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Writer's pictureStephen Turban

Harvard Student Agencies Business Academy—Everything You Need to Know 

When applying to college, standing out from the competition can be challenging. Participating in leadership and business programs like those offered by the Harvard Student Agencies (HSA), the subject of our blog today, can help boost your profile. 


By gaining hands-on experience and learning directly from faculty and students at one of the world’s leading universities, you can demonstrate to admissions officers that you are serious about business and leadership. Programs like these allow you to develop critical thinking, leadership skills, and a solid understanding of business fundamentals, all of which can be appealing to colleges and universities.



What are the Academies by Harvard Student Agencies?


The Academies by Harvard Student Agencies (HSA) are student-run pre-professional programs for high school students hosted at Harvard University. They are designed to offer an in-depth introduction to business, pre-med, governance, and coding. Their purpose is to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world career experiences. 


The Business Academy teaches essential skills such as business analysis, marketing strategies, financial planning, and entrepreneurial thinking. Through interactive workshops, case studies, and group projects, you will gain a practical understanding of how businesses operate. You’ll work with Harvard undergraduate instructors as well as advising faculty and receive mentorship throughout the program. Whether you’re considering pursuing a business degree in college or want to develop your leadership abilities, this academy offers valuable experience and insight.



How is the program structured?


The Business Academy track of the HSA is structured around two core areas: Entrepreneurship and Management & Strategy. Both focus on different aspects of business, but they are designed to give you a holistic view of how businesses are built and managed.


Entrepreneurship


The Entrepreneurship track is all about learning how to start and grow a business. This track is perfect if you want to develop your own idea or launch a start-up in the future. The curriculum focuses on business creation, from ideation to execution. You’ll learn how to identify business opportunities, develop business models, and bring products or services to market. Throughout the program, you’ll work on building a business plan and developing strategies for growing and scaling your business idea.


You’ll gain skills in product development, learn important tools like SWOT analysis, and improve your financial literacy. You’ll also learn entrepreneurial thinking and how to structure business plans, concluding with a business school case study to understand practical applications.


Management & Strategy


The Management & Strategy track is aimed at students who want to learn how to lead and make strategic decisions within established organizations. You’ll focus on business operations, leadership, and decision-making in various business contexts. This track is ideal for those looking to work in management positions or lead teams in the future. The curriculum covers strategic planning, organizational behavior, and financial management.


In this track, you’ll develop skills in managing people, resources, and processes. You’ll also explore topics like leadership styles, business ethics, and how to navigate challenges in a competitive business environment.


Other Academies


The Harvard Student Agencies offers more than just business-focused programs. Here’s a quick overview of the other tracks:

  • Pre-Med Academy: Ideal if you’re planning to enter the medical field. Learn about the healthcare system, patient care, and medical research.

  • Government Academy: Focuses on public policy, law, and international relations. Great for students interested in politics or law.

  • Coding Academy: Teaches coding languages and software development, aimed at students interested in technology and programming.

All four academies are available in the following formats:

  1. On-campus – classes take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday in Harvard area classrooms. The class availability is as follows:



  1. Virtual – here you have the option of choosing from one of the following:

    1. Weekend Virtual Academies of 8 hours, with availability as follows:



    2. Summer Virtual Academies of 20 hours, with availability as follows:





Is it prestigious?


The Harvard Student Agencies Business Academy is not particularly prestigious. Keep in mind that this program is run by a student association at Harvard, not Harvard University itself. Sessions are taught by undergraduate students, not faculty or working professionals, as in other summer programs. Additionally, the program is quite expensive at $1,800 for one week and has no specific eligibility requirements, indicating it is less prestigious than funded summer programs, which usually have a GPA cut-off. The value of this program would be in the skills you pick up and the chance to visit Harvard’s campus and interact with current undergraduates, if that interests you. 



Who is eligible, and how do you apply?


To apply for the Harvard Student Agencies Business Academy, you simply need to be a high school student in grades 9-12. There is no specific GPA requirement, but academic excellence is encouraged.

The online application is fairly straightforward for all programs. You can choose to apply for more than one program in the same application. While the on-campus programs have an application deadline of 21st July, online program applications are still open. In all cases, admissions are accepted on a rolling basis.



How much do Harvard Student Agencies Academies cost?


The costs of the program are:

  • On-campus – $1,800

  • Online – $300

Need-based financial aid is available, and the HSA claims to cover 99% of families’ financial aid needs.



Pros and Cons to consider


Pros:

  1. Access to Harvard mentors: The key benefit the program offers is the daily interaction and mentorship from Harvard students, offering you personalized guidance and mentorship, including potentially for the college application process.

  2. Great networking opportunities: You will connect with Harvard grads and undergrads, industry experts, and even Harvard faculty, helping you build a robust professional network.

  3. Good hands-on experience: Both managerial and entrepreneurship tracks have a strong focus on business cases and practical applications of the concepts you learn, preparing you for future academic or professional opportunities.


Cons:

  1. Low selectivity: The program is open to all high schoolers, and while that’s a good thing from an accessibility point of view, it does take away from its prestige somewhat.

  2. Student-run program: At the end of the day, The Agencies are a student-run program, and your interaction with actual Harvard faculty will be limited.



Our review

Overall, Harvard Student Agencies’ Business Academy is a good opportunity to get started on your journey in business education. While it’s a student-run initiative, it’s supported by the faculty of Harvard and offers access to a network of students, professionals, and faculty. Having both in-person and virtual options is another point in its favor. If you’re keen to build a career in business or if you feel entrepreneurship is your thing, this program may be worth attending. 


One other option — the Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, you could also consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.


Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!


Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.


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