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Add or switch a Spring Term Seminar
Mon, January 13 – Mon, February 3, 2025.
Please check!
The available seminars with open seats will change
as students alter their courses in the Crimson Carts.
Spring Term 2025 Dates
Mon, January 13: Add/Drop Period begins
Mon, January 27: 1st Day of Classes
Mon, February 3, 2025: Deadline for Add/Drop Period
Advice
Director of the First-Year Seminar Program, Ofrit Liviatan, shares more about the application process for Seminars.
Former seminar student discusses how to choose a seminar with content and in-depth discussions in seminars.
A student-athlete discusses his experience taking a First-Year Seminar.
Applying for a Seminar Through Our Application System
Instructions and Information
First-year Seminars are your ideal introduction to the unique opportunities awaiting you at Harvard. Our Seminars are only available for you during your first year. You are eligible to enroll in two First-Year Seminars, one in each term. Over the summer, you can secure your Fall Seminar, your Spring Seminar, or both your Fall and Spring Seminars. Because demand for a specific Seminar often exceeds its number of seats, we recommend that you submit at least six applications for Fall Seminars and three applications for Spring Seminars to help us match your top choices against your top offers. You may apply for as many seminars as you’d like, and rank them in order of preference until the deadline. Faculty will review applications and rank their choices as well, and then we run an algorithm to match students with seminars. You will be notified of your Seminar/s assignment by email. We will then post all Seminars that still have openings on our website, and you can reach out directly to the faculty member to ask for a seat.
Specifics
- Our application system
The system will be accepting applications during the summer for both fall and spring term seminars. - Modify my personal data.
Please complete this section accurately to help us keep in touch with you about your applications. - Browse / Search for seminars to add.
Here you may sort seminar offerings by number or title, or, you may search by schedule (e.g. “Tuesday”) or by keyword (e.g. “science” or “art”).
Applications
Once you’ve decided to apply to a particular Seminar, hit the “apply” button on the seminar description page in order to reach the section of the application asking you for a brief statement of interest. These statements are important because faculty learn from them about your interest in the Seminar. All seminars require that you complete one short brief statement; some also require that you respond to an additional question. Please read the instructions carefully, and note that some Seminars require mandatory field trips that will take place outside of regular meeting hours.
Rank / Manage Current Applications
The algorithm will try to place you in the order of your preference, so please think carefully about your rankings. By default, your first Seminar choice is the one to which you apply first, and your subsequent choices are those to which you apply in that sequence. We encourage 6 applications for Fall Seminars and 3 for Spring Seminars in order to increase your chances of getting a seat in one of your top-choice seminars. You may reorder, edit, add, or delete applications until the deadline. All applications received by this deadline will be treated equally.
Dates & Deadlines
Course Registration Deadline
You must have the instructor’s approval online in the My.Harvard.edu system to enroll in a first-year seminar.
The deadlines to enroll in courses for the Spring Term 2025:
– (W) Oct 23: Crimson Carts open and Petitions for Limited Enroll Courses can be submitted
– (W) Nov 6-20: Course Registration
(M) Jan 8 – (M) Feb 3, 2025, 11:59 PM: Add/Drop Period for Course Registration
Questions?
We are glad to help in any way, so please let us know if you have questions at any time. You may email us at firstyearseminars@fas.harvard.edu or call us at (617) 495-1523. We look forward to hearing from you!