Is Harvard generally harder to get into than UT Austin?

Yes. Harvard is substantially harder to gain admission to than UT Austin overall, including for very strong applicants. Harvard admits an exceptionally small share of applicants nationwide and internationally, and nearly every admitted student has a highly rigorous academic record plus unusual distinction, impact, or accomplishment outside the classroom.

Harvard is the reach for students whose profiles combine top-level coursework and grades with a distinctive intellectual, creative, community, athletic, or research dimension. Even applicants with near-perfect academics should treat it as unpredictable because the applicant pool is filled with similarly qualified students.

UT Austin is also highly selective, but its process is shaped much more by Texas residency and major choice.

For a Texas resident with strong grades, UT Austin may be a realistic target or likely option depending on class rank and major; Harvard remains a high reach. For an out-of-state applicant seeking a capacity-constrained UT Austin major, UT can become a reach too, but it is still not comparable to Harvard’s overall level of selectivity.