About the lottery process
Some courses have enrollment limits or run course lotteries. Departments determine their own selection process, and you can check course Canvas sites and my.harvard course descriptions for details about the process and the individual course deadlines.
Petition approvals: Remember that it can take some time for petitions to be approved, so be mindful of this as you approach the enrollment deadline.
Courses that commonly run lotteries:
About Limited Enrollment Courses and Waitlists
Limited enrollment courses are courses that only permit a specified number of students to register and require instructor permission to enroll.
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You must also obtain instructor permission if you wish to join a waitlist; if you are granted seat from the waitlist, you will be automatically enrolled in the course.
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Instructors must opt-in to use waitlists - not all limited enrollment courses will offer a waitlist.
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Departments may reserve seats for students who meet specific criteria such as incoming (new) students or cross-registrants. A course may not appear full due to these reserve caps; however if you do not meet the criteria, you may be prompted to join the waitlist if the course offers one.
Enrollment capacity: Starting with Spring 2024 registration, once a course’s enrollment capacity is reached, Harvard College/Griffin GSAS students will not be able to enroll in courses even if they had instructor permission approved. If you are selected through a lottery or other course selection process, you must enroll by the defined FAS date.
Important: Beginning with Fall 2024 Registration, instructors can cancel approved petitions for students who have not enrolled in a class and are not on the waitlist for a class.
During Spring 2024 Registration in November – no waitlists available:
During the registration period, check the Course Search to see if a limited enrollment course offers a waitlist.
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If you were not granted a seat before the class reached capacity, you may still submit a petition to enroll.
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Once your petition is approved, you can take steps to enroll based on the timing:
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During November registration period, check back to see if another student drops the course resulting in a new open seat before registration is over.
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During the January add/drop period, you can add yourself to the waitlist for the course.
Starting with the Spring 2024 open add/drop period in January – waitlist opens:
Beginning with the open add/drop period, you may add yourself to the waitlist of a course for up to 16 credits (typically 4 courses) until the end of the first week of classes.
Courses that have waitlists will be indicated on the Course Search page for the course, in the course information section.
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If Waitlist Class indicates a "Yes", then there will either be a cap of students displayed as a ratio under Waitlist above the course description (ex. 0/20 - there are zero students on the waitlist which has a cap of 20) or if there is no cap on the waitlist it will just show the number of students currently on the waitlist (ex. 0).
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If Waitlist Class indicates "No" there is no waitlist for the course.
How to Waitlist into a Course
To waitlist into a course, you must:
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Submit a petition to the instructor (during November registration or January add/drop).
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Add yourself to the waitlist: After the petition is approved, you will need to take the second action of actively adding yourself to the waitlist (can be done only during January add/drop). Your Crimson Cart will display all of your waitlisted courses and your waitlist position number.
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When a spot opens up, you will receive notification and be automatically enrolled into the course as long as there are no holds on your record.
Keep your waitlist status updated: If you elect to "drop if enrolled", you will be automatically dropped from a course of your choosing and enrolled in the waitlisted course. Be sure to keep your waitlist status up to date; if you change your mind about a course, remove yourself from the waitlist before you are automatically enrolled. Please refer to Waitlists in my.harvard for more information on this feature.
Enrollment Limits
Ordinarily, Harvard College students may take 20 credits each term (5 courses, 4 credits per course).
Exceeding credits
Harvard College students may not enroll in more than 24 credits (six courses, 4 credits per course) in one term without Administrative Board approval.
Petition for Max Units/Credits: You can submit a petition to take six courses through my.harvard if your enrollment limit meets the eligibility criteria. You can access the form in my.harvard. Under the Student Home tab, select Documents, and Petition for Max Units/Credits.
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First-year, first-term students can access the petition for a fifth course once they are enrolled in courses adding up to 16 credits. You must obtain approval from your Resident Dean.
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All other students can access the petition for a sixth course once they are enrolled in courses adding up to 20 credits. You must obtain approval from your Resident Dean.
Reducing credits
Ordinarily, no Harvard College student may work at a rate less than necessary to maintain a yearly average rate of 32 credits passed.
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Harvard College students unable to manage a full-time course load due to significant and prolonged disability-related needs may qualify to take a reduced number of courses each semester. Accommodations are individualized and are determined through an interactive process. Once approved, the accommodation will apply to all remaining semesters. You must communicate with the Disability Access Office if your disability changes in a way that impacts your accommodation.
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You should discuss your academic progress with your Resident Dean and Concentration Advisor when considering a reduced course load.