer science and engineering, we’d find that the doctoral program has  a 15 percent acceptance rate  and the master’s  an even lower 8 percent acceptance rate .

Additionally, M.F.A. programs are particularly cutthroat. In 2015, the creative writing M.F.A. program at UT Austin’s James A. Michener Center for Writers only admitted 12 out of 678 applicants — that’s a mere 1.8 percent acceptance rate !

#3: Amount of Funding

Funding, too, plays a big role in how selective a grad program is.

Well-funded  programs typically receive more applications than those offering little to no aid, thereby raising their selectivity. Competition is especially fierce for fully funded programs — possibly because fewer people are willing to go into debt for grad school.

Compared to fully funded doctoral programs, fully funded master’s programs are somewhat rare and thus pretty competitive. UT Austin’s Creative Writing M.F.A. program, for instance, is not only a prestigious program but also one of the most well-funded Creative Writing M.F.A. programs in the country: it  offers full tuition remission and a $27,500 stipend per academic year . It’s no wonder, then, that its acceptance rate is below 2 percent!

What Are the Current Graduate School Acceptance Rates?

For this section, we’ve scoured the internet to bring you a robust assortment of acceptance rates for popular U.S. grad schools.

Before we dive in, note that not all institutions calculate grad school acceptance rates using the same methodologies. Some offer only a single acceptance rate for all of their grad schools put together, while others offer individual rates by school, field, or program.

Now, let’s see how selective these schools really are!

*Statistics for NYU are based on the number of enrolled students and not the number of admitted students. Therefore, expect actual acceptance rates to be slightly higher.

How to Find Graduate School Acceptance Rates: 4 Methods

Unfortunately, grad school admissions statistics tend to be more difficult to find than undergrad acceptance rates.  But there are ways to search for them — you just have to do a lot of digging and possibly a little reaching out.

Below are our top four methods for finding grad school acceptance rates for the programs you’re applying to.

#1: Consult School Websites

By far the most reliable resources for grad school admissions statistics are  school websites.

Start your search by consulting program and departmental pages, particularly admissions and FAQ pages. Look out for any statistics-related keywords or phrases, such as “admission(s) rates,” “acceptance rates,” “enrollment,” “facts and figures,” etc. Use ctrl+F to move swiftly through large chunks of text.

Not all schools publish grad admissions information online, and those that do don’t always report it in the same way as others. For example, Princeton offers a handy PDF  containing acceptance rates for all academic fields of study. On the other hand,  Notre Dame  gives separate admissions charts for each of its grad programs (which you can access by selecting a program and then clicking “Admissions Statistics”).

Additionally, many schools release admissions statistics without explicitly publishing acceptance rates.  In this case, it’s your job to take the statistics provided and use them to calculate an acceptance rate. To find the acceptance rate of a school or program, you’ll need the following information:

• The total number of applicants in a year
• The total number of applicants granted admission  that year

The acceptance rate equals the total number of applicants offered admission divided by the total number of applicants and then multiplied by 100, or:

$$\acceptance \rate = {\number \of \applicants \offered \admission}/{\total \number \of \applicants}100$$

Be sure to  avoid conflating the number of students who were  offered admission   with the number of students who accepted their offers of admission. These two concepts sound alike but are actually different. What you’re looking for is the first statistic — that is, the number of admitted students (regardless of whether they decided to enroll).

If you’re having trouble finding admissions statistics by browsing school websites, search on Google for “[Your School] graduate acceptance rate” and see if any relevant school pages appear. While searching for acceptance rates to use in the table above, I consistently swapped “acceptance rate” with similar phrases, such as “admission(s) rate,” “facts and figures,” “student statistics,” “admittance rates,” and “admission(s) statistics.”

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Don’t be afraid to get creative! You can also use phrases like “Ph.D. admissions statistics” or “master’s admissions statistics” to narrow your search even further. Try to think outside the box as you do your research. What are other ways people talk about acceptance rates?

#2: Check  U.S. News

If your school or program doesn’t offer any admissions statistics on its website, go to  U.S. News . This website offers official rankings of grad programs as well as lists of the most (and least) selective programs in various fields.

For example, I found a 2016 list of the most competitive online M.B.A. programs  and a 2015 list of the most competitive online graduate engineering programs .

If U.S. News doesn’t offer any relevant lists for you to use, try skimming the current grad school rankings to gauge how competitive your program is compared with others in the same field.

#3: Search Other Websites

One less reliable method for looking up grad school admissions statistics is to  look for (unofficial) websites discussing acceptance rates for your school or program.

The Grad Cafe’s  admissions results  section is a solid place to start. Here, applicants post whether they’ve been accepted, rejected, or waitlisted for grad programs.

Search for your program to get a rough feel for how many acceptances and rejections go out each year. You might notice that certain types of applicants are more active than others. Creative Writing M.F.A. applicants, for example, are prolific posters in winter and spring (during admissions season).

