The most frequently asked questions that the Office of Admissions receives have been compiled and sorted into the categories below. Please also visit the Financial Aid FAQ page.
Requirements
Q: I don't have a background in design--can I apply?
Q: Do I need to take specific courses during my undergraduate studies
to prepare to apply?
Q: What if I haven't met one of the course prerequisites? Can I still
apply?
Q: What kind of physics course (for the first professional degree in
architecture) are you looking for?
Application Process
Q: I'm currently enrolled in another graduate school. Can I transfer
credits?
Q: Do all materials need to arrive at the GSD by the deadline?
Q: Does the GSD have any sample portfolios?
Q: Are interviews required?
Q: When should I take the GRE?
Q: Can I waive the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)? Can I substitute
another exam? How important is the GRE?
Q: Is there a cut-off point for the GPA or GRE scores?
Q: Can I apply for more than one program at the same time?
Q: Is it possible to pursue concurrent degrees?
Transcripts and Recommendations
Q: How do I submit my transcript(s)? Do I need to send an official copy with my application?
Q: How should I submit letters of recommendation to the GSD? Is there a form that goes with the letter?
Q:One of my recommenders is really unfamiliar with technology. Can he or she send a paper recommendation or do I have to select someone else?
Q: Can I submit more than three recommendations? On the online application form there are only three slots to type in names.
Miscellaneous
Q: I'm not a U.S. citizen. Is there financial aid available?
Q: Will I be able to be a teaching fellow?
Q: Can I do two degrees at the same time?
Q : I would like to take a few courses at the GSD. Is this
possible?
Q: What are the student demographics of the GSD?
Q: How can I earn money while I'm a student?
Q: Is there any career advising or help finding a job once I graduate?
Q: What kind of computer resources are there?
If I'm Admitted
Q: When will I hear?
Q: Is it possible to defer?
Q: When would I hear about financial aid?
Q: I've been admitted to the MArch I program, and I do not have a design
background. Does the GSD offer any basic drawing courses over the summer?
Q: Where do most students live? Are there dorms?
Q: I don't have a background in design--can I apply?
A: Yes. Our first professional degrees (MArch I, MLA I, MUP) do not require a previous design background, although a four-year bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree, or its equivalent, is required in order to apply. For architecture and landscape architecture you will need to submit a portfolio as part of the admissions process, however, so some preparation in drawing will be needed. The Master in Urban Planning program does not require a design portfolio.
Q: Do I need to take specific courses during my undergraduate studies to prepare to apply?
A: For the first professional degrees in Architecture and Landscape Architecture, specific courses are required.
Q: What if I haven't met one of the course prerequisites? Can I still apply?
A: Yes, you can still apply. If you are admitted but have not completed one of the prerequisites, you would be admitted conditionally and would need to fulfill the prerequisite before you matriculate. In other words, if you don't have any courses in physics or calculus (required for the professional degree in Architecture), you could be admitted but would have to take the courses the summer before you enroll.
Q: I will complete my undergraduate degree in May of 2007. Can I apply for fall 2007?
A: Yes. If you are admitted, you will need to send us a final transcript from your school that shows the degree received.
Q: What kind of physics course (for the first professional degree in architecture) are you looking for?
A: Mechanical physics is preferred, with a focus on heat, light, and sound.
Q: I'm currently enrolled in another graduate school. Can I transfer credits?
A: No, the GSD does not accept transfer credits for work completed at another institution.
Q: Do all materials need to arrive at the GSD by the deadline?
A: Yes. All application materials and supporting documents must be received by the Office of Admissions on or before the appropriate application deadline, including GRE and TOEFL scores (if applicable). It is NOT a postmark deadline. Be sure to give your recommenders plenty of advance notice.
Q: Does the GSD have any sample portfolios?
A: No, we do not have any sample portfolios. A wide variety of design work and portfolio styles are submitted; there is no one type of correct or successful portfolio.
Q: Are interviews required?
