Harvard University GRE Cutoff
Updated on 21 March, 2022
Mrinal Mandal
Study Abroad Expert
Study Abroad Expert
Thousands of aspirants send their applications to Harvard University every year, hoping to get selected for their desired graduate programs. However, the institution adheres to strict guidelines and picks only the best from the lot.
As such, reinforcing your application becomes a must to ensure success for acceptance by the university. Apart from the impressive academic record, letters of recommendation, and interviews, having a good GMAT/GRE score serves as icing on the cake.
If you find yourself in a situation where you are constantly stressing about getting into Harvard for MS then this article is for you. Keep reading, as we acquaint you with all the details regarding Harvard University GRE cutoff.
GRE stands for Graduate Record Examinations and is one of the crucial exams for your admission into world-class universities. This standardized test is conducted online and has multiple-choice questions.
Universities use this test to analyze candidates' competencies like verbal reasoning and quantitative skills. The questions asked are diverse from topics like algebra, geometry, arithmetic aptitude and more. Additionally, the vocabulary and comprehension skills of the candidate are also assessed.
GRE scores are considered all across the globe by universities to measure a candidate's capability to keep up with their graduate program.
The same applies to institutes in the US and UK, and hence you will have to clear the Harvard University GRE score to secure admission to the college.
GRE is divided into three sections: Verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing.
The verbal reasoning section is based on college-level vocabulary and comprehension. In this section, a candidate is asked to analyse the given passages, find the missing sentence component, and understand the implications of each paragraph.
Questions included in this section deal with
In the quantitative reasoning section, the questions are based on fundamental, high school-level numerical skills. Some of the topics to lay stress on while preparing for quantitative reasoning are algebra, arithmetic, data analysis, and geometry.
Questions included in the quantitative reasoning section are from the following topics:
Lastly, the analytical writing section is based entirely on your skills to develop a grammatically correct and easily comprehensible essay. The candidate will be tested on the ability to form coherent thoughts and develop logical responses in an organized manner.
This section includes two separate essays:
The maximum number of marks one can score in the GRE is 340. The break-up for each section with the respective increments is mentioned in the table below:
Section | Score Range | Increments |
Verbal Reasoning | 130-170 | 1 point |
Quantitative Reasoning | 130-170 | 1 point |
Analytical Writing | 0-6 | half-point |
GRE is conducted at the candidate's convenience throughout the year. You can choose the test date and centre that suits you the best as per the availability. However, the number of maximum attempts is capped at 5. GRE is developed and conducted by the Educational Test Services (ETS).
Important Resources to Read:
Harvard University is one of the globally renowned universities in the USA known for its strict admission criteria. Apart from good scores and extracurricular and interview records, you will need a high GRE score for admission into different departments.
Ranked 5th position in the QS World Rankings 2022, Harvard University offers graduate programs in the below-mentioned streams:
The expected GRE score will vary based on the department you want to study in. For instance, if you wish to enrol in a department that involves dominance of subjects like maths and physics then it becomes important for you to score well in the quantitative reasoning section. Similarly, if you are contesting for the course that requires you to have good vocabulary skills then scoring high in the verbal reasoning section becomes more imperative.
Fields like education demand the verbal average with 91st percentile and quantitative average with the 71st percentile while analytical writing average is 5.0 for the PhD candidates.
In programs such as a master of education, the verbal average requires 81st percentile and the quantitative average requires 61st percentile while analytical writing average is 4.6.
At the Harvard John A. Paulson School of engineering and applied sciences, the average GRE quantitative scores fall in the range of 90th to 95th percentile whereas the average verbal GRE scores stand at 75th – 80th percentiles across all the masters and Ph.D. programs.
In case of graduate school of design (architecture)the average GRE score for the verbal stands at 157, for the quantitative it is 159, and for the analytical writing sections, it is 4.0.
Overall, to make it to Harvard University, you need to aim for a score of 164 or higher in both sections of the GRE. You can find the gre cutoff for harvard university mentioned below:
School | Verbal Reasoning Average Score | Quantitative Reasoning Average Score | Analytical Writing Average Score | Average GPA Required |
Harvard Business School | 162 | 166 | 5.0 | 3.85 |
Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 163 | 167 | 4.5 | 3.8 |
Harvard Graduate School of Design | 158 | 159 | 4.0 | 3.6 |
Harvard Graduate School of Education | 158 | 157 | 4.0 | 3.6 |
Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health | 158 | 160 | 4.5 | 3.8 |
Harvard Kennedy School | 163 | 160 | 4.5 | 3.7 |
The average AWA score accepted by Harvard University is 4.5. Also, a GPA score of 3.8 to 4.0 will work in your favour. If the GPA score is not that high then the difficulty of the program might work in your favour while applying.
While submitting the application, one should keep in mind the requirements set out by the different Harvard schools. For instance, Harvard graduate school of education HGSE , consider not more than two sets of GRE general tests. If the test is taken by the candidate twice then the most recent one would be given preference by the institution. It does not average the two set of GRE scores and both the scores are viewed individually by the institution. The GRE scores should not be more than 5 years old.
GRE is only one important aspect of the application, if the scores are significantly low for instance below the 50 percentile in Verbal, the 30 percentile in Quantitative, and 3.5 in Analytical Writing then the chances for admission becomes scanty.
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