Can you get into Harvard with a bad GPA?
According to our research, the 25th percentile accepted unweighted GPA at Harvard is 3.80. If your GPA is much lower than this, you mostly likely don't have much a of a chance of admission regardless of the rest of your portfolio or the reasons behind the lower grades.
A GPA between 3.50-3.74 makes Harvard a “reach” school. A GPA between 2.50-3.49 results in an extremely low chance of success. Anything below 2.50 means you won't be accepted.
While it's certainly possible to get into Harvard with a low GPA, as the numbers bear out, it's improbable. For the Class of 2026, a mere 2.09% of admitted students to Harvard had GPAs below 3.5. Such students often meet other institutional needs (e.g., star quarterback for the football team, development case, etc.).
No, you cannot get into Harvard University with a 2.5 GPA. The minimum GPA for admission into Harvard is 4.18 on a 4.0 scale on your official high school transcript. This means that you have to be an advanced placement student to stand a chance of getting admitted to Harvard University.
Harvard GPA Requirements:
You can estimate the Harvard requirements by looking at the school's current students' average GPA. Most students admitted to Harvard have an unweighted GPA of 4.18 or above, so you'll need to have at least a 4.2 to be seriously evaluated.
Whether a 3.8 GPA can get you into Harvard or not depends on the rest of your application. Although Harvard is an incredibly competitive school, high test scores and a well-rounded profile can help increase your chances of acceptance. However, you should try to raise your GPA even more if you plan to apply to Harvard.
While it's certainly possible to get into Harvard with a low GPA, as the numbers bear out, it's improbable. For the Class of 2026, a mere 2.09% of admitted students to Harvard had GPAs below 3.5. Such students often meet other institutional needs (e.g., star quarterback for the football team, development case, etc.).
It's definitely possible to get in even with a few Bs, but it's certainly harder. Having amazing extracurriculars (ideally including a spike - that's a specific area in which you've achieved fantastic thing), and having a 4.0 from now on will definitely help.
The Z-List is a special category of admission that allows Harvard to accept students who are the children of mega-donors or other highly influential people. Harvard University has a secret way of admitting students who have influential connections but low academic scores: the Z-List.
Yes. You do not have to be perfect. However if you say you want to major in math but you have a C in calculus, then your chances slim, a lot. Just because a school admits kids with 4.0s doesn't mean they are only looking at those kids.
What was the lowest GPA ever?
Technically speaking, the lowest GPA you can receive is 0.0, which is a complete fail. You can only score a 0.0 for an unweighted GPA.
Kanojia began a placement at Tufts University School of Medicine in 2010, receiving his medical degree in 2014, following which he started a residency at Harvard Medical School's Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Program.
The GPA requirements for Harvard University are between 3.9 to 4.1. You will need an incredibly high GPA and will likely be graduating at the top of their class in order to get into Harvard University.
Yale University does not have a strict minimum GPA requirement for undergraduate admissions. However, admitted students typically have very high GPAs, ranging from 3.8 to 4.0, with an average GPA of 3.9.
The average GPA at Yale is 4.14. (Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA. This school did not officially report its average GPA, but we've estimated it here using data from over 1,000 schools.) With a GPA of 4.14, Yale requires you to be at the top of your class.
Niche, a ranking and review site, recently published its list of the “2023 Hardest Colleges to Get Into.” Using data from the U.S. Department of Education on various colleges' acceptance rates and SAT/ACT scores, they found, unsurprisingly, Harvard University to be the most difficult college to get into.
A 3.8 GPA stands for a Grade Point Average of 3.8 on a 4.0 scale. It indicates that you've earned a predominantly A average in your courses. A 3.8 GPA is considered to be a very good GPA and is often an indicator of strong academic performance.
A 3.8 GPA, or Grade Point Average, is equivalent to an A- letter grade on a 4.0 GPA scale. This means is equivalent to a 90-92%. The national average GPA is 3.0 which means a 3.8 is far above average. Because a 3.8 is already so high it can be hard to raise, but with hard work and dedication it is possible!
Harvard has no preference between the SAT and ACT, so choose the test that's a better fit for you, thoroughly prepare for it, and plan to take it multiple times. The range of SAT scores and ACT composite scores for students admitted to Harvard varies.
It indicates that the student only took coursework with a 5.0 grade point average and received all A's (or A+'s). However, when classes are weighted, perfect straight-A grades can result in a 5.0 instead of a standard 4.0. (or even higher).
Can I get into Harvard with a 1200 SAT?
Harvard SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)
In other words, a 1460 places you below average, while a 1580 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute SAT requirement at Harvard, but they really want to see at least a 1460 to have a chance at being considered.
One of the only reasons to consider retaking the SAT would be if you're interested in attending institutions that are very selective or in the Ivy League. While a 1400 makes you eligible to apply to places such as Harvard, Yale, and the University of Pennsylvania, it won't make you a competitive candidate.
For example, 83-86 is the range for a B, but 87-89 is the smaller range for a B+. Both systems have the added problem that an A+ has no separate grade; thus a 15-point or four-point A stands for the huge range 93-100. Clearly, some CUE members have not considered the intracacies of the grading process.
| A | = | 4.00 (Excellent) |
|---|---|---|
| B+ | = | 3.30 (Good) |
| B B- | 3.00 2.70 (Satisfactory) | |
| C+ | 2.30 | |
| C | 2.00 (Poor) | |
Grades of D+ through D- are passing but unsatisfactory grades.
References
- https://medschoolinsiders.com/pre-med/what-is-a-bad-gpa/
- https://ivycoach.com/the-ivy-coach-blog/ivy-league/harvard-gpa-requirements/
- https://www.quora.com/Can-I-get-into-Harvard-with-one-C-in-a-junior-year-class
- https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/harvard-admission-requirements
- https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/how-harvard-university-quietly-admits-the-rich-and-powerfully-connected-z-lister-students-through-a-secret-back-door-101699313237705.html
- https://www.appily.com/colleges/gpa/3-8?page=1
- https://gpacalculator.net/gpa-scale/3-8-gpa/
- https://careerkarma.com/blog/colleges-that-accept-2-5-gpa/
- https://www.appily.com/colleges/sat/1400
- https://blog.thegradcafe.com/harvard-gpa-requirements/
- https://www.collegevine.com/c/harvard/15830/i-have-b-s-can-i-still-get-into-harvard
- https://www.crimsoneducation.org/us/resources/universities/yale/academic/
- https://www.turito.com/blog/college-guide/harvard-admissions-and-acceptance-rate
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/student-handbook/hsph-grading-system/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alok_Kanojia
- https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/Harvard-sat-scores-GPA
- https://www.ivycoach.com/the-ivy-coach-blog/ivy-league/harvard-gpa-requirements/
- https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1995/12/16/everything-is-proportional-pthe-committee-on/
- https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/Yale-admission-requirements
- https://www.sparkadmissions.com/blog/harvard-acceptance-rate-guide/
- https://infoforfaculty.fas.harvard.edu/book/grading-system
- https://www.quadeducationgroup.com/blog/is-a-3-8-gpa-good-for-college-admissions
- https://districtadministration.com/what-are-the-toughest-colleges-to-be-accepted-into-in-2023/
- https://www.turito.com/blog/score-guide/how-to-get-a-5-0-gpa
