Harvard

School of Engineering
Quick Guide for
Prospective Undergraduates and Applied Sciences
www.seas.harvard.edu/admit

The Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences serves as the connector and integrator of Harvard’s teaching and
research efforts in engineering, applied sciences, and technology.

Our core tenets—educating broad-minded students;

interdisciplinary research; integration across
disciplines; and balancing theory, experimentation,
and practice—create an unmatched environment
for learning and exploration.
engineering a renaissance » entrepreneurship that goes beyond theory—Harvard stu-
dents have created world-class companies such as Micro-
seas is designed to create “renaissance engineers,” or students
soft, and most recently undergraduate Mark Zuckerberg
who excel in applied science but also have a broad knowledge
made facebooking (www.thefacebook.com) part of the
of other disciplines.
nation’s vocabulary
All undergraduates, regardless of concentration, must take
classes in several categories: foreign cultures, historical study, » a dynamic hub—links to fields such as physics, chemistry,
and biology and to professions such as medicine
literature and the arts, moral reasoning, quantitative reason-
and business.
ing, science, and social analysis.
And because students in engineering and applied sciences
are part of a liberal arts environment, they interact with stu- learning without boundaries
dents from completely different concentrations in their dorms,
houses, dining halls, and student centers. Broadly speaking, studying engineering and applied sciences
at Harvard will give you a set of tools that you can use to tackle
any problem. Past concentrators have…
unparalleled resources
» applied their love of music with engineering, creating an
Conduct research. Publish in leading journals. Start a com- automatic page turner for piano players
pany. What our faculty do, our students do. We emphasize a » aligned their interest in medicine with an understanding of
hands-on, immersive approach to engineering and applied the stresses and strains put on bones
sciences. That means… » combined their love of flying with personal transport, creat-
ing a simulator and physical prototype for a cycleplane
» small classes—an average 5:1 student-faculty ratio
» unmatched access—the latest tools and technologies (such » applied computer science expertise to legal issues like
privacy and security, commerce systems like P2P, or next-
as grid computing), cutting-edge research (from nanopar-
generation tools like software agents
ticles to sensor motes), and talks by world-class thinkers and
leaders (from Bill Gates to Bill Clinton) » blended their skill in debate and diplomacy with an under-
standing of the scientific issues in environmental engineer-
» boundless opportunities to conduct research—in 2006, 700
ing like ozone depletion and the technology behind renew-
undergraduates received over $1,000,000 for research from
able fuels.
the office of financial aid alone
an entryway to everything Profile
Year Founded: 1847 (as the Number of Students:
Our graduates are sought by industry and enter top graduate
Lawrence Scientific School) Undergraduate 306 (5:1 student-
programs (not only in engineering but in related fields like faculty ratio); Graduate 346.
Dean: Venkatesh Narayanamurti
chemistry and biology). Past alumnae have used their skills Student Body: Undergraduate Over
to become… Undergraduate Concentrations
40% of students are minorities
(A.B., S.B., A.B./S.M.):
(including Asian) or foreign
» NASA astronauts—Stephanie Wilson, ’88 S.B., served as a » Applied Mathematics (including
as a secondary field)
nationals; 35% of students are
crew member for Space Shuttle mission STS-121; » Computer Science (including as a
women. Graduate 16% of students
» computer-graphics animators—a lead lighting designer for secondary field)
are minorities; 43% are foreign
nationals; 24% of students
Pixar, Danielle Feinberg ’96 led the team that rendered the » Engineering Sciences (ABET
are women.
accredited)
aquatic universe in “Finding Nemo” and that most recently
• Biomedical Sciences and Admissions: The Harvard College
worked on “The Incredibles”; Engineering class of 2011was selected from a
» bakery owner/pastry chefs—Joanne Chang ’91, a graduate • Electrical Engineering and pool of nearly 23,000 applicants
with a degree in applied mathematics and economics, left Computer Science (over 50% of whom are women).
• Environmental Sciences and Over 50% of the class expects to
a career as a management consultant to enter the world of Engineering concentrate in the sciences. 11%
professional cooking and now runs Flour Bakery and Café • Engineering Physics of the entering class lean toward
in Boston’s South End. • Mechanical and Materials engineering and computer science.
Sciences and Engineering
Sponsored Research:
Others have founded high-tech companies, joined emerging Graduate Programs $37.5 million
science-based startups, and used their quantitative skills to enter (S.M., M.E., Ph.D.):
Campus: Six buildings (over
a wide array of fields like finance and banking. • Applied Mathematics
400,000 square feet). The
• Applied Physics
Laboratory for Integrated Sciences
• Bioengineering
and Engineering was completed
• Computer Science
the hub within the hub: • Electrical Engineering
in 2007; the Northwest Building
(interdisciplinary science and
life in cambridge and boston • Environmental Sciences and
engineering) is due to open
Engineering
in 2008.
Studying engineering, applied sciences, and technology at • Mechanical Engineering
Harvard allows students to be a part of one of the greatest • Information, Technology, and Staff on Campus: 160
Management
intellectual centers in the world. In addition, being part of Number of Affiliated Graduates:
big-city life, Harvard’s residential program creates small com- Faculty: Full-time 73; Over 6,000
total participating 87.
munities that encourage students to learn from one another.
In keeping with our emphasis on broad-minded learn-
ing, the engineering and applied science programs cater to Admissions & More Information
students at multiple levels. While the material is rigorous, even
the most dedicated scholars will still have time to take other Admission to the College is decided without reference
courses (nearly 4,500), play sports (41 NCAA varsity athletic to your need for financial aid. If you are accepted, an aid
teams), do hobbies (11 a cappella groups alone), and enjoy package meeting your full need will be offered. Housing is
everything the area has to offer in general. provided for four years of residence.

For more information about applying to Harvard, call

617-495-1551 or visit www.admissions.college.havard.edu