Occasionally, Google itself will provide you with grad school acceptance rates, but this only appears to work consistently for well-known law schools, medical schools, and business schools.

Additionally, while using Google, don’t assume that any acceptance rates that pop up are directly connected to your search terms. For example, when I searched “stanford graduate acceptance rate,” Google gave me this result:

This 4.8 percent acceptance rate is  not  the acceptance rate for Stanford’s grad programs (what I searched for) but rather the acceptance rate for undergrads. So always cross-check any statistics Google gives you.

You can also consult grad school data websites such as  Peterson’s and StartClass . Take their grad school acceptance rates with a grain of salt, though — their data isn’t always verifiable online. If possible, try to compare any data you find on these types of websites with the school websites themselves or U.S. News .

#4: Contact Schools

If the internet isn’t giving you the help you need, call or email your schools. Be polite but upfront: ask whether the school calculates acceptance rates for grad programs and where you can find this information online (if available).

If a school refuses to divulge admissions statistics or simply doesn’t report acceptance rates, see if they can give you estimates for how many applications they receive each year, or for how many acceptances they usually extend to applicants in your program.

Graduate School Acceptance: What Are Your Odds?

By this point, you might be wondering how likely it is you’ll actually get into the grad program you wish to attend. After all, acceptance rates are pretty broad — they tell you what everyone’s odds are but not your odds specifically.

Below are three easy steps for determining your odds of getting into grad school, including advice on when it’s better to go for it or choose another program.

Step 1: Check Program Requirements

First, go to your program’s website and pinpoint the admissions requirements page. Now, ask yourself:  do you meet all of the program’s basic requirements? If not, you’ll likely wind up with a rejection (and might not even be able to apply).

However, if you’re still interested in applying, contact the program and ask if they’ll make an exception for you. Your chance of getting accepted is still low, but you’ll at least have your application considered.

If your program strongly recommends qualities you lack, don’t interpret this as an automatic rejection. Sometimes, applicants can make up for deficiencies in other ways. For example, if your undergrad GPA is 3.1 and your program recommends applicants have a minimum 3.2, don’t write off the program — you might still have a shot at getting in as long as the rest of your application is solid.

On the other hand, even if you meet all of a program’s requirements, you’re not necessarily a shoo-in. Remember, all other applicants have met these requirements, too, so you’ll need to find a unique way to make your application stand out.

Step 2: Find Average GRE Scores and GPAs

Your next step is to look up your program’s average GRE scores and GPA  to see how your own scores and GPA compare with those of previously admitted applicants.

You can usually find GRE score information on admissions requirements or FAQ pages. You can also search on Google for “[Your School] [Your Program] average GRE scores.” For step-by-step instructions on how to find average GRE scores, check out  my article on average GRE scores by school .

For GPAs, you can use the same basic methodology. Check admissions requirements and FAQ pages and use ctrl+F to search for “GPA.” If GPA information is available, you’ll most likely come across minimum GPAs or average GPAs (or both). For more tips on how to find GPA information for your grad schools, read our guide .

Now, compare your own GRE scores and GPA with the averages you’ve found. Below are all possible scenarios and what they mean for you and your odds of getting into the program:

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• Your GRE scores and GPA are both  higher than your program’s averages:  Congratulations! You have an excellent chance of getting accepted, especially if the rest of your application is equally impressive. Keep up the great work!
• Your GRE scores and GPA are both  about the same as your program’s averages:  You’re doing pretty well! You are just the type of applicant your program is looking for. The only drawback is that you probably won’t stand out as much from other applicants who have similar GRE scores and GPAs. So take time to make your application sparkle (I’m looking at you, statement of purpose).
• Your GRE scores and GPA are both lower than your program’s averages (or just one of the two is lower):  It ain’t over ’til it’s over! You can still make up for your deficiencies in other ways. While you can’t change your GPA, you can retake the GRE . If your GPA is low, a great strategy for combating this is to discuss it in your statement of purpose, taking care to highlight any external factors that contributed to the low GPA as well as any attributes of yours that prove you’re indeed ready for grad school.

Step 3: Decide Whether to Apply

Now, we get to the final question: do you apply to the program or not?  This is a vague question that’s difficult to answer as is. The real questions you should be asking yourself are as follows:

• Do I meet all of the program’s basic requirements?
• Do I meet most or all of the program’s expectations of applicants (in terms of GRE scores, GPA, etc.)?
• Is the program’s acceptance rate extremely low?
• Do I really like this program?

Although acceptance rates and GRE/GPA comparisons are helpful, don’t base your decision to apply solely on how difficult the program is to get into. We can’t know for sure what kind of applicant a grad program is looking for or who they’re willing to make an exception for.

Take a moment to think deeply about how interested you are in this particular program. Be realistic about your chances of getting in — but don’t cross the line into pessimism. If you don’t meet most or all of a program’s expectations and you’re not super invested in it, consider applying elsewhere.

