Harvard College Rising Scholars Program

The Harvard College Rising Scholars Program (RSP) is a year-long program offered to an invited cohort of academically ambitious incoming Harvard College students. The chance to be a Rising Scholar is only offered to admitted Harvard College students who attended high schools that offered them limited college-level academic enrichment opportunities. Offered at no cost to participants, it begins with a seven-week intensive academic experience on Harvard's campus in the summer before the first-year fall that introduces students to Harvard’s academic expectations and helps them to develop their academic voices. The RSP continues to support students throughout their first year at the College with additional cohort-based programming and enhanced advising and funding opportunities for their second summer. Through the RSP, students will receive specialized support and guidance at every level as they contribute actively to Harvard’s living and learning community.

Academic Excellence

The Rising Scholars Program challenges students to think critically about the world around them, to sharpen their writing and math skills, and to grow as scholars and young adults.

The first summer of the program introduces Rising Scholars to the academic expectations of Harvard College. Students will be immersed in a seven-week residential program, the centerpiece of which are two Harvard faculty-taught courses designed to augment skills and enhance math fluency, analytical writing, reading comprehension, and intellectual curiosity. For Summer 2024, the two courses offered are Foundations of College Mathematics: Modeling Our World with Functions and Writing: How We Learn, each of which confers four credits towards an undergraduate degree upon successful completion.

Community Connections A student and professor piping a substance into test tubes

The Rising Scholars Program is about fostering connections: to people, to ideas, and to the Harvard community.

Over the course of the first summer, students are introduced to Harvard and its community. Students will develop connections with each other, peers, faculty and staff as they build their network for navigating college and explore the resources Harvard offers. The RSP is designed to position students to successfully draw their network and on resources as they chart their academic path through Harvard College.

Dynamic Support A person with a laptop studying in Smith Campus Center

The yearlong program supports and guides students as they engage with Harvard at every level, from academics and residential life to campus resources and the community at large.

Over the course of their first year at Harvard, Rising Scholars participate in unique and dedicated programming that helps them chart an academic path about which they can feel passionate and confident. All this culminates in the second summer of the program, when all Rising Scholars are guaranteed funding to either participate in faculty-led research or do additional coursework for credit as they build their skills and continue on their intellectual journey.