A: Interviews are not required, although you are welcome and encouraged to visit the school. An Admissions Open House is scheduled each fall at the GSD, normally the first or second Friday in November, but you may also call the Admissions Office at 617-495-5453 to schedule a visit at another time.
Q: When should I take the GRE?
A: GRE scores must be received by the Office of Admissions on or before the deadline for the program to which you are applying. Please allow sufficient time for scores to reach us. Results of the computer-based examinations are mailed to the GSD approximately 10-15 days after testing; results of paper-based examinations take a minimum of eight weeks to reach the GSD.
Q: Can I waive the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)? Can I substitute another exam? How important is the GRE?
A: It is not possible to waive the GRE. All applicants must take it, although applicants to the area of Project Management or the area of Real Estate Studies in the degree program Master in Design Studies may submit the GRE or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Test scores are one more tool by which to evaluate an applicant. Keep in mind that the committee is also looking closely at your transcripts, recommendations, essay, resume, and portfolio.
Q: Is there a cut-off point for the GPA or GRE scores?
A: We do not have a cut-off point for the GPA or GRE scores. Although successful applicants normally have at least a 3.0 or above for the GPA, and we prefer 600 and above for the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE (4.5 and above for analytical writing), we encourage you to apply whether or not you meet these guidelines. Keep in mind that all components of the application are taken into consideration.
Q: Can I apply for more than one program at the same time?
A: Yes. You will need to submit a separate application form, portfolio, essay, and fee for each program. If you wish to share materials between your files (transcripts, etc.), please send a note with your application explaining what should be shared.
Q: Is it possible to pursue concurrent degrees?
A: Students may pursue concurrently two degrees offered by the Design School. In order to pursue concurrent degrees, a student must be admitted into each degree program independently. (Admission to or enrollment in one program does not guarantee acceptance by another.) If admitted to both programs, students must file an approved plan of study with the registrar before beginning their studies. The minimum full-time residency for concurrent degree programs is one academic year more than the residency requirement of the longer of the two programs.
Transcripts and Recommendations
Q: How do I submit my transcript(s)? Do I need to send an official copy with my application?
A: Transcripts should be submitted electronically through the online application. Applicants should scan a copy of their transcript(s), and these documents can then be uploaded into the online application (for more detailed instructions on how to complete the upload process, please see the documents/essays step in the online application). During the application process, it is not necessary to send an official transcript. Applicants are only required to submit official transcripts, sent directly from their previous institution to the GSD, after they are admitted and decide to enroll at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Q: How should I submit letters of recommendation to the GSD? Is there a form that goes with the letter?
A: All letters of recommendation should be submitted electronically through the online application. In the online application under Step 4: Recommendations, applicants are given the opportunity to register recommenders after answering a set of preliminary questions. Once a recommender has been registered, the online application will automatically send them an e-mail message indicating the recommendation request and giving them the necessary instructions and links to complete the recommendation. They will be directed to complete and online form and given the opportunity to upload a letter.
Q:One of my recommenders is really unfamiliar with technology. Can he or she send a paper recommendation or do I have to select someone else?
A: : If at all possible, all recommendations should be completed using the electronic method. However, to accommodate a recommender who is not adept at using technology, a paper option is possible. In the Instructions section of the online application, under Application Instructions, there is a pdf document which includes the recommendation form. This form should be printed and given to the recommender, who should attach his or her own letter. Both pieces should be sealed in an envelope with the recommender’s signature across the seal and sent to GSD Admissions, 48 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. The applicant should then notify the GSD Admissions Office that he or she is using this exception to the normal procedure, so that the paper recommendation can be matched up with the electronic application.
Q: Can I submit more than three recommendations? On the online application form there are only three slots to type in names.
A: Yes. Up to five recommendations can be submitted. Even though the application form only has three slots for recommenders, you are able to register up to five in the Recommendations section (step 4) of the online application.
Q: I'm not a U.S. citizen. Is there financial aid available?