But if you meet some, most, or all of a program’s expectations and you’re extremely interested in enrolling, give the application a go. Remember, it’s totally normal (and even encouraged) to have a few reach schools. Plus, you’ll never get in if you don’t apply!

Key Takeaways: Graduate School Acceptance Rates

Grad school acceptance rates quantify for us the selectivity of grad schools and programs. More specifically, acceptance rates tell us  what percentage of applicants were offered admission to a particular grad school or program. 

With grad school, acceptance rates are often reported for individual schools or programs,  not  entire universities. Acceptance rates can vary widely depending on program prestige, the type of degree you’re seeking, and how much (or how little) funding a program offers.

Unlike undergrad acceptance rates, grad school acceptance rates are somewhat difficult to locate online. You can look for them using any of the following four methods:

• Peruse school websites
• Check grad school facts and lists on  U.S. News
• Browse other websites and forums such as The Grad Cafe
• Call or email your schools

When trying to determine your  odds of getting into a program, look at your program’s requirements as well as the average GPA and GRE scores of previously admitted applicants to your program. If your GRE scores and GPA are comparable to those of your program, you have a decent shot at getting accepted. If one or both are lower than your program’s averages, however, you can always try to  raise your GRE score  with a retake or address your GPA in your statement of purpose.

At the end of the day, what ultimately matters isn’t that you get accepted to a highly competitive grad program but that you make the right decision for you and you alone!

What’s Next?

Need help with your grad school application?  Learn about the most common grad school requirements  and get tips on how to write a grad school CV or resume !

Is your GPA good enough for grad school ?  Read our in-depth guide to learn how you can make up for a less-than-stellar GPA and ultimately raise your chances of getting into the school of your dreams.

Do you have to take the GRE for grad school ? When are grad school deadlines ?  Check out our guides for answers to these questions and more.

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Hannah Muniz

Hannah graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in English and East Asian languages and cultures. After graduation, she taught English in Japan for two years via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel. View all posts by Hannah Muniz

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Harvard University - acceptance rates of all degree programs

By cclangdell August 7, 2009 in Applications

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This is what I have found thus far from the open sources on the web.

Is there anyone who can fill in the blanks below?

I'm piling up Harvard's acceptance rates, partly for fun, partly for curiosity.

Just acceptance rates, please. (I know there are so many deeper issues than the rates, but, please. Rates.)

Harvard University - acceptance rates

English (PhD) - 2%

Clinical Psychology (PhD) - 2%

Medical School (MD) - 4.7%

Kennedy School (PhD) - 4.7%

Psychology (PhD, General)- 5%

Sociology (PhD) - 5%

Linguistics (PhD) - 5%

Philosophy (PhD) - 5%

Economics (PhD) - 5.7%

Business School (DBA, PhD) - 6.5%

College (AB, SB) - 7.1%

History (PhD) - 7.5%

Public Health (DSc) - 8%

Education School (EdD) - 8.9%

Political Science (PhD) - 9.2%

Divinity School (ThD) - 9.5%

Statistics (PhD) - 10%

Law School (JD) - 13%

Physics (PhD) - 13%

Business School (MBA) - 13.5%

Near Eastern Studies (PhD) - 15%

East Asian Studies (PhD) - 15%

Statistics (AM) - 25%

Divinity School (MDiv, MTS) - 27%

Kennedy School (MPP/MPA, etc.) - 35%

Kennedy School (MCMPA) - 50%

Education School (EdM) - 55%

East Asian Studies (AM) - 60%

Law School (SJD) - N/A (chosen from LLM)

Architecture (MArch) -

Architecture (DDes) -

Computer Science (PhD) -

Russian Literature (PhD) -

Biology (PhD) -

Chemistry (PhD) -

Mathematics (PhD) -

Dental School (DMD) -

* These rates are obtained from, and thus verifiable at, various internet websites.

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Cute, but not particularly useful until you cite your actual sources.

• abolitionista

Well, you can easily look up the numbers when you google with several key words. Also the majority of them are already up on their degree programs websites such as http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/programs_of ... ograms.php

Is there anyone who wants to (or can) add to the list?

purplepepper

those numbers seem to be pretty standard. i bet you'd get a 2% acceptance rate and any top English program, be it harvard or not.

The misleading thing is, for the most part you compete against people only in your subfield. so between 30 applicants who want to study the same thing--they'll take only 1 or 2.

circumfession

For the most competitive programs, the numbers might also be somewhat misleading because the sample size is so small, and there are so many factors that can affect the results. I know that Harvard English made far fewer offers this spring than usual, in part because far more students from the previous year accepted the offer than they had anticipated, so they cut the cohort size the next year to compensate. The acceptance rates--especially for those programs that matriculate fewer than 15 students a year--can vary widely, and can double or drop in half from year to year.

Top English programs tend to accept anywhere between 2-10% of their applicants (2-5% is more common). In reality, however, many applicants at these top programs really don't have much of a chance to begin with. Rather than a pool of 500, a strong applicant is really competing with, say, perhaps 100 well qualified peers for 10-25 offers. And as others have noted, the situation is even more complicated since at some programs (some, not all!) you're actually competing for certain fields and/or topics. It's pretty absymal, but not *quite* as bad as it seems.

