Does anyone have experience applying to Harvard as an A.B. candidate?
I'm currently putting together my application for Harvard, and I noticed they offer different degree options, like A.B. and S.B. I'm mostly interested in humanities and social sciences, so the A.B. seems like the route I'd take.
Can someone explain if applying as an A.B. candidate affects my application at all? Is there anything I should keep in mind or highlight on my app if that's the path I want to follow? I want to make sure I'm approaching everything the right way, and get a sense of how the degree choice factors into admissions, if at all.
Would love to know about others' experiences or advice from people who thought about or chose the A.B. at Harvard!
Can someone explain if applying as an A.B. candidate affects my application at all? Is there anything I should keep in mind or highlight on my app if that's the path I want to follow? I want to make sure I'm approaching everything the right way, and get a sense of how the degree choice factors into admissions, if at all.
Would love to know about others' experiences or advice from people who thought about or chose the A.B. at Harvard!
6 months ago
•
22 views
Luis Nario-Malberg
• 6 months ago
Advisor
Applying to Harvard as an A.B. (Artium Baccalaureus, or Bachelor of Arts) candidate is a great fit for students interested in the humanities and social sciences. The main difference between A.B. and S.B. is the focus: A.B. is generally for the arts, humanities, and social sciences, while S.B. (Bachelor of Science) is for more technical or science-heavy fields like engineering.
When it comes to the application itself, your intended degree (A.B. vs S.B.) doesn’t lock you in to anything, nor does it significantly influence your chances of admission. Harvard uses a liberal arts curriculum and expects students to explore broadly. Many students change their focus while at Harvard, and the admissions team is used to people switching between potential concentrations. The designation at the application stage is mostly about letting the admissions office know the academic areas you’re most drawn to.
On your application or essays, what matters is how you communicate your genuine intellectual interests. If you’re applying as an A.B. candidate, you can highlight your passion for subjects like history, philosophy, political science, literature, or any social science. Describe in detail what excites you about your chosen field, what you’ve done to pursue it (projects, clubs, readings, independent research), and how you hope to grow in that area at Harvard.
For example, if you’re deeply involved in debate and want to major in Government, you could talk about specific competitions you participated in, or how preparing arguments taught you to analyze issues from multiple perspectives. If literature is your passion, mention a summer when you tackled reading through Shakespeare’s works or how you started a writing club at your school. These stories help build a clear narrative for your application as an A.B. candidate.
The admissions committee is really looking for students who are curious, engaged, and driven, no matter the degree they pursue. So, it’s less about the choice of A.B. versus S.B., and more about how you communicate why that field is meaningful for you.
Reach out if you have more questions about specific majors or how to express your interests in your application materials!
When it comes to the application itself, your intended degree (A.B. vs S.B.) doesn’t lock you in to anything, nor does it significantly influence your chances of admission. Harvard uses a liberal arts curriculum and expects students to explore broadly. Many students change their focus while at Harvard, and the admissions team is used to people switching between potential concentrations. The designation at the application stage is mostly about letting the admissions office know the academic areas you’re most drawn to.
On your application or essays, what matters is how you communicate your genuine intellectual interests. If you’re applying as an A.B. candidate, you can highlight your passion for subjects like history, philosophy, political science, literature, or any social science. Describe in detail what excites you about your chosen field, what you’ve done to pursue it (projects, clubs, readings, independent research), and how you hope to grow in that area at Harvard.
For example, if you’re deeply involved in debate and want to major in Government, you could talk about specific competitions you participated in, or how preparing arguments taught you to analyze issues from multiple perspectives. If literature is your passion, mention a summer when you tackled reading through Shakespeare’s works or how you started a writing club at your school. These stories help build a clear narrative for your application as an A.B. candidate.
The admissions committee is really looking for students who are curious, engaged, and driven, no matter the degree they pursue. So, it’s less about the choice of A.B. versus S.B., and more about how you communicate why that field is meaningful for you.
Reach out if you have more questions about specific majors or how to express your interests in your application materials!
Luis Nario-Malberg
Mooresville, North Carolina
Harvard College, Class of 2018, A.B. in Philosophy
Experience
5 years