Harvard CV Example
A prestigious academic CV format for applications to Harvard and other elite universities or institutions. Focuses on outstanding academic achievements, research contributions, and extracurricular leadership.
Recommended template: ElegantPro
Key Skills to Include
Quick Tips
- Lead with your strongest academic credentials, including GPA, honours, and relevant coursework.
- Include research experience, publications, conference presentations, and academic awards prominently.
- Highlight leadership roles in student organisations, community projects, or professional bodies.
- Demonstrate intellectual curiosity through independent projects, study abroad, or interdisciplinary interests.
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Upgrade to ProHow to Write Your Harvard CV
A Harvard-style academic CV must demonstrate exceptional intellectual ability, scholarly contribution, and leadership beyond the classroom. Elite institutions look for candidates who combine outstanding academic achievement with meaningful extracurricular impact. Your CV should present a coherent narrative of intellectual development, research contribution, and commitment to making a positive difference in your field and community.
CV Structure
Use a clean, traditional format with clear sections for education, research experience, publications, awards, leadership, and extracurricular activities. Place your education at the top with degree classification, relevant coursework, and dissertation details. Follow with research experience treated as full work entries. Include a dedicated section for publications and presentations. Keep the document focused and well-organised, typically two pages.
CV Format
Choose a classic, understated template with minimal design elements. Academic institutions expect a serious, text-focused document without graphics or creative flourishes. Use a traditional serif font and generous margins. Ensure consistent formatting throughout — particularly for citation style in your publications section. Submit as a PDF unless otherwise specified.
CV Profile Examples
Doctoral Candidate
Doctoral candidate in Political Science at the University of Oxford with a first-class undergraduate degree from the London School of Economics. Published researcher with three peer-reviewed articles in internationally recognised journals. Recipient of the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship and the ESRC Doctoral Studentship. Committed to advancing understanding of democratic governance through rigorous empirical research and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Master's Applicant
Distinguished master's applicant with a first-class BSc in Economics from the University of Warwick and a thesis on behavioural economics that received the departmental dissertation prize. Completed a summer research internship at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, contributing to published policy analysis. Fluent in English and French with a strong commitment to international development policy.
Undergraduate Applicant
High-achieving sixth-form student with predicted A*A*A in Mathematics, Further Mathematics, and Economics, alongside eight A* grades at GCSE. Head of the school debating society and founder of a student-led financial literacy programme serving 150 participants. Completed a Young Enterprise programme and placed first in the regional economics essay competition. Driven to pursue rigorous academic study at a world-leading institution.
Write a concise academic profile stating your current position or application goal, key research interests, and one or two headline achievements. Avoid generic phrases and focus on what distinguishes you as a scholar — your research focus, methodology, and contributions to your field.
Key Skills for Your Harvard CV
Academic Excellence
Achieving outstanding academic results and contributing to scholarly discourse through rigorous study and original research.
Research Methodology
Designing and executing research projects using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods approaches to address complex questions.
Critical Thinking
Analysing arguments, evaluating evidence, and forming well-reasoned conclusions across academic and practical contexts.
Leadership
Leading teams, organisations, and initiatives with vision, integrity, and the ability to motivate and develop others.
Public Speaking
Delivering compelling presentations, lectures, and arguments to academic, professional, and public audiences.
Community Engagement
Contributing to communities through volunteering, outreach, and social impact initiatives that address genuine needs.
Publication & Writing
Producing high-quality written work including journal articles, policy papers, essays, and reports to academic standards.
Cross-Cultural Competence
Working effectively across cultural boundaries through study abroad, international collaboration, and multilingual communication.
Statistical Analysis
Applying statistical techniques using tools such as R, Stata, and SPSS to analyse data and support evidence-based conclusions.
Work Experience Examples
Focus on research positions, teaching assistantships, and relevant professional experiences. For each role, describe the institution, your supervisor or principal investigator, and your specific contributions. Include responsibilities and measurable outcomes such as publications produced, datasets created, or presentations delivered. Extracurricular leadership should be treated with similar detail.
Research Assistant
National Institute of Economic and Social Research
Contributed to macroeconomic policy research during a competitive summer placement at the UK's longest-established independent research institute.
Responsibilities
- Collected, cleaned, and analysed large datasets using Stata and R to support ongoing research projects on fiscal policy and income inequality.
- Conducted literature reviews on behavioural economics topics, summarising findings in briefing papers for senior researchers.
- Assisted with the preparation of a policy report submitted to the Treasury Select Committee on household debt trends.
- Attended seminars and roundtable discussions with policymakers, contributing observations and research summaries.
- Co-authored a working paper on regional economic disparities, performing regression analysis and drafting the methodology section.
Achievements
- Co-authored working paper was cited in a subsequent government consultation document on regional levelling-up policy.
- Received an invitation to return for a second placement based on the quality of work produced during the initial eight-week programme.
Founder & Lead Facilitator
StudentFinance — School Financial Literacy Programme
Founded and led a student-run financial literacy programme delivering workshops to Year 10 and Year 11 students across four secondary schools in Coventry.
Responsibilities
- Designed a six-week curriculum covering budgeting, saving, credit, and basic investing concepts tailored for teenagers.
- Recruited and trained a team of eight university student volunteers to deliver workshops in partner schools.
- Coordinated with school leadership teams to schedule sessions, secure venues, and obtain parental consent.
- Evaluated programme impact through pre- and post-workshop surveys, analysing results to improve future sessions.
Achievements
- Delivered workshops to 150 students across four schools in the first year, with 89% reporting improved financial confidence in post-programme surveys.
- Programme was featured in the University of Warwick student newspaper and adopted as a recognised student society.
Education & Qualifications
List all degrees with institution, dates, classification, and relevant details. Include dissertation titles, key modules, and academic prizes. For postgraduate applicants, highlight your research topic and methodology. If you have study-abroad experience, include it under education with a note on the academic programme and any achievements during the placement.
First-Class Honours Degree
Highest classification of UK undergraduate degree, demonstrating exceptional academic performance across all modules.
ESRC Doctoral Studentship
Competitive research council funding awarded to outstanding doctoral candidates in the social sciences.
British Academy Fellowship
Prestigious postdoctoral fellowship recognising research excellence and potential for significant scholarly contribution.
Young Enterprise Certificate
National programme providing practical business and leadership experience for students through company creation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a Harvard-style CV different from a standard CV?
Should I include extracurricular activities on an academic CV?
How do I present research experience without publications?
What makes a strong application to elite universities?
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