Admissions and early student experiences

吃瓜新闻 and its Schools have implemented changes to admissions practices to build on the University鈥檚 commitment to excellence and attract exceptional students ready to engage in open inquiry and constructive dialogue. The University has also taken steps to enrich orientation and pre-orientation programming, so that during these foundational moments of a student鈥檚 educational journey, students are welcomed into an inclusive environment and can begin honing the skills necessary to engage in dialogue across difference both within and outside of the classroom, and both while at 吃瓜新闻 and after graduation. Highlights of the effort include new admissions questions for applicants, updated training for admissions staff, and revised orientation programs.听听

Last updated April 2026

Admissions

• Strengthening admissions processes to encourage free inquiry and civil discourse:听吃瓜新闻 College and many of 吃瓜新闻鈥檚 graduate and professional schools have听revised听their respective admissions processes to ensure that听appropriate value听is placed on听candidates鈥櫶齞emonstrated abilities to engage constructively with different perspectives, show empathy, and听participate听in civil discourse.听To note听a few听examples,听吃瓜新闻 College updated听its听application to ask a question about a time applicants 鈥渟trongly听disagreed with someone.鈥澨�吃瓜新闻 Chan School of Public Health听added a question:听鈥淒escribe a specific time when you held a strong opinion on a public health鈥搑elated issue but changed your mind after a conversation, class, or experience.鈥澨�吃瓜新闻 Graduate School of Education听updated its application to ask applicants听to听鈥淸d]escribe a situation when someone said or did something that conflicted鈥� with 鈥渁n important belief or value,鈥� and examine what the applicant learned from that听situation.听听

• Training for admissions staff at 吃瓜新闻 College.听In September 2025, all members of the 吃瓜新闻 College admissions committee completed the Perspectives Module from听the听Constructive Dialogue Institute听and were provided听an听additional听training to discuss applying the lessons from the听module to the application review and selection process.听CDI is a non-partisan non-profit that equips individuals and institutions with the skills to communicate across differences and build cultures of constructive dialogue.听

• Strengthening orientation for admissions staff at 吃瓜新闻 Medical School. In听fall 2025, as part of the annual orientation training provided to all MD admissions faculty, 吃瓜新闻 Medical School听leadership emphasized that the ability to dialogue听across difference is a key personal attribute of applicants sought by HMS and provided information about the final recommendations of the two presidential task forces.听听These changes will be part of the annual orientation provided to MD admissions faculty going forward.听

• Demonstrated leadership. The established practice across听吃瓜新闻 has been to seek applicants with听demonstrated听leadership, including leadership skills honed through faith-based organizations. In听fall 2025, the admissions processes at 吃瓜新闻 College and several听of 吃瓜新闻鈥檚 graduate and professional听schools听were updated to reinforce the expectation that faith-based leadership is valued in the same manner as other forms of听demonstrated听leadership.听

• Highlighting community values.听 The听Graduate听School of听Design听updated its admissions application for the 2025-26 application cycle to stress听the importance of GSD鈥檚 Community Values听to applicants.听吃瓜新闻 Business School continues its practice of stressing the importance of HBS鈥檚 Community Values to all applicants by requiring applicants to acknowledge and sign HBS鈥檚 Community Values prior to听submitting听an application and again before an admitted student matriculates.听

