How Harvard Admissions Officers Rate Your Extracurricular Activities

The highest-rated universities often have the most selective college admissions processes in the education industry. Over the years, the top US schools have trended towards holistic admissions processes, considering every aspect of a student’s application when applying for college. Test scores, GPA, application profile, community involvement, and extracurricular activities are among the prominent aspects that college admissions officers at the top schools look into when evaluating a candidate. Extracurricular activities are an especially vital aspect of understanding a student’s character and personality.  

For those looking to apply to Harvard University, Harvard admissions officers use a special scoring system to evaluate candidates’ abilities in extracurricular activities. 

Harvard University’s Extracurricular Admissions Guidelines 

Harvard’s guidelines for rating students’ extracurricular activities are simple yet comprehensive.  

Applicants are evaluated on a rating of 1 to 6, with six being the lowest and one being the highest. This range encompasses a wide variety of situations, but Harvard admissions officers always consider the context of these scores when evaluating applicants.  

Ratings of 5 and 6 are reserved for weaker profiles or special circumstances, such as family responsibilities that keep a student from joining activities. [1] Harvard reads these cases with care, since it counts work and family help as meaningful commitments. [2]  

In the middle of the range, a 3 reflects solid participation without special distinction, and a 4 reflects little or no participation. These students read to admissions officers as “bland.” They do not get noticed among their peers and have little to distinguish them from other applicants or even others within their chosen activities. Readers can also add a plus or minus sign to a rating to show where a student falls within that level. [1]   

Students who earn a 2 have made major contributions to their high school, such as serving as class president or earning local or regional recognition. Students who earn a 1 display an unusual yet extraordinary skill in one or more areas. These can include national-level achievement, professional experience, or another truly unusual accomplishment that suggests the student could be a major contributor at Harvard.  

What Each Harvard Extracurricular Rating Means

Harvard’s reader guidelines, described in detail in the 2019 federal court findings, define each level of the Harvard extracurricular rating this way. [1]

• 1: National-level, professional, or other truly unusual achievement that suggests the student could be a major contributor at Harvard.
• 2: Major contributions to the high school in one or more areas, such as serving as class president, or recognition at the local or regional level.
• 3: Solid participation without special distinction.
• 4: Little or no participation.
• 5 and 6: Weaker profiles or special circumstances, such as family responsibilities that prevent participation.

Most admitted students do not earn a 1, since that level describes rare accomplishments. The realistic goal for most applicants is a clear 2: sustained, visible impact in the activities you care about most.

The Other Ratings on a Harvard Profile

The extracurricular score is one of several ratings a reader assigns. Harvard readers also give academic, athletic, personal, school support, and overall ratings, so your activities are always read alongside your coursework, essays, and recommendations. [1]

The Qualities That Admissions Officers Search For 

Extracurricular activities are not just a list of students’ accomplishments. They are examples of students’ character, their commitment to their field, and a display of interest and expertise.  

When evaluating applicants, Harvard admissions officers look for students who get noticed among the general crowd of applicants who apply to the school each year. These are students who display qualities that are truly unique and that can contribute to the culture at Harvard. However, admissions officers know to regard students’ achievements within context. Students who have other obligations or who cannot physically participate in extracurricular activities are given more leeway in the admissions process.  

Yet, admissions officers also value quality over quantity, and Harvard says it is much more interested in the quality of your activities than their number. Being a leading performer in multiple fields will not earn a student that many more points than being a leading performer in just one field. Generally, students with multiple interests should seek to define a common theme between all their interests that will unite their application and tell a clear narrative of their path. For a step-by-step approach, see our guide to optimizing your activities list for top universities. This type of thematic approach to building an application is a solid technique that is notable in the minds of college admissions officers.  

Extracurriculars That Develop Good Qualities 

Students need to keep in mind that one of the necessary components of an extracurriculars list on a college application is to showcase a student’s personality, character qualities, and fields of interest to college admissions officers. Students should seek to highlight their best qualities while minimizing any gaps in their application that may take away from admissions officers’ consideration. 

Leadership is one of the foremost qualities that college admissions officers look for in applicants. Students should seek out leadership positions and opportunities within their extracurriculars to make an impact on the organization. Documented achievements, such as awards, the amount of funds raised for charity, or the number of people aided through outreach programs, are a solid way to show a student’s impact in their extracurriculars. 

Involving others in your achievements and striving to make an impact on your community and peers will be a great way for students to show leadership, initiative, and impact in their activities.  

How to Present Your Activities to Harvard

Even the most meaningful commitment can read as a 3 if the application does not show its depth. Harvard says it wants to understand how deeply you were involved in each activity and how your interests changed over time, and it notes that not every activity has to be a four-year commitment. [2]

• Order by importance: List the activities that matter most to you first, since readers form impressions quickly.
• Show scope: Use specific numbers, such as members recruited, events organized, or hours per week, to make your impact concrete.
• Count responsibilities at home: Harvard values work and family help, such as babysitting siblings or a restaurant job, so list them. [2]
• Connect the dots: Use your essays to explain why a central activity matters to you instead of repeating the description.

Our guide on how to write the Common App activities section walks through each field, and our breakdown of the Harvard supplemental essays shows where your activities can come through in your writing. If you want to build a signature commitment, a passion project is one of the most direct ways to show initiative that readers remember.

When Your Opportunities Are Limited

Many high schools offer few clubs, teams, or programs, and Harvard openly recognizes this. It tells applicants that a lack of extracurricular opportunities should not make them feel their chances are hindered, and that readers look at how well you used the opportunities you had. [2] If your school has a short list of options, focus on what you built or sustained with those options. A student who starts a tutoring group at the local library, takes on a steady job, or teaches themselves a skill and shares it with others can show the same initiative that readers look for in a 2. Describe these commitments with the same care and detail you would give a school club or varsity team.

Summer Programs for High School Students 

Summer is a great opportunity for high school students to seek new achievements and get ahead in their college admissions. Summer programs are plentiful during the vacation months, so high school students should make the most of the season while they have the time.  

Leadership initiatives, such as those provided by the Leadership and Innovation Lab, are great ways for students to pursue their interests and work on signature passion projects to present for their college applications.  

To learn more about summer programs and the opportunities that high school students can pursue during their off-season, take a look at the InGenius Prep Summer Programs list, where we have a program developed by educational experts in nearly every field and subject. You can also work with InGenius Prep’s team of Former Admissions Officers to shape an activities list that reflects your interests.

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