Class of 2026 Admissions in Alabama
Harvard College had a record low acceptance rate, largely due to record applications
Including both early-action and regular-action applicants, the College offered admission to a total of 14 applicants from Alabama last month, and waitlisted seven others. Nine of the admitted students and 10 of the waitlisted ones came from our Club; the rest were from the Harvard Club of the Mid-Gulf Coast’s geographical area.
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The schools represented by the admitted and waitlisted students from our Club: Auburn High, Brewbaker Technology Magnet, Dothan High, Enterprise High, Hillcrest High, Hoover High, Indian Springs, James Clemens High, Loveless Academy Magnet, Mountain Brook High, Muscle Scholas High, Ramsay High and Vestavia High.
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This year’s admission rate at the College was even lower than last year--3.19 percent, versus 3.4 percent. due to yet another record-high number of applications. There were 1,214 admitted from a pool of 61,220, an increase of nearly 7 percent from last year.
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Families will annual incomes of $75,000 or less (up for $65,000 in 2021) attend Harvard for free. Almost 25 percent of undergraduates qualify to receive a free education. Each of these students also receives a $2,000 "start-up" grant in their first year and Harvard provides aid for low-income students to help with other costs such as health insurance, books, costs to travel home and even winter clothing.
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Roughly 20.5% of the admitted students qualified for federal Pell grants, which are typically awarded to applicants from lower-income backgrounds. Student who will be the first in their families to attend college will represent 20.3 percent of the Class of 2026. Harvard projects 55% of the Class of 2026 will receive need-based grants, paying an average of just $12,800 annually per family.
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Deep-felt thanks to all the alums who volunteered to interview applicants in what was again a tremendous undertaking due to the high volume of applications. We were able to interview 92 percent of applicants in our assigned area, falling short of our goal of 100 percent. Interviewing is an enriching experience for many:
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"I enjoy meeting some of the most engaging young people in our area. The conversations we have invigorate me and keep me coming back as an interviewer.”~ Amanda Adams
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"Because my Harvard experience was a number of years ago, I like to be reminded that there are still young people who think about difficult questions. I also like to find out what kinds of things they are interested in.” ~ Peter Visscher
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“I enjoy telling our students how important it is to explore different areas of the nation and different cultures. Harvard is a great way for our students to grow professionally and personally. I feel proud to know that Alabama is well represented and they are experiencing Harvard.” ~ Shilpa Register.
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To add your name to the interview pool, please contact Schools & Scholarships Chair Loren Gary.
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Finally, a hearty congratulations to all the students admitted from our club’s geographical area. The students have until Monday, May 2 to notify Harvard of their decisions. Once we know their final decisions about matriculation, we’ll start providing profiles in the newsletter.