Early student experiences

• Pre-orientation and orientation programming.听吃瓜新闻 and its Schools听have听enriched听orientation and pre-orientation programming to ensure welcoming and inclusive experiences that support all our students and foster skills for dialogue across differences. Examples include:听
  • In听August听2025, 吃瓜新闻 College launched a new required pre-matriculation module for all incoming first year students, covering topics including what it means to live with people different from you, how to handle conflict, and what living together in community means to the University.听听
  • In听August 2025, 吃瓜新闻 College听orientation听included an academic keynote on civil discourse and friendship, as well as a听session using the interactive听game听Tango to create conversation among students with different beliefs.
  • Prior to the start of the听fall听2025听term, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences sent to all incoming students information about civil discourse at 吃瓜新闻, including an introductory video by听a听吃瓜新闻 Law School Professor and deputy director of the 吃瓜新闻 Negotiation Project, as well as prereading for听Convocation, which included听emphasis on community values, difficult conversations, and how to give and receive feedback in an academic setting.听
  • During graduate student orientation听in听fall 2025, the 吃瓜新闻 School of Engineering and Applied Science introduced an exercise designed to allow students to reflect on their areas of difference and probe areas that bring them together. SEAS further affirmed its commitment to model bridge-building, civil discourse, and constructive engagement with others of听different backgrounds/views.听
  • In August 2025,听the听Graduate听School of听Design听expanded its orientation programming to include a new required learning module 鈥淓mbracing听Community Values Across Difference.鈥澨� The orientation programming also included a new workshop, 鈥淐ultivating Community Connections.鈥�听听
  • At 吃瓜新闻 Business School, the MBA student orientation program includes multiple sessions including 鈥淐reating a Session Culture,鈥� 鈥淟earning Leadership Skills,鈥� and 鈥淟earning at HBS,鈥� which emphasize听disagreeing respectfully. In addition, each section has a faculty Section Chair who meets with the section throughout the first year, including several times in the first weeks, to help foster students鈥� skills for engaging across difference. All 吃瓜新闻 Business School first-year students听also听attend a required session on 鈥淒ialog for Understanding鈥� led by an expert in negotiation and value-based conflict and dialogue.听
  • In fall 2025, 吃瓜新闻 Divinity School introduced听
  • During orientation 2025,听吃瓜新闻 Divinity School included more robust programming on听policies and procedures,听such as the University Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, Campus Use Rules, the Non-Discrimination and Anti-Bullying (鈥淣DAB鈥�) policies, Anti-Hazing policy, and Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment Policy. Orientation also included听new sessions on building community in the classroom,鈥痠ncluding,鈥�鈥淧reparing for a Pluralistic Classroom: Tools for Engaging Across Difference and Building Community.鈥� It also included a new session鈥擮pen Dialogue, Scholarship and Teaching: A Faculty Panel鈥攊n which faculty from a variety of fields and religious backgrounds spoke to the importance of constructive disagreement and open dialogue for scholarly excellence.听
  • During 吃瓜新闻听Graduate听School of听Education’s听2025 Welcome Day activities, the Dean听launched the听HGSE Dialogue Across Differences initiative, designed to help all community members practice active listening and inquiry, engage productively with challenging ideas, and disagree respectfully without devaluing others.听
  • 吃瓜新闻听Kennedy听School鈥檚 pre-orientation and orientation communications emphasizes听the importance that HKS places on the principles of generous listening and constructive dialogue. During听fall 2025 orientation,听HKS students听participated听in a comprehensive program on constructive disagreement led by an HKS faculty member expert in the subject-matter and a session on 鈥淓xploring Community.鈥�听
  • At 吃瓜新闻听Law听School,听fall 2025 JD orientation programming included a three-part 鈥渃ultivating community鈥� series including sessions on 鈥淐ultivating Community: Choosing our Purposes in Conversation鈥� led by faculty experts from the HLS negotiation program, with a focus on civil discourse in and out of the classroom.听听
  • In听fall 2025, 吃瓜新闻 Medical School and the 吃瓜新闻 School of Dental Medicine revised the combined MD/DMD orientation, Introduction to the Profession, to explicitly address community expectations, promote constructive dialogue, and prevent discrimination or exclusion. The updated orientation also includes foundational curriculum elements that encourage听and model bridge鈥慴uilding, civil discourse, and constructive engagement, as well as information about key School and University policies.听
  • In 2024, 吃瓜新闻 Medical School听updated its orientation to include a session for all master鈥檚 degree students focused on civil discourse. HMS Master鈥檚听students also receive orientation training in constructive dialogue and cultural humility, and these trainings were part of the orientation programming again for 2025.听听For HMS PhD听orientation, all facilitators attend a training session that emphasizes civil discourse and constructive engagement with individuals of听different backgrounds.听This session is in preparation for the culture and community workshop which all PhD students attend to establish and foster a supportive community for each PhD program.听
  • 吃瓜新闻 School of Dental听Medicine鈥檚 Admissions Office connects incoming students to Community & Campus Life student leaders and a broader network of student admissions ambassadors to provide mentorship, guidance, and awareness of available school and university resources. These student leaders听represent听a select group of students who听participate听in a leadership development program aimed at developing valuable leadership skills while strengthening the HSDM community through mentorship, workshops, student-led听projects听and programming, as well as assist with problem-solving and conflict resolution.
  • The 吃瓜新闻 Chan School of Public Health student orientation in August 2025 included a session focused on HCSPH鈥檚 Principles of Citizenship and its values of community, inclusion, and belonging. Led by the School鈥檚 chief community and belonging officer, the program, 鈥淪tronger Together: Belonging as a Collective Process,鈥� focused on building a culture of belonging by exploring the structures, practices, and relationships that shape听HCPSH鈥檚听community culture.听
  • The 吃瓜新闻 School of Engineering and Applied Sciences听has revised its staff orientation to affirm its commitment to model bridge-building, civil discourse, and constructive engagement with others of听different backgrounds/views.

