Harvard's GRE policy is mostly optional across its Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), while Harvard Business School accepts GMAT or GRE and Harvard Medical School uses the MCAT instead. Policy varies meaningfully by school.
Does Harvard Require the GRE?
| School / Programme | GRE Status |
|---|---|
| GSAS (most PhD departments) | Optional |
| Harvard Kennedy School (MPP/MPA) | Optional, recommended for competitive applicants |
| Harvard Business School (MBA) | GMAT or GRE accepted |
| Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health | Not required (most programmes) |
| Harvard Medical School | MCAT, not GRE |
Competitive GRE Scores at Harvard
| Programme | Competitive Quant | Competitive Verbal |
|---|---|---|
| GSAS (most departments) | 165 – 170 | 163 – 170 |
| Economics PhD | 167 – 170 | 162 – 168 |
| Kennedy School (MPP/MPA) | 160 – 165 | 160 – 165 |
| HBS (GRE track) | 163 – 168 | 160 – 165 |
Harvard's GSAS programmes are among the most academically selective graduate cohorts in the world — even under an optional policy, submitted scores cluster near the top of the GRE scale.
Should You Submit If GRE Is Optional at Harvard?
Submit a strong score if you have one — in a pool this competitive, a top-tier GRE score is one of the few directly comparable data points across applicants from very different educational systems. If your score would sit below the competitive range, omitting it under Harvard's optional policy is reasonable, provided the rest of your application (research fit, recommendations) is strong.
GRE Is Separate From English Proficiency
A GRE score does not satisfy Harvard's English language requirement. International applicants still need TOEFL or IELTS:
| Requirement | Harvard Policy |
|---|---|
| GRE | Mostly optional — see table above |
| TOEFL | Required — see our Harvard TOEFL Requirements guide |
| IELTS | Required — see our Harvard IELTS Requirements guide |
GRE Score Validity
GRE scores are valid for 5 years from the test date.
Prepare for TOEFL with Gabble — while preparing for GRE, run your TOEFL preparation in parallel; Harvard's competitive TOEFL benchmark is 109+. Or prepare for IELTS.