Harvard Supplemental Essay Prompts for 2024-2025
If your child is applying to Harvard, you’re likely feeling a mix of excitement and some pressure. Harvard’s five supplemental essays provide a unique opportunity for them to show who they are beyond academics—their personality, values, and experiences that have shaped them. These essays can help your child stand out in a competitive pool, allowing their voice and passions to add depth to their application in ways beyond strong grades and scores.
Understanding Harvard’s Holistic Approach
Harvard’s admissions process is famously holistic, valuing academic achievements alongside unique perspectives and character. Known for its challenging yet inclusive environment, Harvard seeks students who demonstrate curiosity, resilience, and a commitment to thoughtful engagement. Each essay prompt invites your child to reveal what drives them, what they value, and how they see themselves contributing to the Harvard community.
A Guide to Each Prompt
Diversity and Contribution
Prompt: “Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?”
Guidance: Encourage your child to reflect on a specific experience that cultivated their respect for diversity. For example, they might discuss growing up in a multicultural community where they celebrated holidays from different cultures. This could have taught them to embrace varied perspectives and inspired them to seek out friends from diverse backgrounds. Or perhaps they learned from volunteering in an underserved community, which strengthened their empathy and showed them the importance of listening and understanding different life experiences. These examples can show how they will bring an open mind and inclusive spirit to Harvard’s diverse community.
Handling Disagreements
Prompt: “Describe a time when you strongly disagreed with someone about an idea or issue. How did you communicate or engage with this person? What did you learn from this experience?”
Guidance: Harvard values integrity and respect in navigating conflicts. Your child could reflect on a time they disagreed with a teammate during a group project. If they initially felt frustrated but then chose to listen and find common ground, this can illustrate maturity. They might share how they approached the situation with patience, asked questions to understand the other side, and ultimately reached a compromise, realizing that mutual respect can strengthen relationships. This example can highlight their ability to engage respectfully and grow from disagreements, which is valued in Harvard’s collaborative community.
Shaping Experiences
Prompt: “Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are.”
Guidance: This prompt invites your child to reflect on how their responsibilities outside academics have cultivated accountability and excellence. They might describe their role working at a family-owned business, where they learned the importance of reliability by managing inventory and helping with customers. This experience might have taught them responsibility and teamwork, or the value of hard work. Alternatively, they could discuss leading a school club, where organizing events and coordinating with others helped them develop leadership and commitment to quality. These examples show Harvard how they uphold accountability and a drive to excel in all they do.
Future Aspirations with a Harvard Education
Prompt: “How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future?”
Guidance: This prompt is about linking their goals to Harvard’s resources, showing accountability for their ambitions. If your child is interested in global health, they might reference Harvard’s Global Health Institute or a specific course in public health that will equip them to address healthcare disparities. By specifying how they plan to use this education—such as launching a nonprofit or pursuing a role in health policy—they can show Harvard that they aim to use their education responsibly to make a tangible impact. This essay is about showing they’re ready to lead responsibly and with purpose.
Roommate Introduction
Prompt: “Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you.”
Guidance: This prompt allows your child to express their unique personality, giving Harvard a sense of who they’ll be as a friend and community member. They could mention a favorite way to unwind, like playing guitar, which shows they’ll bring creativity and balance to their routine. Or they might share their commitment to keeping shared spaces clean, illustrating respect for their roommate’s comfort. They could even mention their love for cooking meals to share showing that they’ll bring thoughtfulness, inclusivity, and warmth to campus life.
Each Harvard essay is limited to 150 words, so every sentence needs to be thoughtful and impactful. Starting early gives your child the time to explore each prompt, refine their responses, and ensure every word counts. Early preparation also allows for multiple rounds of review, ensuring that each essay is polished and authentic. Ivy Link’s post on Beat Ivy League Odds With an Engaging & Effective College Essay offers practical strategies for crafting memorable essays, helping students shape responses that highlight their strengths and experiences.
At Ivy Link, we recognize that every student has a unique story to tell, and we’re committed to helping them express it authentically for admissions. We understand the pressures of the admissions process and aim to create a supportive environment where your child feels empowered to share their journey. Our team specializes in guiding students through reflective exercises and structured feedback, ensuring that their unique voice and growth resonate in their essays. If you're looking for personalized guidance, click below to schedule a complimentary consultation with one of Ivy Link advisors to discuss how we can assist your child in effectively sharing their story.
