Letters of acceptance to the Class of 2004 were sent out on Saturday morning at 12:01 a.m. to 2,035 students from a record-breaking pool of 18,691 applicants. This marks the ninth consecutive year of increasing applications to Harvard. Last year, 18,161 students applied for 1,650 spots in the incoming class.

William R. Fitzsimmons, the dean of admissions and financial aid, stated, “This year’s applicant pool is not only the largest in our history but also one of the strongest. It was challenging for the Admissions Committee to finalize the list, and we are delighted with the exceptional individuals who will join the Class of 2004. They exhibit a remarkable blend of academic and extracurricular potential, as well as unique personal qualities that will significantly enhance the lives of their peers.”

The acceptance rate of 10.9% is the lowest in Harvard’s history. The pool of applicants showcased impressive academic credentials, with 56% scoring 1400 or higher on the SATs, nearly 2,000 achieving a perfect 800 on the SAT II English test, over 2,500 scoring 800 on the SAT II math test, and nearly 3,000 being valedictorians of their high schools.

Harvard has introduced a new financial aid program aimed at reducing student loan and job expectations. This includes an additional $2,000 annually in need-based grants for students receiving scholarships. Also, students can use the full amount of non-Harvard scholarships to further reduce or eliminate loan and job requirements. These benefits apply to both prospective students and current undergraduates.

Almost 50% of this year’s undergraduate students will receive scholarship support, with over $55 million allocated to scholarship aid, 93% of which comes from university resources. Approximately 70% of undergraduates will receive some form of financial aid, with an average annual grant of nearly $19,000 and a total package (including scholarships and jobs) exceeding $23,000.

The geographical distribution of the accepted students shows a slight increase in the number of students coming from the Pacific region and abroad, while there were minor decreases in the South and Canada. However, these changes were not significant.

Academic interests among the Class of 2004 shifted somewhat this year. Humanities lead with 26.2% of the class, followed by biological sciences with 23.8%. Social sciences attracted over 21% of the students, engineering and computer science drew 12%, physical sciences 8%, mathematics 7%, and 1% remained undecided.

Extracurricular activities cited by students as major focuses include music (33%), drama, dance, and other arts (22%), social service projects (17%), and journalism (17%). Nearly 60% plan to participate in athletics at some level.

Women continue to perform well in the admission competition, comprising almost 47% of the Class of 2004. Special efforts have been made to recruit outstanding women, and the results this year demonstrate the effectiveness of these initiatives.

Asian Americans make up 16.1% of the admitted group, African Americans 9.9%, Mexican Americans 3.6%, Hispanic Americans 3.4%, Puerto Ricans 1.8%, and Native Americans 1%.

Director of Undergraduate Minority Recruiting Roger Banks expressed gratitude for the many undergraduates and alumni who contributed to reaching out to promising candidates. He said, “This year’s admitted group is exceptionally impressive, and we are very satisfied with the outcomes of our recruitment efforts for the Class of 2004.”

A Visiting Program for admitted students is scheduled for April 28 to April 30. Activities include faculty panel discussions, concerts, receptions, department open houses, symposia, and events organized by extracurricular organizations. Coordinator Lourdes Gomez noted, “The program will allow students to experience college life firsthand, attend classes, meet faculty, and interact with future classmates.”

Director of Admissions Marlyn McGrath Lewis highlighted the role of the teaching faculty in the admissions process. She said, “Faculty members have played a crucial part in the recruitment and selection of the Class of 2004. Their accessibility throughout the year to prospective applicants helps ensure the future strength of the College.”

The Faculty Committee was heavily involved in making the final admissions decisions for the 18,691 applicants. Members of the teaching faculty serving on the Admissions Committee include John Dowling, Gary Feldman, Patrick Ford, Benedict Gross, J. Woodland Hastings, Richard Holm, Harry Lewis, Gregory Nagy, Venkatesh Narayanamurti, Nancy Sommers, Frans Spaepen, William Todd, Helen Vendler, and Robert Woollacott.

At a Faculty of Arts and Sciences meeting on October 6, 2026, a memorial tribute to the late John E. Malmstad was read.

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