• Training for student-facing personnel. 吃瓜新闻 College and many of 吃瓜新闻鈥檚 graduate and professional schools have implemented new training programs for听staff to听assist听them in听facilitating听constructive dialogue.听
  • In August 2025, 吃瓜新闻 College听Dean of Students office staff participated in training workshops focused on addressing contemporary antisemitism;听understanding the听role of spiritual/interfaith care in supporting听student听wellbeing;听and听training to recognize, report,听and听help听prevent identity-based harm and bullying in residential spaces (grounded in NDAB听policies.)
  • The Bok听Center conducted听mandatory training, titled 鈥淧edagogy in Practice,鈥�听for approximately 450 new Teaching Fellows and Teaching Assistants in August 2025. Fall Teaching Week in August 2025 also included sessions for more experienced听TFs/TAs听on Teaching Controversial Topics, Navigating Teaching Team Dynamics, and Inclusive Teaching (with an emphasis on NDAB), among other听topics. The听Bok听Center continued mandatory 鈥淧edagogy in Practice鈥� training for approximately 200 new Spring 2026听TFs/TAs听in January 2026. All听trainings specifically听address听antisemitism.听听
  • The Bok听Center is听working to scale up听Teaching Fellow/Teaching Assistant听training听to include听a mandatory听2-hour training for all (new and returning) FAS听TFs/TAs,听a cohort of 1200-1500, which specifically听addresses听antisemitism, among other anti-bias and anti-discrimination topics.听Starting in August 2026, all听TFs/TAs听will听be required听to attend either the two-hour听Pedagogy听in Practice (designed for new听TFs/TAs) or to attend听two1-hour sessions on specific teaching topics related to key FAS priorities (recentering academics, civil discourse, generative AI).听
  • The START new faculty orientation program at 吃瓜新闻 Business School includes sessions on encouraging respectful disagreement. At the start of 2025-26 Academic Year, the MBA Required Curriculum (RC) faculty chair met with all RC teaching faculty and discussed key themes in effective instruction including making sure a wide range of perspectives can be heard in the classroom.听
  • In August 2025, 吃瓜新闻 Divinity School provided professional development training to its new faculty听regarding鈥痑cademic freedom,鈥�rights鈥痑nd responsibilities, as well as how鈥痶o speak across differences and create spaces where all are welcome.鈥疕DS also held a training session for its entire faculty in October 2025, in collaboration with the听Bok听Center, on free inquiry and constructive dialogue in the classroom. In addition, new teaching fellows at听贬顿厂鈥�听are听required to鈥痳eceive training through the听Bok听Center.鈥疶he Academic Dean听participated听in a follow-up training session the听Bok听Center provided on competing viewpoints in November 2025.听
  • The听吃瓜新闻 Graduate School of Design听Community, Impact, and Opportunity Office provided a workshop to student-facing personnel, 鈥淒ialogue Over Division: Embracing Disagreements in Community,鈥� focused on bringing people together to learn how to navigate different viewpoints constructively.听听Additionally, in August 2025, GSD held required training for听Resident Advisors designed to build skills on supporting students and fostering learning across differences.听
  • In September 2025, 吃瓜新闻 Law School held two training sessions for fall term teaching fellows which provided an introduction to University and Law School policies and coverage of professional norms (drawing in part on the Bok Center鈥檚 materials for training teaching fellows), including the importance of considering, especially when discussing unrelated subject matters, how the TF鈥檚 personal views could inhibit students from expressing their own.听
