Harvard College typically releases Restrictive Early Action (REA) decisions in mid-December in the evening U.S. Eastern Time , and Regular Decision (RD) decisions with the other Ivies on “Ivy Day” in the last week of March, usually around 7 p.m. ET. Exact dates can shift slightly each year, so always confirm on Harvard’s official admissions site or emails for your specific cycle.

Early Action (REA) timing

For Restrictive Early Action, Harvard says applicants who apply by November 1 are notified in mid-December. In recent cycles, decisions have typically dropped on a weekday evening, often around 7 p.m. ET , and students often report portal updates and emails within that window.

  • Application deadline: November 1 (REA).
  • Decision window: “Mid-December,” often on a Thursday evening near that time.
  • Notification method: Online portal update plus an email shortly after.

Regular Decision timing

For Regular Decision, Harvard releases results with the other Ivy League schools on “Ivy Day,” which falls in the last week of March. Recent Ivy Day calendars anticipate Harvard decisions around March 26 in the early evening (about 7 p.m. ET) , though this is listed as anticipated, not guaranteed.

  • Application deadline: Early January for RD.
  • Decision window: Last week of March on Ivy Day, evening ET.
  • Time of day: Historically around 7 p.m. ET, with emails rolling out shortly after the portal updates.

Law School and other Harvard programs

Different Harvard schools run on different timelines, so “when do Harvard decisions come out” depends on the program.

  • Harvard Law School (J.D.) begins releasing decisions no sooner than January and aims to notify all applicants by early spring (March–April).
  • Other graduate and professional schools (GSAS, Business School, etc.) set their own cycles and often stagger decisions between February and April , listed on their program pages.

What forums are saying this cycle

Applicant forums and megathreads treat the exact drop date as a mini-event and track patterns year-to-year.

  • Users often speculate about specific Thursdays in mid-December for REA and late-March Ivy Day for RD, usually at 7 p.m. ET.
  • Past cycles show candidates refreshing portals and sharing that their results appeared in the early evening, with confirmation that “they are out” within minutes.

Quick checklist while you wait

  • Double-check Harvard’s official admissions page for your year’s posted release window.
  • Watch your email (and spam folder) during mid-December (REA) and late March evenings (RD).
  • Ignore “portal tricks” and code rumors, as moderators and past applicants note these are not reliable indicators before decisions are formally released.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.