A concentration within the College
Harvard says students choose a concentration, its word for a major. The pages read describe no separate application to East Asian Studies.
Undergraduate · Harvard College
Harvard East Asian Studies: a language, a tutorial sequence and a senior thesis
Harvard College admits students to the College, and East Asian Studies is one of the concentrations they can choose once enrolled. Harvard says it combines language skills with a tutorial programme and a choice of lecture courses and seminars, running from an introductory tutorial in sophomore year to junior tutorials and a senior-year thesis seminar. This guide makes no claim of a separate application.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Harvard says about Harvard East Asian Studies
Taken from Harvard's Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations home page, Harvard College's Concentrations page and Application Requirements page, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Harvard's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Language is built in
A concentrator develops skills in a language, and Harvard encourages students to begin language study in their first semester if possible.
A tutorial sequence
EASTD 97 is normally taken in sophomore year, junior tutorials lead to a substantial research paper and EASTD 99ab supports the senior thesis.
Texts and voices from the region
Harvard says the concentration examines East Asian cultures by foregrounding texts and voices from the region, past and present.
Calculus is not an admission requirement
Harvard says it views math records holistically with no specific course required, and calculus is not required for admission.
The SAT or ACT is required
Harvard requires one of them; A-level and IB school reports carry predicted grades.
Official sources
- Harvard College: Concentrations (Liberal Arts & Sciences)college.harvard.edu
- Harvard Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizationsealc.fas.harvard.edu
- Harvard College: Application Requirementscollege.harvard.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on Harvard's Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations home page, Harvard College's Concentrations page and Application Requirements page, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Harvard's course catalogue, the full requirement lists, fees, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The concentration
What the East Asian Studies concentration teaches
Harvard's concentrations page says East Asian Studies seeks a critical understanding of the human experience in East Asia, from political and social life to religious traditions, philosophy and literatures, and the dilemmas of modernity. A concentrator develops skills in a language, takes part in the tutorial programme and chooses from lecture courses and seminars. Language offerings include Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese. The tutorial programme begins with EASTD 97, continues with junior tutorials that produce a substantial research paper and leads to EASTD 99ab, a senior-year thesis seminar.
Is it the right concentration?
East Asian Studies beside Anthropology and History and Literature
Harvard lists these as separate concentrations, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
East Asian Studies fits if
you want a regional study built on a language and on texts and voices from the region.
Anthropology fits if
you want archaeology or social anthropology. Harvard lists it as a separate concentration.
History and Literature fits if
you want primary-source tutorials. Harvard lists it as a separate concentration.
Admission and testing
A College application, an SAT or ACT, and predicted grades
Harvard requires the SAT or ACT, and accepts other results such as the IB or A levels only in exceptional cases when those tests are not accessible. Schools on the IB or A-level curriculum are expected to send predicted grades. Harvard says calculus is not required for admission and no specific math course is required. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Harvard's.
Which language will you start with?
Harvard lists Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese, among others, and encourages starting in the first semester.
Are you ready for a sustained research sequence?
The tutorials lead from EASTD 97 to junior research papers and a senior thesis seminar.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT with your A levels or IB?
Harvard requires one of them for first-year applicants.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Harvard's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Harvard's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 1 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Harvard has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Harvard for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the East Asian Studies entry on Harvard's concentrations page and the department page, and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Harvard College or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Harvard College. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Harvard East Asian Studies?
The pages read describe admission to Harvard College. Students choose a concentration, Harvard's word for a major, once enrolled.
Do I need to know an East Asian language before applying?
The pages read describe no language prerequisite for admission to the College. Harvard encourages concentrators to begin language study in their first semester if possible.
How does the tutorial programme run?
It begins with EASTD 97, normally in sophomore year, continues with junior tutorials such as EASTD 98 and leads to EASTD 99ab, a senior-year seminar for theses.
Do I need calculus before applying?
Harvard says calculus is not a requirement for admission and that no specific math course is required.
Do I need the SAT or ACT with A levels or the IB?
Harvard requires the SAT or ACT; IB or A-level results meet the requirement only in exceptional cases when those tests are not accessible.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Harvard's wording with no entry-year label. Check Harvard's pages again when Harvard publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Harvard East Asian Studies
Tell us about the student's curriculum, the languages and regions that interest them, their reading and writing, and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.