"Fit," however, does make a huge difference. One ivy league English program did not accept *any* student who worked in either of two fields last year. Any applicant in those fields who paid close attention to the faculty list probably would not have applied in the first place, since this school was no longer a strong place for it, but a less observant student who was applying blindly to all the Ivy's wouldn't have stood a chance.

Is there any chance you remember where you got the statistics for the Kennedy School? They are not published online. From what Kennedy's admission committee suggests, its admission rate for its MPP program is 20%, for their MPA 25%, and for their PhD (Government/Public Policy) 7%.

I remember their old official website (when it was KSG, not the current HKS) clearly stated in the FAQ section that the average acceptance rate for their master's programs is about 1/3 (confirmed by various websites), and the doctoral program less than 5%. Government/Public Policy PhD is a GSAS program, I believe, which I labeled as Political Science in the original post. The exact rates for every year will be fluctuating slightly around the average. I'm pretty sure about KSG's rates.

• 1 month later...
• at249 , expressionista and balderdash

• 4 weeks later...

i think the information up there is quite reliable. I heard from the admission director of the Kennedy School that their acceptance rate for the PhD program has been lower than 5% for the past several years.

• 2 months later...
• expressionista and balderdash

Engineering is 15% over all disciplines

Engineering Majors (PhD) - 15+%

The acceptance rate for Harvard is actually 4.1% if I am to believe the Admission Committee.

• 7 months later...

DrFaustus666

Harvard University - acceptance rates English (PhD) - 2% Clinical Psychology (PhD) - 2% Medical School (MD) - 4.7% Kennedy School (PhD) - 4.7% Psychology (PhD, General)- 5% Sociology (PhD) - 5% Linguistics (PhD) - 5% Philosophy (PhD) - 5% Economics (PhD) - 5.7% Business School (DBA, PhD) - 6.5% College (AB, SB) - 7.1% History (PhD) - 7.5% Public Health (DSc) - 8% Education School (EdD) - 8.9% Political Science (PhD) - 9.2% Divinity School (ThD) - 9.5% Statistics (PhD) - 10% Law School (JD) - 13% Physics (PhD) - 13% Business School (MBA) - 13.5% Near Eastern Studies (PhD) - 15% East Asian Studies (PhD) - 15% Engineering Majors (PhD) - 15+% Statistics (AM) - 25% Divinity School (MDiv, MTS) - 27% Kennedy School (MPP/MPA, etc.) - 35% Kennedy School (MCMPA) - 50% Education School (EdM) - 55% East Asian Studies (AM) - 60% Law School (SJD) - N/A (chosen from LLM) Architecture (MArch) - Architecture (DDes) - Computer Science (PhD) - Russian Literature (PhD) - Biology (PhD) - Chemistry (PhD) - Mathematics (PhD) - Dental School (DMD) -

could you add Musicology to the list?

It's a tiny field, but extremely competitive -- all 4,000 or so of us in the entire USA want to get into Harvard or Princeton or Stanford, each of which accepts about 3 persons per year. I'd like to extrapolate from the %-accepted how many people actually apply.

This is what I have found thus far from the open sources on the web. Is there anyone who can fill in the blanks below? I'm piling up Harvard's acceptance rates, partly for fun, partly for curiosity. Just acceptance rates, please. (I know there are so many deeper issues than the rates, but, please. Rates.) Harvard University - acceptance rates English (PhD) - 2% Clinical Psychology (PhD) - 2% Medical School (MD) - 4.7% Kennedy School (PhD) - 4.7% Psychology (PhD, General)- 5% Sociology (PhD) - 5% Linguistics (PhD) - 5% Philosophy (PhD) - 5% Economics (PhD) - 5.7% Business School (DBA, PhD) - 6.5% College (AB, SB) - 7.1% History (PhD) - 7.5% Public Health (DSc) - 8% Education School (EdD) - 8.9% Political Science (PhD) - 9.2% Divinity School (ThD) - 9.5% Statistics (PhD) - 10% Law School (JD) - 13% Physics (PhD) - 13% Business School (MBA) - 13.5% Near Eastern Studies (PhD) - 15% East Asian Studies (PhD) - 15% Statistics (AM) - 25% Divinity School (MDiv, MTS) - 27% Kennedy School (MPP/MPA, etc.) - 35% Kennedy School (MCMPA) - 50% Education School (EdM) - 55% East Asian Studies (AM) - 60% Law School (SJD) - N/A (chosen from LLM) Architecture (MArch) - Architecture (DDes) - Computer Science (PhD) - Russian Literature (PhD) - Biology (PhD) - Chemistry (PhD) - Mathematics (PhD) - Dental School (DMD) - * These rates are obtained from, and thus verifiable at, various internet websites.

My field is the highest. Is it good news?...

