When do Harvard regular decision results get released?
I’m a current senior and applied to Harvard under the regular decision round. Lately, I’ve been getting pretty anxious about waiting for their decision, and I was wondering if anyone knows the exact date they usually release the results.
Is it the same date every year, or does it change? If someone who has gone through the process before can share their experience, I’d really appreciate it. I want to make sure I don’t miss anything important, especially because I have other options I’m considering and I want to plan accordingly.
Also, do they typically send the decisions all at once during the day, or is it at a specific time? I’ve heard rumors that the emails come out in the afternoon, but I’m not sure if that’s true. Any info would be super helpful while I (impatiently) wait!
Is it the same date every year, or does it change? If someone who has gone through the process before can share their experience, I’d really appreciate it. I want to make sure I don’t miss anything important, especially because I have other options I’m considering and I want to plan accordingly.
Also, do they typically send the decisions all at once during the day, or is it at a specific time? I’ve heard rumors that the emails come out in the afternoon, but I’m not sure if that’s true. Any info would be super helpful while I (impatiently) wait!
3 months ago
•
164 views
Luis Nario-Malberg
• 3 months ago
Advisor
Harvard typically releases its regular decision results at the end of March each year. While the exact date can vary slightly, it's almost always during the last week of March—recent years have seen decisions announced anywhere from March 28 to March 31.
The official decision time is pretty consistent: Harvard usually posts decisions at 7:00 PM Eastern Time, and you'll receive an email prompting you to check your applicant portal. The emails are sent all at once, so everyone who applied in that round gets the notification simultaneously. For example, last year, applicants received an email around 7:00 PM ET on March 30, letting them know the decision was available in their online portal.
It can be stressful waiting, but Harvard does send reminders and updates as you get closer to the announcement date. Be sure to keep an eye on both your email and the application portal in late March. Make sure your login information is handy and that you’ve checked your spam/promotions folder settings so nothing slips through the cracks.
To give a personal example, a student I helped last cycle spent the afternoon of the decision day doing something distracting—watching a favorite movie—before logging in right at the scheduled time. They found this much less stressful than refreshing the page all afternoon. So, if you want to avoid building up too much anxiety during the wait, consider planning something fun or relaxing on that afternoon and set a reminder for yourself to check your email at 7:00 PM ET.
Best of luck with your results, and I hope you get good news! If you have multiple options, you’ll typically have until May 1 to make your final decision, so you'll still have time to consider all your choices carefully.
The official decision time is pretty consistent: Harvard usually posts decisions at 7:00 PM Eastern Time, and you'll receive an email prompting you to check your applicant portal. The emails are sent all at once, so everyone who applied in that round gets the notification simultaneously. For example, last year, applicants received an email around 7:00 PM ET on March 30, letting them know the decision was available in their online portal.
It can be stressful waiting, but Harvard does send reminders and updates as you get closer to the announcement date. Be sure to keep an eye on both your email and the application portal in late March. Make sure your login information is handy and that you’ve checked your spam/promotions folder settings so nothing slips through the cracks.
To give a personal example, a student I helped last cycle spent the afternoon of the decision day doing something distracting—watching a favorite movie—before logging in right at the scheduled time. They found this much less stressful than refreshing the page all afternoon. So, if you want to avoid building up too much anxiety during the wait, consider planning something fun or relaxing on that afternoon and set a reminder for yourself to check your email at 7:00 PM ET.
Best of luck with your results, and I hope you get good news! If you have multiple options, you’ll typically have until May 1 to make your final decision, so you'll still have time to consider all your choices carefully.
Luis Nario-Malberg
Mooresville, North Carolina
Harvard College, Class of 2018, A.B. in Philosophy
Experience
5 years