Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA), is one of the world's most highly praised and successful universities, well known for academic excellence, research leadership, and global influence. It offers over 50 undergraduate programmes across the arts, sciences, and many other fields.

Admission to Harvard is extremely competitive, with an average acceptance rate of around 3.5%. Applicants from New Zealand apply directly through the Common Application and must submit their Year 12 and 13 academic transcripts. Strong academic achievement in NCEA (typically Excellence endorsements in most subjects) or equivalent qualifications (e.g., Cambridge A Levels) is essential. While tests like the SAT are optional, submitting strong SAT scores (if available) may strengthen your application.

Applicants must also submit personal essays, extracurricular profiles, and teacher references. Harvard uses a holistic admissions process, evaluating academic ability, leadership, extracurricular involvement, and character (who you are as a person and what your strengths are). There are no quotas by country (meaning there is no limit to the amount of students Harvard accepts from each country), and New Zealand students are assessed in the same pool as all other international students applying to Harvard.

Harvard's tuition cost can go up to around $100,000 nzd per year. However, Harvard is very generous for international students and guarantees to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need. Most families earning under USD $85,000 ($145,000 NZD) annually are expected to contribute little to nothing. Financial aid does not need to be repaid as it is a gift not a loan making the school 100% accessible to anyone who is accepted.