Admitted Secondary School Program Students

Stay Notified: Please add SSP@Summer.Harvard.edu to your email contact list to ensure that you receive important updates. Be sure to check your spam and junk folders so that you do not miss important information from our staff.

Upcoming Deadlines

Please see the full Secondary School Program Calendar for all important deadlines.

Materials	Deadline
Full payment deadline	After May 12, full payment is due immediately upon registering for your course(s). You will be dropped from all courses if you are not paid in full.
Submit immunization documents You may be dropped from courses, even after classes begin, if you do not upload your documentation.	Submit proof to HUHS within 14 days of registering
Submit medical history and consent form	Submit proof to HUHS within 14 days of registering

Course Changes, Drop, and Withdrawal Deadlines	4-Week SSP	All 7-Week SSP
Course changes deadline 4-Week: After July 13, all course changes, drops, and withdrawals must be approved by the Secondary School Program Office. 7-Week: After June 22, all course changes, drops, and withdrawals must be approved by the Secondary School Program Office.	Wednesday, July 16	Wednesday, June 25
Last day to drop courses for 100% tuition refund and program fee refund	Wednesday, July 16	Wednesday, June 25
Last day to drop courses for 50% tuition refund and program fee refund	N/A	Wednesday, July 2
Last day to withdraw from courses for no tuition or program fee refund Course on record with WD (withdrawal) grade	Friday, August 1	Friday, July 25

Residential refund deadlines:	4-Week SSP Residential (only)	7-Week SSP Residential
Residential cancellation deadline for 100% housing and meal plan refund	Monday, May 12	Monday, May 12
Residential cancellation deadline for 50% housing refund and 100% meal plan refund After this date, only a prorated meal plan refund.	Friday, July 11	Friday, June 20

Additional Dates for Planning	4-Week SSP Residential (only)	7-Week SSP Residential	7-Week SSP Commuting	7-Week SSP Online
Residential student move-in	Sunday, July 13	Saturday, June 21	N/A	N/A
Orientation	Sunday, July 13	Sunday, June 22	Saturday, June 21	N/A
Last day for residential move-out	Saturday, August 9	Saturday, August 9	N/A	N/A
Grades available online Transcripts can be requested through the MyDCE Portal after grades are available.	Tuesday, August 19	Tuesday, August 19	Tuesday, August 19	Tuesday, August 19

Immunization Requirement

All Secondary School Program students are required to provide documentation to Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) that they are fully vaccinated against certain communicable diseases. Students who are unable to provide this proof risk being unable to participate in on-campus activities/courses for summer 2025. Please refer to the HUHS Immunization Form for more information about this requirement.

Check In/Out and Orientation (Residential Students Only)

A housing request has already been entered on your behalf. You do not need to take any action to request housing. You will receive more information about your housing assignment 1-2 weeks before the start of the program. For more information about your room on campus and what to bring, read about your room.

If you need an accommodation or would like to request gender inclusive housing, please review the Housing Request website for more information.

H-Ticket: Approximately one week prior to your check-in, you will have access to your H-Ticket in MyDCE. The H-Ticket includes specific information about where and when to check-in, your on campus room assignment, and any other requirements you need before your arrival. Please bring either a printed copy or electronic one to check-in.

Travel to Campus: We do not provide airport shuttles, but transportation information is available along with directions to campus. Cars will be allowed access to Harvard Yard during check-in. We understand that delays en route may be unavoidable, and in Massachusetts, people not yet 18 years of age are prohibited by law from checking into a hotel unaccompanied by an adult. If you will be arriving after the designated check-in time, please contact the SSP team so that we can coordinate your arrival with the residential staff.

More information about move-in and travel to campus will be available mid-spring on our Preparation and Arrival website.

Activities Beyond the Classroom

The Summer School and the Secondary School Program offer a rich array of free virtual and in-person activities and events for all students.

Athletics. There are many ways to remain active around campus: Work out at Harvard gyms, participate in a basketball or soccer tournament, or join Weld Boathouse and row on the Charles River.

Music. Students may participate in a variety of musical opportunities, which in previous years has included the Harvard Summer Pops Band and the Harvard Summer Chorus.

Culture. Harvard museums and libraries are world famous and close at hand. Dance, music, and theater flourish in and around Cambridge, and the city of Boston itself has many world-class cultural, historic, and scientific institutions. Some highlights include:

• Harvard Art Museums
• Arnold Arboretum
• Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
• Harvard Museum of Natural History
• Museum of Science
• Peabody Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology
• Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East

Excursions. On weekends, the Summer School sponsors day-long outings, including boat tours and whale watches, trips to Cape Cod and area beaches, trail hikes with sweeping vistas of Boston, and visits to Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in western Massachusetts.

Additionally, the Secondary School Program organizes several of its own activities, and these have included:

• College Admissions Programming (a series of events to help prepare you to apply to college)
  • Ask questions of current college students and experienced advisors
  • Join a Virtual Admissions Panel to hear from representatives across a variety college and universities
  • Prepare to write your college application essay
  • Gain an understanding of how to apply for financial aid
  • Learn about the Harvard admissions process from a Harvard Admissions officer
• Dances
• Talent Show (try-out near the end of the summer)
• Trivia Bowl (put a team together and enter)

Additional Resources

Accessibility Services: If you have a need for academic, residential, or dietary accommodation due to a disabling condition, please be sure to complete the registration process with the Accessibility Services Office by May 12, 2025.

Student Handbook: This student handbook is provided to inform you of the academic policies and rules of conduct that apply to resident and nonresident Summer School students. It also describes resources available at Harvard and opportunities available in the Greater Boston area that will help make your summer a rewarding one. Please read this handbook carefully and refer to it throughout the summer.

Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan (Residential Students Only): A Harvard Summer School accident and sickness insurance plan is included in your program fee as secondary coverage to your own health insurance plan. Read how and when you can use this coverage.

Meals (Residential Students Only): SSP residential students receive a meal plan and enjoy a comprehensive dining program. Your meal plan allows you to eat with peers in your designated dining hall and enjoy menus that reflect the international character of the Summer School. Please see our dining services page if you would like additional information.