A: Starting with the fall 2008 entering class, admitted international masters students will be eligible for limited grant assistance. Aid grants will be need-based. (Admitted international doctoral students will continue to be eligible for aid assistance.) Qualified international students also are eligible for loan assistance and GSD-financed work-study funds.
Q: Will I be able to be a teaching fellow?
A: Doctoral students are eligible to serve as teaching fellows in lecture courses. Master's students are eligible to work as teaching assistants, helping faculty in both studio and lecture courses. Research assistants work with faculty on sponsored projects.
Q: Can I do two degrees at the same time?
A: It is possible to do two GSD degrees (concurrent degrees) or two degrees within Harvard (joint degrees). In both instances, you need to apply to each program and be admitted independently to each program. If you are admitted to two GSD degree programs and decide to do both, you would work with the GSD Registrar to plan a course of study, which must be approved by both departments. Your program would be, at minimum, a year longer than the longest program. If you were admitted to programs at two different Harvard graduate schools, you would confer with the Registrar of each school to work out an acceptable plan of study. This arrangement is only possible with Harvard degree programs.
Q: I would like to take a few courses at the GSD. Is this possible?
A: You must be enrolled in a full-time degree program in order to take courses at the GSD. However, the school does offer intensive courses and workshops for GSD graduates and other design professionals through its executive education programs. And for those considering a career in design, Career Discovery is an intensive, six-week summer program that allows you to experience what education and work are like in the design professions.
Q: What are the student demographics of the GSD?
A: The GSD has a little over 500 students. About half of our students are women; one-quarter are minority; and one-third are international. The average age is 27.
Q: How can I earn money while I'm a student?
A: There are a number of work opportunities for students: work-study jobs in GSD and other Harvard offices; working with practitioners in local firms; teaching in the summer Career Discovery program; serving as teaching fellows in lecture courses (doctoral students only); working as a teaching assistant to faculty in both studio and lecture courses, or as a research assistant to faculty working on sponsored projects; resident assistant in the dorm during the summer Career Discovery program; foreign students can apply for an emergency work-study award; the Summer Community Service program provides approximately 20 students with jobs in agencies and community grassroots organizations.
Q: Is there any career advising or help finding a job once I graduate?
A: The Career Services Office provides a variety of resources and services to students.
Q: What kind of computer resources are there?
A: Please see the Computer Resources page.
Q: When will I hear?
A: Applicants will receive a decision letter by the last week of March. Admitted students also will receive financial aid information (if they applied for financial aid) along with a variety of materials about housing, student groups, etc. Students offered admission must let us know their decision by April 15. An open house for admitted student is scheduled each April.
Q: Is it possible to defer?
A: No. The GSD does not grant deferrals, so you would need to reapply if you are admitted but unable to attend. If you reapply within two years of the original application, your application materials will still be on file.
Q: When would I hear about financial aid?
A: If you submit all the appropriate financial aid materials, you will receive information about financial aid with your decision letter.
Q: I've been admitted to the MArch I program, and I do not have a design background. Does the GSD offer any basic drawing courses over the summer?
A: The GSD offers an optional drawing skills course to incoming first semester architecture students. Scheduled in the fall for the two weeks before classes begin, the course is taught by upper-level GSD students and provides an introduction to basic skills in drawing and model building, primarily to students with non-architectural backgrounds. Information about this course, as well as a digital media skills course, will be sent to incoming students in May.
Q: Where do most students live? Are there dorms?
A: Most students live off-campus, in shared apartments in Cambridge or a nearby town. The GSD has 40 rooms available to its students in the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences dorms. An application for one of those rooms is included in admission packets. Returning students are also eligible to apply for those dorm rooms, although preference is given to incoming students. Another graduate dorm, Cronkhite, is also available to our students, as is university-owned housing. The Harvard Housing Office handles university-owned housing. Harvard Housing also has listings of apartments that are available locally (not Harvard-owned). Many students find housing through these listings. The GSD also has an on-line housing bulletin board available to Design School students.