Harvard applications drop after antisemitism scandal, affirmative action ruling

Undergraduate applications to Harvard University dropped this year following a chaotic period that saw the historic Ivy League school’s once-stellar reputation tarnished by antisemitism and plagiarism scandals.

Harvard announced Thursday it received 54,008 applicants for the class of 2028, down 5% from the year before.

This marks the fewest applications to the storied 387-year-old Massachusetts institution since 2020, which coincided with the start of the COVID pandemic.

But Harvard tried to put a positive spin on the data, stressing that this was the fourth consecutive year that the university had received more than 50,000 applications.

“Beyond another strong applicant pool, we are delighted by the stunning array of talents and lived experiences the class of 2028 will bring with them from throughout the United States and around the world,” William R. Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid, said in a statement.

Harvard said it has accepted 1,937 students to the class of 2028 — an admission rate of 3.58%, up from last year’s rate of 3.41%.

The application numbers appear to reflect the crisis Harvard had found itself in during the fall months, beginning with a letter signed by 30 student groups that claimed Israel was “entirely responsible” for the October 7 Hamas attacks that triggered a war in the Middle East.

That was followed by a disastrous congressional testimony by Harvard President Claudine Gay about campus antisemitism.

Gay, the first black Harvard president, was later forced to apologize for failing to forcefully condemn antisemitism — and she ultimately resigned in January after being hit with multiple plagiarism claims.

The class of 2028 also marks the first admissions cycle since the US Supreme Court ended affirmative action in higher education, ruling that it was unconstitutional for colleges to give students extra consideration based on their race alone.