• 4 months later...

According to the Harvard Crimson in April 2010, the Kennedy School MPP program had an acceptance rate of just under 20% for the class that entered in Fall of 2010. As for who gets funding, that's where the real competition comes in. With financial aide at the Kennedy School it is either feast or famine.

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2010/4/15/kennedy-percent-school-number/

English (PhD) - 2% Clinical Psychology (PhD) - 2% Medical School (MD) - 4.7% Kennedy School (PhD) - 4.7% Psychology (PhD, General)- 5% Sociology (PhD) - 5% Linguistics (PhD) - 5% Philosophy (PhD) - 5% Economics (PhD) - 5.7% Business School (DBA, PhD) - 6.5% College (AB, SB) - 7.1% History (PhD) - 7.5% Public Health (DSc) - 8% Education School (EdD) - 8.9% Political Science (PhD) - 9.2% Divinity School (ThD) - 9.5% Statistics (PhD) - 10% Law School (JD) - 13% Physics (PhD) - 13% Business School (MBA) - 13.5% Near Eastern Studies (PhD) - 15% East Asian Studies (PhD) - 15% Engineering Majors (PhD) - 15+% Statistics (AM) - 25% Divinity School (MDiv, MTS) - 27% Kennedy School (MPP/MPA, etc.) - 35% Kennedy School (MCMPA) - 50% Education School (EdM) - 55% East Asian Studies (AM) - 60% Law School (SJD) - N/A (chosen from LLM) Architecture (MArch) - Architecture (DDes) - Computer Science (PhD) - Russian Literature (PhD) - Biology (PhD) - Chemistry (PhD) - Mathematics (PhD) - Dental School (DMD) -

Pretty sure that this is bogus. Where does this data comes from? For instance, how were you able to find the admissions rate for these GSAS programs? As an example, I tried looking at East Asian Studies (masters and PhD) and found nothing online, not even a suggestion.

Pretty sure that this is bogus. Where does this data comes from?

Not to be a pain, but I always wonder what it means to say that Harvard's acceptance rate is 5% and, say, the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople accepts 25% of applicants ...

I mean, uh, ..., by extrapolation, does anyone really think that 1/5 of U-SND-H applicants would be admitted into Harvard if they chose to apply there? The whole thing seems misleading at the very least.

Not to be a pain, but I always wonder what it means to say that Harvard's acceptance rate is 5% and, say, the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople accepts 25% of applicants ... I mean, uh, ..., by extrapolation, does anyone really think that 1/5 of U-SND-H applicants would be admitted into Harvard if they chose to apply there? The whole thing seems misleading at the very least.

What? I don't see the correlation between the two at all.

That's my point. There's no correlation. Thus the statistic "Harvard accepts 5% of applicants in x field, while U-SND-H accepts 25% of applicants in the same field" is all-but totally meaningless.

Unless I'm missing something. If I am, please enlighten me. I've wondered what this "percentage of applicants accepted" statistic means, for decades.

The only use I can see is in the service of the universities' marketing strategies. For example, U-SND-H may publish a statistic like that as a means of saying, "You have a shot here, give us a good look" ... while Harvard may use the statistic to say, "Don't even bother unless you're REALLY well qualified, and maybe not even then."

That's how I see it, but is there something I don't see? Honest question. I'm trying to understand this, and why it even matters to anybody.

That's my point. There's no correlation. Thus the statistic "Harvard accepts 5% of applicants in x field, while U-SND-H accepts 25% of applicants in the same field" is all-but totally meaningless. Unless I'm missing something. If I am, please enlighten me. I've wondered what this "percentage of applicants accepted" statistic means, for decades. The only use I can see is in the service of the universities' marketing strategies. For example, U-SND-H may publish a statistic like that as a means of saying, "You have a shot here, give us a good look" ... while Harvard may use the statistic to say, "Don't even bother unless you're REALLY well qualified, and maybe not even then." That's how I see it, but is there something I don't see? Honest question. I'm trying to understand this, and why it even matters to anybody. [/quote/] Think of it in terms of applicant pool. Not sure what real numbers would be, but hypothetically, I can see that Harvard might get more applicants than say U-SND-H....obviously a lot of applicants are looking for prestige, and apply to Harvard (or some place similar) as a long shot just to do it. So, if there are say 10 slots in each program, and 200 Harvard applicants, that would be 5% of applicants getting admitted. But for U-SND-H, say there are also 10 slots open but only 40 applicants - hence 25% admitted. This is a very crude representation, but its 'misleading' because some schools might not explicitly explain the nature of their stats. Its really comparing apples to oranges. Look back at the degree areas with high acceptance rates. They are probably the areas with the least amount of applicants, thus increasing the odds. So yes, the numbers do mean something, it does allow students a snap shot into how competitive admission is to school X. But you can't really make direct comparisons.

• 2 weeks later...

does anyone have any knowledge about the admission rate for the film and visual studies program at harvard?

