No, we do not keep wait lists. There will be a list of seminars with openings posted on the website after the initial online application period is over. We encourage all students who are still looking to enroll to check this list.

Some departments will count a first-year seminar for department credit. Please consult either the information on a department in Fields of Concentration or the Head Tutor or Director of Undergraduate Studies in a given department for more information. You may need a copy of the first-year seminar syllabus from the course website to submit to the department for their review.

First-Year Seminars do not count for Gen Ed credit.

Yes. Even though first years may not ordinarily enroll in both a First-Year Seminar and another non-letter-graded course in any one term, they may take both CS 50 and a First-Year Seminar for SAT/UNS.

Only fall seminars are open for application in August. Spring term seminars are open for application in late October. We run two separate application cycles in order to increase your chances of getting a seat in one of your top-choice seminars.

All applications will be reviewed at the same time by instructors so no special preference will be given to early applications. However, you may wish to avoid any last-minute problems due to heavy online traffic within 24 hours of the deadline. Rarely, an instructor will choose to hold interviews for selected applicants and will review the applications during the week before the deadline in order to choose and make arrangements for meeting during opening week. For those few seminars where this is the case, a note about this will be prominently included with the seminar description... Read more about Does it help my chances to apply early?

First-Year Seminars are not letter-graded: a student's work in the seminar is evaluated as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. A grade of Satisfactory includes letter grades from A to C-. A grade of Unsatisfactory represents work below C- and is considered a failing grade. Students who neglect the work of the seminar or do not perform satisfactorily will be excluded from the seminar and/or denied credit.

Seminar placement is ultimately done by a matching algorithm that is run after all applications have been submitted. However, different factors influence the algorithm’s outcome: instructors can select or deny students based on their essays and other relevant information; and student rankings and preferences are also taken into consideration. You will then receive an email notifying you of your placement in only one of your seminars

A student may enroll in two First-Year Seminar, on per term. Students enrolled in fall seminars can still enroll in a second seminar in the spring term. 

No. Each term, you may apply to as many First-Year Seminars as genuinely interest you. However we urge you to apply to at least seven seminars in order to increase your chances of getting a seat in one of your top-choice seminars. Remember to rank your choices!

No. Although more seminars are offered in the fall term, you should apply to whichever seminars interest you most, regardless of the term in which they are offered. You may take a seminar in both terms, space permitting.

No, a First-Year Seminar is a small, limited enrollment course that may not be shopped or audited. Class size is 12-15.

No, a First-Year Seminar is a small, limited enrollment course that may not be shopped or audited. Class size is 12-15 first-year.

Yes, First-Year Seminar are open to first-year only. Any student who enters Harvard College as a first-year may apply to any First-Year Seminar during the first two terms of residence.

Because Expos is a requirement and a First-Year Seminar is an elective, you should discuss with your adviser how to schedule these two important first-year experiences. You may request a change in your Expos assignment to accommodate your First-Year Seminar.

The Harvard College Honor Code (adopted May 6, 2014 by vote of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences):

"Members of the Harvard College community commit themselves to producing academic work of integrity – that is, work that adheres to the scholarly and intellectual standards of accurate attribution of sources, appropriate collection and use of data, and transparent acknowledgement of the contribution of others to their ideas, discoveries, interpretations, and conclusions. Cheating on exams or...

Read more about What is the Harvard College Honor Code?

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences has a credit system whereby a one-semester course is worth four credits. First-Year Seminars count as one-semester course and are taken as part of a full semester’s course of study. All seminars count towards non-letter-grade credit. If you successfully petition a department to receive concentration credit for a first-Year Seminar (see below), then the seminar would count for letter-grade credit.

The application period for fall seminars takes place every August. The spring term application period starts in late October. Term specific dates are given on the FOR STUDENTS - HOW TO APPLY page.

Seminars are taught by members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as well as the graduate schools of Design, Divinity, Education, Government, Law, Medicine, and Public Health.

A First-Year Seminar ordinarily brings together one instructor with twelve students to study a topic of keenly shared interest. It frees its participants (instructor and student) from the usual constraints of lecture courses such as letter-grades and exams. Instead, students in a seminar undertake readings, discussions, essays, and presentations toward a SAT/UNSAT grade. Seminars also feature special instructional activities such as guest speakers, concerts, exhibitions, studio or lab work, and field trips that enhance the learning experience for freshmen. Students often cite a First-Year... Read more about Why should I take a First-Year Seminar?