Harvard Prize Book Program

     

Award Harvard Prize Books to outstanding high school students. In recognizing their scholastic and personal achievements, you inspire their future academic studies and introduce them to the opportunities available at Harvard.


Donated by Harvard Clubs and Shared Interest Groups (SIGs), Prize Books are presented annually in more than 1,000 high schools around the world. Prize Books may be awarded to students in a high school of the Club or SIG’s choosing. Recipients are exemplary students in the next-to-graduating high school class who display excellence in scholarship and achievement in nonacademic fields. Outstanding high school teachers who inspire curiosity and excellence in their students can also receive the award.


The Prize Book is often presented at the chosen school’s award or graduation ceremony, sometimes with appropriate remarks by a local alum.


Book orders for the 2024-2025 academic year will open in January, 2025.

How To Participate

1. Establish a Prize Book award: A Harvard Club/SIG or affiliate of Harvard need only contribute the cost of one book.


2. Select a school: Prize Books may be awarded to students in the next-to-graduating class in a high school of the Club or SIG’s choosing. Contact the local high school principal and/or guidance counselor to introduce the program and to arrange for a student to be selected by the high school to receive the award.


3. Choose a book: A list of book titles to order from will be made available through the Harvard Coop, although Clubs and SIGs may choose other books not on this list. All books presented by an officially recognized Club or SIG come with an official Harvard bookplate to record the names of the donor and award recipient.


4. Order the book: In mid-January, 2025, the list of Prize Books will be included below along with program-specific links to order directly from the Harvard Coop.

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Award Guidelines

  • Prize Books are awarded without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, or political beliefs.

  • It is at the discretion of the secondary school to determine the recipient of a Prize Book. Selection cannot be done through an application process.

  • The Harvard Prize Book Program is not offered in New York City.