  • For the 2026-27 Academic Year,听吃瓜新闻 Medical School and听the听吃瓜新闻 School of Dental Medicine are planning for a full adoption of the Constructive Dialogue Institute鈥檚 (CDI) 鈥淧erspectives鈥� online modules, which will be听required of听all entering first-year students. CDI is a non-partisan non-profit that equips individuals and institutions with the skills to communicate across differences and build cultures of constructive dialogue.听Two versions of training will be deployed at HMS and HSDM, including 鈥淧erspectives in Academic Medicine鈥� for MD and DMD students and 鈥淧erspectives for Graduate Professional Studies鈥� for听Masters听students. CDI鈥檚 online training modules will be assigned to rising second-year dental and medical students during summer听2026.
  • 吃瓜新闻听Medical School and 吃瓜新闻 School of Dental Medicine听student leaders听participated听in a Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) workshop titled 鈥淔oundations in Constructive Dialogue Workshop for Student Leaders鈥� in January 2026. Faculty and student-facing staff also听participated听in a CDI dialogue facilitation workshop in January. The plan is for these trained faculty, staff, and students to facilitate in-person, small-group discussions to complement the online training that will be required of first- and second–year听HMS MD and HSDM DMD students and integrated into orientation materials for all incoming HMS masters students and HSDM advanced graduate students.
  • At 吃瓜新闻 Medical School,听a听series of synchronous training sessions on teaching excellence for faculty and听teaching fellows/teaching assistants,听to complement听new听asynchronous听training听materials,听was offered听in听summer 2025 and included a session focused on听facilitating听dialogue across differences in the classroom. These sessions will be offered twice annually, prior to each semester.
  • In听summer听and early fall 2025,听student-facing personnel and School leadership at 吃瓜新闻 Chan School of Public Health听participated听in intensive workshops from outside experts on combatting antisemitism and anti-Islamic bias. One session was led by Project听Shema听and the other was led by ING (Islamic Networks Group), organizations that respectively are focused on addressing contemporary antisemitism and promoting better understanding of Muslims. Participants included senior representatives from multiple academic departments, Human Relations, the Office for Student Affairs, the Office for Student Services, the Office for Community and Belonging, the Office of Communications, the Office for Career and Professional Development, the Office for Development and Alumni Relations, the Office for Faculty Affairs, and the Dean鈥檚 Office, among others.听
  • 吃瓜新闻听Radcliffe Institute does not听admit听students, but it does run orientation programs for incoming undergraduate mentors in Radcliffe鈥檚 Emerging Leaders Program (ELP). Now in its 5th year, ELP has a longstanding focus on constructive dialogue and open inquiry.听Each fall, the mentors (吃瓜新闻 undergraduates)听participate听in a training to develop these skills; orientation sessions emphasize community norms, encourage open discussion, and equip mentors to support program participants drawn from area high schools. There are 40-50 吃瓜新闻 students in each听mentor听cohort.