Why early applications have dropped at Harvard

Harvard College received 17% fewer applications for early admission from high school seniors this year, the lowest total in four years, due to incidents of antisemitism on campus in the wake of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. Applications were due November 1, before university President Claudine Gay gave widely derided testimony on antisemitism and free speech at a congressional hearing December 5. Harvard received 7,921 applications this year for non-binding early admissions, compared with 9,553 last year.