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Political Science: PhD Admissions and Enrollment Statistics

Meet the Graduate Student Ambassadors: Joshua “J.B.” Branch MC/MPA 2025

Joshua “J.B.” Branch MC/MPA 2025

Originally from Lebanon, Pennsylvania, a small Appalachian town, J.B. received a Bachelor in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown Law. Prior to coming to HKS, he worked as a criminal justice reformer helping governors, district attorneys, and other elected officials reform their justice systems. He is interested in pivoting into race equity within technology, specifically in artificial intelligence and algorithmic equity.

What motivated you to become a Graduate Student Ambassador?

Coming to Harvard has always been a dream of mine. I have had a great experience with my colleagues here and wanted to share my knowledge with other first generation applicants. Additionally, as someone who decided to switch careers years after being in the workforce, I hope to answer any questions for others hoping to career pivot.

What are you looking forward to most as an inaugural student ambassador?

I am most looking forward to meeting new students from across the world and assisting them with their approach to graduate school and answering questions they may have.

What advice would you give students interested in HKS?

The best advice I have is start your application early so that you can review your essays ahead of time. Your essays are an opportunity to show who you are outside of your résumé/CV. It should express a distinct narrative that is emotive and engaging.

Meet the Graduate Student Ambassadors: Ka'Nedria Boldin MPP 2026

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2020 iron mountain high school graduate madelyn yake accepted to harvard law school.

Madelyn Yake

By DAWN SMITH

For the Daily News

IRON MOUNTAIN — In a town where everyone knows your name, Madelyn Yake is a shining example of Mountaineer pride.

The 2020 Iron Mountain High School alumna graduated this spring from the University of Michigan with a bachelor of arts in political science with highest distinction — summa cum laude, top 3% of the class — and high honors for the successful defense of her senior thesis.

The recent graduate has achieved what many students across the country aspire to — acceptance into Harvard Law School, one of the most prestigious institutions in the world. For a school as small as IMHS, this is not just a personal victory for her but a beacon of inspiration for the entire community.

The journey begins

Growing up in Iron Mountain, Yake stood out, not just for her academic prowess but also for her leadership and dedication. From early mornings spent on academic challenges to late nights balancing extracurricular activities, she embraced every opportunity to excel.

“Maddy was always top of her class academically, but what stood out was her humble manner. She had an amazing aptitude for science but was equally strong in her liberal arts classes,” said Rhonda Carey, IMHS science teacher. “Her wide ranging interests in science, art, math and communication benefited her move to her current trajectory in law.”

Rising above challenges

Attending a small high school like IMHS has its unique set of challenges. With limited resources and fewer extracurricular options than students in big cities, students often have to work harder to gain the same opportunities as those from larger schools. But Yake never saw this as a disadvantage. Instead, she made the most of every chance to learn and grow.

“Looking back at my time at IMHS, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the high quality of instruction that I received. Every one of my teachers offered unwavering support in my academic career, and I know with certainty that I am the student — and person — I am today as a direct result of their encouragement,” Yake said. “In fact, one of the first people I texted after I committed to Harvard was my high school civics teacher, Mr. (John) Hogberg. He provided me with an early introduction to the study of American political institutions, and he nurtured a passion for politics that would go on to become the cornerstone of my career. Of course, I can’t forget to give a shout out to my wonderful mother, Mrs. (Renee) Yake (IMHS math teacher). Though it’s possible I’m biased, I believe that she is a world-class educator, mentor, and cheerleader, and her students are unbelievably fortunate to have her.”

At University of Michigan, Yake continued to participate in campus clubs and activities including PI Sigma Alpha (the Political Science Honors Society); the LSA Honors Society; Best Buddies International — a nonprofit student organization connecting undergraduates with individuals in the community who have intellectual and developmental disabilities; Women in Law, a professional organization for pre-law women; and the Public Service Intern Program — a preparatory program for those aspiring to hold internships in politics and the public sector.

Over the course of her four years at Michigan, she had two different research positions, worked for a congressional campaign, interned for a voting rights organization/PAC and worked for a judge in Ann Arbor.

During her academic career at Michigan, Yake was recognized with these awards and honors:

— The William Jennings Bryan prize for political science, which is awarded to the most promising students in the political science department each year.

— Sophomore Honors award with distinction, which “recognizes outstanding student achievement and engagement within the LSA honors program in one’s first two years as an undergraduate.”

–A five-time James B. Angell scholar and two-time University Honors designee.

Looking ahead

As Yake begins her journey at Harvard Law School, she said she does so with a sense of gratitude for her hometown and high school. She hopes to one day use her law degree to pursue a career in civil rights law.

“I stand on the shoulders of giants and I am living proof that the educational and emotional support at IMHS can propel students all the way to the steps of the Ivy League,” Yake said. “I am so thankful to be among the lucky few to call myself a lifelong Mountaineer.”

Yake’s story is a powerful reminder that no dream is too big, no goal unreachable, and no town too small to nurture extraordinary achievement.

