A concentration within the College
Harvard says students choose a concentration, its word for a major. The pages read describe no separate application to Statistics.
Undergraduate · Harvard College
Harvard Statistics: uncertainty and data, chosen within the College
Harvard College admits students to the College, and Statistics is one of the concentrations they can choose once enrolled. Harvard describes the concentration as helping students quantify uncertainty and make sense of complex data, and its department says requirements can be met through any of four tracks. For an A-level or IB applicant, the useful questions are what the degree contains, how it differs from Applied Mathematics, and what Harvard's pages say about mathematics and testing. This guide makes no claim of a separate application to Statistics.
Official information · read 31 October 2026, no entry-year label
What Harvard says about Harvard Statistics
Taken from Harvard College's Concentrations page, the Department of Statistics undergraduate page and the Application Requirements page, read on 31 October 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.
Four tracks fulfil the requirements
The department says concentration requirements are fulfilled via any of four tracks, and offers a secondary field for students focused on another discipline.
Probability, then inference, then models
Gateway courses include Statistics 110, 111 and 139, which Harvard highly recommends taking sequentially after one introductory course.
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 Statistics: Undergraduatestatistics.fas.harvard.edu
- Harvard College: Application Requirementscollege.harvard.edu
Read on 31 October 2026 on Harvard College's Concentrations page, the Department of Statistics undergraduate page and the Application Requirements page, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Harvard's course catalogue, the four degree-track pages, the Statistics FAQ and the secondary-field requirements, fees, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The concentration
What the Statistics concentration teaches
Harvard's concentrations page describes statistics as organised around methods for collecting and analysing data, decisions under uncertainty and the modelling of randomness, with applications from medicine to economics. The learning goal is conceptual, computational and mathematical tools for quantifying uncertainty. The gateway courses start with one introduction, Statistics 100, 102 or 104 (only one counts), then probability in Statistics 110, theoretical statistics in 111 and linear models in 139. The department's pages add four degree tracks and a secondary field. This guide does not describe the tracks, which it did not read.
Is it the right concentration?
Statistics, Applied Mathematics or Economics
All are concentrations Harvard describes separately, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
Statistics fits if
you are drawn to data, probability and inference as a discipline in its own right.
Applied Mathematics fits if
you want to model problems in an area of application you choose. Avandy's Harvard Applied Mathematics guide covers that concentration.
A secondary field fits if
statistics is a tool for another interest. The department says students focused on another discipline can benefit from a secondary field.
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 recommends four years of high school mathematics, examples of which include statistics and its subfields, and says calculus is not required for admission. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Harvard's.
Do you enjoy probability and proof-style reasoning as well as data?
The gateway sequence runs from probability to theoretical statistics to linear models.
Which application interests you?
Harvard lists applications from anthropology to medicine, so a clear interest helps.
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 31 October 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 department's undergraduate 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 Statistics?
The pages read describe admission to Harvard College. Students choose a concentration, Harvard's word for a major, once enrolled.
What are the four tracks?
The department says concentration requirements are fulfilled via any of four tracks. This guide did not read the track pages, so it does not describe them.
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.
Is there a secondary field in Statistics?
Yes. The department offers a secondary field for students who focus primarily on another discipline.
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 Statistics
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their mathematics, how much of their interest is data and uncertainty 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.