Harvard Outreach Newsletter

105th Issue, May 2022

In this issue:

First live Commencement ceremony since 2019

On 26th May, Harvard held its first live Commencement (Graduation Day) since 2019. For the previous two years the ceremony had taken place online, and organisers had done their utmost to imbue it with at least some of the razzmatazz of a typical Harvard celebration. But it wasn’t the same. Last Thursday saw the welcome return of many thousands of students, parents and friends to Harvard Yard for a gloriously over-the-top American style outdoor event – a delightful mixture of speeches, music, ceremony and good humour.

Students from Harvard College (the undergraduate school) and Harvard’s 12 graduate schools all attended the same huge outdoor bonanza in Harvard Yard. During the ceremony, students from each school in turn were asked to stand, and were awarded their degrees en masse by the President of Harvard University. The students from the graduate schools often bring items with them relevant to their specialism which they wave in the air when their school is announced, such as dollar bills (Business School), stethoscopes (Medical School), inflatable sharks (Law School), and children’s books (Graduate School of Education).

Harvard President Larry Bacow urges graduating students to embrace the unexpected

Earlier in the week, President Bacow urged graduating students to embrace unexpected opportunities as they progress through their careers, giving a number of examples of the unexpected twists and turns his own career had taken, such as when he was semi-retired after a 10 year stint at Tufts University and was unexpectedly asked to consider becoming a candidate for the President of Harvard. He also congratulated the class on their resilience during the Covid pandemic, when in March 2020 students had been sent home to continue their studies online for the best part of two years. He commented:

“Your class has been tested in ways that few others have been. You’ve demonstrated extraordinary resilience and patience, both skills that will serve you well as you prepare for life after Harvard. Based upon what I have seen of you and how you have met this moment, I have great faith that you, like those who came before you, will find your way, and will make your mark on the world. I don’t think I have ever been prouder of any graduating class at any University that I’ve been affiliated with than the Harvard College Class of 2022.”

Harvard President Larry Bacow

Jacinda Ardern warns that democracies can die

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warned that democracies can die in her speech at the Commencement ceremony, shortly after receiving the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. She commented:

“When facts and fiction have become a matter of opinion and the trust that underlies democracies is being eroded, blind faith in the resilience of democratic governance is shortsighted.

“It ignores the fact that the foundation of a strong democracy includes trust in institutions, experts, and government — and that this can be built up over decades but torn down in mere years. It ignores what happens when, regardless of how long your democracy has been tried and tested, facts are turned into fiction and fiction turned into fact. … It ignores the reality of what we are now being confronted by every single day.”

New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern

Ardern laid part of the blame for misinformation on social media platforms, noting that the killer who murdered 51 people in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019 had been radicalized online.

Admissions update for the 2023-26 application cycles (graduating classes of 2027-30)

Harvard College has announced application changes for the Harvard College Classes of 2027-30. Students will continue to be able to apply to Harvard without requiring SAT or ACT scores for the next four application cycles. Consistent with Harvard’s whole person application process, standardised tests will remain just one factor among many reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Accomplishments in and out of the classroom during the high school years – including extracurricular activities, community involvement, employment, and family responsibilities – will also be considered. Students who do not submit standardised test scores will not be disadvantaged in the application process. Applicants will be considered on the basis of what they have presented, and students will be encouraged to send whatever materials they believe would convey their accomplishments in secondary school and their promise for the future. Please read our Application Requirements before you start to put together your application. The main components are:

Application Form. We accept the Common Application and the Coalition for College. Both are treated equally by the Admissions Committee. Harvard and many other colleges also require their own supplement to be completed in addition to the main application form.
School Reports and Teacher Recommendations – submitted with the application.
Student Essay– part of the application form.
Supplementary Materials – videos of music, dance or drama performances; art portfolios; examples of published writing – poetry, articles, short stories etc.
Standardised Test Scores (now optional at Harvard – see above).
Informal alumni interview in the UK – since the Covid restrictions, these have been undertaken remotely by Zoom, WhatsApp or phone.

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