What GPA is Harvard expecting from applicants?

Hi peeps! Hope you're well. I was thinking of applying to Harvard and wondered what GPA they're really expecting from applicants. Aiming for realistic here. Appreciate all your help.

Harvard University is one of the most competitive institutions when it comes to college admissions, so they typically look for strong academic achievement from applicants. The average GPA of admitted students tends to be extremely high, around 4.18 on a 4.0 scale. This average includes both weighted and unweighted GPAs, which means a lot of these students have taken challenging, advanced coursework like AP or IB classes that can boost the GPA above a 4.0.

Now, you're looking for a realistic perspective, and it's important to note that while most admitted students have very strong GPAs, a perfect GPA is not a requirement for admission. Individual course selection and the rigor of your curriculum also play a significant role since Harvard values students who push themselves academically. They use something called the Academic Index, which is a value that represents the strength of a student’s grades, test scores (if available), and class rank (if available). If you meet the Academic Index cutoff, you should at least get your application read.

Remember, Harvard practices a holistic review process which means they consider many factors beyond just GPA. It includes test scores (if submitted in the 2024-2025 application cycle), essays, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and more. An application with a slightly lower GPA but exceptional essays and outstanding extracurricular activities could indeed be competitive.