Exam Results and Advising  

For information on the foreign language requirement visit The Office of Undergraduate Education page.   

Some languages will email students directly with their recommendations, while others will include recommendations on the placement exam report in the student information system (my.harvard.edu).  To help you understand and use these recommendations you can begin by consulting the resources posted on the Advising Programs Office website and reach out to individual language programs with specific questions,    

All language placement exams offer an opportunity to fulfill the Harvard College language requirement by meeting a qualifying score. For exams in French, German, Italian, and Spanish students taking an exam to fulfill the foreign language requirement, and who demonstrate sufficient mastery (a minimum score of a 600 on the online exam), will need to take a brief, proctored follow-up Live Verification Exam (LVE) on campus. The verification exam must be taken within the same exam period as the placement exam (for summer placement exams this means in early September). For further information about fulfilling the language requirement through examination, consult the website for theOffice of Undergraduate Education (OUE).

Included in the Placement Exam Report

French, German, Italian, and Spanish. 

Recommendations Sent by Email

All other languages will send course recommendations directly to your email. 

How do I find information about the language courses that have been recommended? 

Where to look: 

• Search the course catalog directly by visiting my.harvard.edu 
• You will find basic information about how to search the catalog by consulting the Harvard service-now website. 
• Visit language program websites directly. You will find materials offering an overview of courses or suggestions about where to look. 
• Reach out to an advisor in one of these languages to ask question and seek advice. For a list of contacts for these programs, navigate to the “Contact & Support” page. 

Can I take a lower level language course than was recommended on the placement exam report? 

Where to look: 

• For this kind of question, you will want to reach out directly to an adviser in the language you are interested in exploring. For a list of contacts for each language program, navigate to the “Contact & Support” page. 

I think I might want to pursue a concentration, secondary field, or citation in a particular language. What courses should I take? 

Where to look: 

• Visit the Advising Programs Office website and take a look at the Exploring Concentrations area. Gateway courses listed in each concentration can help you think about where to start. 
• Visit my.harvard.edu and use the “Search my Requirements” and “What if” tools to gather information about which courses would be included in the concentrations you think you might be interested in. 
• Reach out to an advisor in one of these languages to ask question and seek advice. For a list of contacts for each language program, navigate to the “Contact & Support” page 

Harvard fact: At many institutions, a student’s area of focus is called a major. At Harvard this area of focus is called a concentration. In addition, students at Harvard may also chose to pursue a minor field of study, or secondary field. Students will also have the option of completing a language citation, which consists of four language courses beyond the first-year level. For details about concentrations, secondary fields, or language citation, students should consult Fields of Concentration in the Handbook for Students.

When considering your Life Sciences and Physical Sciences course recommendations you may find it helpful to watch this video, Using Your Placement Scores for Chemistry and Biology. If you still have questions you can consult an advisor in that area. 

If your recommendation includes a list of various courses and you wonder how to choose, you might want to consider the following to help guide your decision: 

The placement report recommends Life Sciences, Chemistry, and Physical Sciences courses. How do I find out what these are and which to take? 

Where to look: 

• Consult the Foundational Courses page for a description and list of these courses 
• Talk with a Life Sciences or Physical Science advisor:
  • Biology, Life Sciences–Monique Brewster mbrewst@fas.harvard.edu 
  • Biology, Life Sciences–Dominic Mao dominicmao@fas.harvard.edu 
  • Chemistry, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences–Gregg Tucci tucci@fas.harvard.edu 

I think I might be interested in pursuing a concentration or secondary field in the Life Sciences or Physical Sciences? 

Where to look: 

• Visit the Advising Programs Office website and take a look at the Exploring Concentrations area. The gateway courses listed in each concentration will be helpful to consult. 
• Visit my.harvard.edu and use the “Search My Requirements” and “What if” tools to gather information about which courses would be included in the concentrations you think you might be interested in. 
• Students interested in exploring research opportunities can visit the research page and contact research advisor, Kate Penner penner@fas.harvard.edu.

Harvard fact: At many institutions, a student’s area of focus is called a major. At Harvard this area of focus is called a concentration. In addition, students at Harvard may also chose to pursue a minor field of study, or secondary field. For details about concentrations or secondary fields students should consult Fields of Concentration in the Handbook for Students.

Course Recommendations

The placement exam report will include course level recommendations.  At the end of the report, you will also find the raw scores for each part of the exam you completed.  Part 3 does not provide one score but rather three sub scores.

You will see one of the following recommendations based on the results of the exam:  

1. Math Ma/Qa (determined by the results of Part I of the exam)  
2. Math 1a (determined by the results of Part I and Part II)  
3. Math 1b (determined by the results of all three parts of the exam)  
4. A list of all courses beyond single variable calculus  

If you have questions about your placement advice the detailed scores can be helpful to use when consulting a Math advisor during the course selection period. Math Advisors will be available mid-August. The Math Department will also hold two sessions over Zoom about these courses on August 7 and August 13. See the Math Department website for the session descriptions and Zoom coordinates. The Math Department also provides this document to outline introductory Math courses.

I am interested in a concentration or secondary field that has a math course requirement.  What factors should I consider when choosing such a course?  

Where to look:  

• Crucial: Talk to the departmental advisors in your area of interest.  Their contact information can be found at the Exploring Concentrations area.  Some of the gateway courses in each concentration are listed there. 
• Look at my.harvard.edu and use the “Search my Requirements” and “What if” tools to find out which math courses are recommended and/or required for the concentrations that you are interested in.  

Harvard fact: A student’s area of focus at Harvard is called a concentration (it is called a ‘major’ at most other universities). Students at Harvard can also pursue a ‘minor ‘field of study which is called a secondary field. For details about concentrations and secondary fields, consult the Fields of Concentration section in the Handbook for Students.

The placement report recommends that I choose from a range of multivariable calculus courses or theory-based math courses.  How do I find out what these are and which to take?  

Where to look:  

• Look at this Math Department website for information about these courses and guidance about what to consider when making a choice.    
• Attend the Zoom information session about these courses to be held on August 7 and August 13. See the Math Department website for the Zoom coordinates.
• Consult the list of introductory courses.  
• Make an appointment to talk with a Math Advisor. Advisors will be available beginning mid-August.

What if I want to take a mathematics course that is not included in the list of recommended courses on my placement report in my.harvard.edu?  

You are advised to take the course(s) recommended for you on your placement report. If you would like to take another course included in the list of recommended courses for first year students, consult with an advisor in the Math Department directly. Advisors will be available in mid-August.  

Questions about your writing course recommendation should be sent to expos@fas.harvard.edu