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Political Science PhD Acceptance Rates

Someone might ask, what is Political Science all about? The concept of political science includes the studies of power and the use of force, persuasion, diplomacy, argumentation, propaganda, and manipulation. This academic story map contains data on doctoral acceptance rates for political science graduate programs across the United States. Also included is an analysis of barriers that hinder minorities groups’ participation in social movements.

Do you want to know about Harvard political science PhD acceptance rate? Are you a student trying to know about political science PhD rankings? Are you interested in finding out more about acceptance rate political science PhD program? Have you checked political science PhD curriculum without getting anywhere? If so, you have come to the right place?! However, before we jump in, let’s talk about the background information.

political science PhD application advice

A PhD or Doctor of Philosophy is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities. Once one attains a PhD he or she may often be referred to as a doctor.

Political science programs teach students the basic elements of the government and the various factions and processes that control it. Topics such as comparative government, international relations, and conflict resolution may also be covered.

The structure of the PhD program in Political Science is based on a system of ‘tracks’ (areas of specialization, or ‘majors’). The tracks represent academic fields/sub-fields or research areas that reflect the major strengths and interests of our faculty. The five tracks are:

• Comparative Politics
• International Relations
• Political Economy
• Public Policy
• Political Theory

PhD Candidacy

The Doctoral Program in Political Science is structured around the following stages:

• Completion of coursework;
• Successful completion of the comprehensive examination;
• Successful defense of the dissertation.

The Probationary Period is between the date of enrolment and the successful passing of the Comprehensive Examination. Probationary Doctoral Candidates become Doctoral Candidates after, first, passing the comprehensive examination and, second, successfully defending the Prospectus. Studies during PhD candidacy are based on individual research guided and monitored by the candidate’s supervisory panel. CEU encourages its Doctoral Candidates to spend at least three months at another university during the research period for their dissertation. Doctoral Candidates are eligible for financial support to conduct off-campus research related to the topic of their dissertation in conformity with the general rules of research support as regulated by the university. The doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation and public defense no later than five years after the doctoral student passed the comprehensive exam.

Degree Requirements

The overall minimum number of credits that Probationary Doctoral Candidates must earn over the course of their first two academic years is 24. The minimum number of credits they must earn in the first academic year is 18. The mandatory credits include:

• 14 credits in the students’ major track . Out of these 14 credits, 12 credits belong to the core curriculum. The 2 additional credits of the track fall in the category ‘Advanced Topics’ and change in content from year to year. These credits can be taken either in the first or the second academic year.
• 6 credits from the methods sequence . Given the importance of a sound methodological education, all Probationary Doctoral Candidates are required to take the 4-credit ‘Methods and Research Design’ course in the fall semester and a 2-credit ‘Prospectus Seminar Workshop’ in the Winter Semester of the first year.
• 4 credits from courses taken from a track different from the students’ first choice , which may count toward a minor field. Students may postpone such courses to the second academic year. Students can choose as their elective courses any course offered in any track. The PhD Program also supports the cross-listing of relevant PhD courses taught in units outside the School, as well as the cross-listing of all PhD courses with relevant disciplinary aspects and orientations from the School to other units.

Optional Credits

The student may take optional courses in the second year. If the student collects at least 8 credits from a track other than her/his own, he or she becomes entitled to a ‘minor’. Students must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.33 in the courses taken for credit. Course requirements, including the type of the final requirement, are specified in the course syllabi. Exams are written exams in order to avoid bias and uncertainty in judgment.

At the end of the probationary period doctoral candidates are required to take a comprehensive examination.The comprehensive examination comprises the exam and the prospectus defense. Probationary doctoral candidates have to earn a “B+” course grade average and a “B+” grade or higher on their comprehensive examination. Admission to the program as a probationary candidate is no guarantee that the student advances to doctoral candidate status. Those students who complete the coursework with a “B+” or higher GPA and a “B+” or higher grade on their comprehensive examination but cannot successfully defend their dissertation are still eligible to receive an MPhil in Political Science degree from CEU.

Supervision

The first year starts with personal consultations between the Probationary Doctoral Candidates and their personal Advisors as well as the Director of the PhD Program, with whom they must discuss their study plan for the first year. By the beginning of the second year Doctoral Candidates are required to nominate three members for their Doctoral Supervisory Committee, and to name one as their primary supervisor. When selecting members of their Doctoral Supervisory Committee, Doctoral Candidates are also expected to submit their study plan for the next two years. The study plan has to be approved by the Doctoral Supervisory Committee and the Director of the PhD Program. Supervisors are expected to follow closely the progress of the students and to have regular contacts with them.

Admissions Overview

Admission decisions are made throughout the fall and winter. Each applicant is judged individually on the basis of grades, test scores, recommendations, and the applicant’s personal statement. A personal interview is not required, though applicants who have been offered admission are encouraged to visit the department, so that they can speak with faculty members and current students. The graduate program is designed for full-time study and part-time study is strongly discouraged. Students enter the program in the autumn semester in all but exceptional cases. For academic questions, we encourage prospective students to contact individual faculty at the addresses listed on the Faculty page. Students must apply online through the Office of Graduate Admissions.

