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.

Course registration opens for admitted students	Wednesday, March 1
Course registration deadline for admitted financial aid recipients Your award will be rescinded if you are not registered for courses by this date.	Friday, March 10 (Early Applicants)  Friday, April 7 (Regular Applicants)
Full payment deadline Pay your balance in full by this date. If you do not, you risk being withdrawn from the program.	Monday, May 15
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement* You will be dropped from courses, even after classes begin, if you do not upload your documentation.	Submit proof of vaccination within 7 days of registering
All other required immunizations, medical history, consent for treatment, and ID photo upload deadline	Friday, May 19
On-campus course registration deadline Last day to register for on-campus courses and submit your COVID-19 vaccination information to HUHS.	Thursday, June 1
Course registration deadline Last day to register for summer courses. Late registration is not permitted after this date. Students may only register for on-campus courses between June 1 and June 15 if they have submitted vaccination records before the deadline of June 1.	Thursday, June 15
Residential Student Move-In	Saturday, June 17
Course changes deadline After June 19, all course changes, drops, and withdrawals must be approved by the Secondary School Program Office.	Thursday, June 22

*Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement

All SSP Residential students are required to provide documentation that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (primary series of vaccination). COVID-19 Vaccination must demonstrate documentation of two (2) WHO (World Health Organization) or FDA (Federal Drug Administration) approved COVID vaccines. Students who are unable to provide documentation of COVID-19 immunization by the deadline noted above risk being unable to participate in on-campus activities/courses for this Summer 2023. Please refer to our Summer 2023 COVID information page for more information. 

Next Steps for Admitted Students

Upon acceptance, be sure to complete the following requirements to participate in the Secondary School Program. It’s important to begin preparation as soon as possible.

Enroll in Secondary School Program

Accept your admission to the program at the bottom of your admission letter. Once you respond “yes” to our offer, an email will be sent to you with next steps. Approximately one hour after accepting your offer, you will be able to log into your MyDCE account to register and pay for your course(s).

Log Into Your MyDCE Portal

MyDCE is the student portal where you will complete all of your post-acceptance requirements. You can access MyDCE by logging in using your DCEKey or HarvardKey login credentials. You should be able to access MyDCE 1 hour after you’ve accepted your admissions offer and received your “Next Steps” email.

Register for Course(s) and Submit Payment

You must accept your offer of admission before registering.

Visit Course Registration for detailed instructions on registration, including pre-registration and payment. You will be required to complete pre-registration, which will confirm that your student and contact information are up-to-date prior to registering for your course(s). 

To view the course catalog please visit the Secondary School Program Course Overview page. 

Course registration begins on Wednesday, March 1. 

Confirming your registration: To confirm that your registration submitted successfully, log into your MyDCE account and view the “My Courses” box on your dashboard . Any courses that you’ve successfully registered – or waitlisted – yourself for will appear here.

Payment: Payment for the program is required, in full, by Monday, May 15.

Log in and pay in the Student Finance Portal in your MyDCE account with a credit card. Once you have selected your course(s) you will submit full payment for the program fee no later than May 15. Full program fees for the different SSP formats are:

• SSP Residential: $13,750 (includes tuition for two courses, room and meal plan, and health insurance for the full seven weeks.)
• SSP Commuting and SSP Online: $3,600 (tuition for 4-credits) or $7,200 (tuition for 8-credits)

Please note: You must pay for all courses for which you have registered or placed yourself on the waitlist for prior to the payment deadline. Harvard Summer School reserves the right to remove you from courses for nonpayment. If you intend to attend only one course, please drop yourself from all other courses and waitlists prior to the payment deadline.

SSP residential students should note that to be eligible for on-campus housing, you must be enrolled in 8 credits, and submit full payment of tuition, room and board, by May 15. (You will receive information about your housing assignment in June.)

Choosing the Right Course

The Secondary School Program is an exceptional opportunity for intellectual growth. 

To select the best course for you, we encourage you to:

Consider your interests, goals, and previous experiences. What have you already studied? Is there a subject that you do not have the opportunity to learn about in high school? What might you want to study in college? All courses will be academically rigorous and enable you to step out of your comfort zone and explore topics that you’re passionate about. Take a look at our Career Pathways for course suggestions.

Check the prerequisites. Be sure that you meet the requirements to register for the course(s) that interest you. Prerequisites, if any, are listed below the course descriptions.

Contact academic advisors for assistance. The Secondary School Program advisors are here to help you choose the best courses for you, before registration and once the program begins. Our office is open Monday – Friday, 9 am to 5 pm EST.

Contact us for more information or email us to set up an advising appointment.

Balance your studies when enrolling in two 4-credit courses. Courses focusing on different subjects provide a well-rounded academic experience. Example course pairs include: 

• Calculus I and Poetry Writing
• Macroeconomics and The Architecture of Boston
• Introduction to Psychology and Superheroes and Power
• The Essay and Principles of Physics: Mechanics 

Be mindful of the academic rigor of Harvard courses when selecting courses. 

Pending enrollment availability, you may be able to transfer into a different class during the first few days of the summer term. You can get academic advice from your SSP resident dean during Opening Weekend and until the course-change period ends on June 22. Keep in mind that to drop/add (change) any course after June 19, you must meet with an SSP resident dean. 

Arrange Travel Plans (Residential Students)

On Opening Weekend, residential-student check-in occurs on Saturday, June 17, from 10am to 4pm. You will be greeted by Summer School staff as soon as you arrive on campus. Orientation for students living on campus will be held on Sunday, June 18. Residential students may not check-in and enter the dorms before 10 am on Saturday, June 17. 

Travel to campus should be scheduled so that residential students can check-in during regular check-in hours, 10am to 4pm on Saturday, June 17.

Delays on 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. Instructions for late arrivals will be emailed to residential students before Opening Weekend. 

Students in on-campus housing may check-out and go home after they have completed their last academic requirement; they do not need to stay until August 5. 

See Parking and Transit and Preparation and Arrival (posted mid-spring).

See Campus Life to prepare for your time at Harvard.

Special Note for International Students:

If you are an international student, you may need to obtain an I-20 for study at Harvard. 

See the International Students page for more information.

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 tennis 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, Harvard Summer Chorus, and Harvard Summer School Orchestra. 

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
• Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Observatory
• Harvard Museum of Natural History
• Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
• 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

What to Bring (Residential Students): 

• You should bring a desktop or laptop with a camera and headphones to campus with you. In some cases, courses and activities may be held online and any with guest speakers will require the use of a computer. For some courses, a laptop is required to participate in person as well, so check specific course prerequisites. Please refer to technology requirements for courses for computer specifications.
• You may dress casually for class. You are sometimes required to give presentations, so you may prefer to bring a business casual outfit for these occasions. Some classes include a lab visit, so please bring long pants and closed toe shoes, which are often required to enter the space.
• You will need Twin XL linens. We suggest a flat sheet, fitted sheet, pillow, and blanket for your comfort.
  • For more information about your room on campus and what to bring, read About Your Room.

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 15, 2023. If any of the steps are unclear, please reach out to them at accessibility@extension.harvard.edu.

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.

Specific SSP Information: In order to promote the well-being of students, and to provide a safe and peaceful environment for learning, social activities, and personal growth, the following policies apply to all Harvard Secondary School Program students.

Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan (Residential Students): 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.

We are excited to see you this summer! Contact us with any additional questions by emailing ssp@summer.harvard.edu.