• Application Deadline for  International Students : November 30th.
• Application Deadline for  Domestic Students : December 13th.

PLEASE NOTE:  supporting documents should arrive within two weeks of the deadline for application

Codes for Test Scores:  University Code – 1592 Submit the following items through your online application:

• A Statement of Purpose (1 or 2 pages) describing your interest in political science, probable major field of study, and career goals.
• Curriculum vitae/resume of no more than two (2) pages.
• Three (3) letters of recommendation requested online through the application process is preferable, OR written on recommenders’ original letterhead stationery, accompanied by completed Ohio State reference forms and mailed to the address below.
• A writing sample is required

Transcripts and TOEFL scores (if applicable) are required and will need to be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions.  GRE scores are optional. Their information is as follows: The Ohio State University Graduate/Professional Admissions P.O. Box 182004 Columbus, OH 43218-2646

For questions about your application, you can contact the the Office of Graduate Admissions at: Phone: (614) 292-9444, [email protected] or the Department at [email protected].

Political Science PhD requirements

Test scores and gpa averages.

Admission to our graduate program is highly competitive. Approximately 70 students are currently enrolled in various stages of study. About 12 funded students, recruited from a large applicant pool, enter each year.  Most admitted students have an average undergraduate GPA of 3.73, and highly competitive GRE scores. Admission decisions are based, however, on a student’s whole record and special consideration is given to students with unique talents and backgrounds, and who contribute to the diversity of the department. Students whose native language is not English (and who have not received a degree from an American university) must provide TOEFL scores. The average test score for admitted applicants is 112 (Internet-based) or 273 (computer-based).

Fee Waivers

Below is a list of fee waiver programs to assist underrepresented students in applying to the program:

The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) FreeApp program offers you the opportunity to apply to graduate programs at The Ohio State University for free. By using the BTAA FreeApp program, you can request an application fee waiver (A savings of $40) and apply to one of the master of fine arts or doctoral programs offered in the 39 academic units in Arts and Sciences at no cost. To be eligible for a FreeApp Waiver, you must meet all of the following criteria:

•     Be a member of a population underrepresented in graduate education
•     Apply for admission to a MFA or PhD program
•     Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
•     Have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
•     Complete a bachelor’s degree by the August preceding enrollment in the graduate program
•     Must intend to pursue an academic and/or research career

Priority Deadline:  Submit online request by November 15 McNair Scholars are eligible for application fee waivers. Applicants should note their participation in the McNair program on the Ohio State graduate admission application and follow the instructions for verification. Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) Scholars are eligible for application fee waivers. Applicants should note their participation in SROP at any CIC institution, including Ohio State’s SROP program, on the Ohio State graduate admission application and follow the instructions for verification.

Graduate School Acceptance Rates: Factors and Trends

Grad school acceptance rates are the same as any other acceptance rate:  the lower the acceptance rate, the more selective the school or program is.  Similarly, the higher the acceptance rate, the less selective the school or program is. As with undergrad acceptance rates, grad school acceptance rates vary widely, from extraordinarily selective (less than 5 percent) to incredibly lenient (nearly 100 percent).

Unlike undergrad rates, though,  grad school acceptance rates are usually calculated for specific programs or departments  and  not  for entire universities. This is because with grad school, you are essentially applying to an individual program rather than an overall institution (as you did for undergrad).

The dual degree PhD program in Political Science  between  Columbia University  and Sciences Po is the first one of its kind between the two institutions. Building on a decade of strong existing collaboration between the two institutions through the  Alliance Program , this dual degree will further their mission to extend their global engagement by supporting the international training and scholarly approach of a new generation of political scientists.

This dual degree program  allows students to spend two years at the partner institution,  during which students take courses, conduct research, write a dissertation under the direction of a joint CU-Sciences Po dissertation committee, and eventually become eligible for the PhD degrees of both institutions. Students will be granted with a unique opportunity to widen their knowledge of their discipline in a transatlantic environment, as well as pursuing their doctoral research under the supervision of transatlantic teams of excellence.

This program offered by  Sciences Po  and  Columbia University  allows students to obtain a PhD in political science from both institutions.

Eligibility Conditions

Students in the PhD program in political science in their first year of doctoral studies are eligible.  

Application

Required materials include:

• a cover letter
• a detailed CV and a list of publications
• a 10-page thesis proposal
• a one-page thesis summary
• three letters of recommendation (including one from the Sciences Po thesis supervisor and one from the Columbia University thesis supervisor) directly sent by the authors to Marie-Hélène Kremer electronically
• proof of language proficiency (less than 2 years old): TOEFL (minimum score: 250, 600, or 100 depending on the version of the test) or IELTS (minimum score: 7)

These documents must be drafted in English.

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