Proctor

Harvard Summer School Proctor

Each year, Harvard Summer School hires approximately 200 undergraduate and graduate students to serve as proctors who live in Harvard residences and supervise Summer School students. Proctors work with Summer School students and provide the supervision, information, advising, and social activities needed to create a safe, hospitable environment conducive to an academically productive summer experience. 

For questions about proctoring, please contact:
Kimberly Calnan
Program Manager
Student Engagement & Residential Life
summerproctors@summer.harvard.edu

Programs Served

Learn more about the various programs Proctors support within Harvard Summer School and the requirements of each.

GP Proctor

General Program
Time Commitment: Part-time position, 20+ hours/week

Outside Commitment: One outside commitment up to 20 hours/week is permitted.

Population Served: Supervising college-age and older students in Harvard Houses

Compensation: free room, meal plan, and a 4-credit, 7-week Harvard Summer School course

Pre-College Proctor

Pre-College Program
Time Commitment: Full-time position, 40+ hours/week

Outside Commitment: As it is a full-time position, any other commitment outside of proctoring must be pre-approved by the Associate Director of the Pre-College Program

Population Served: Supervising high-school-age students living in a Harvard House

Compensation: free room, meal plan, and a payment of $4,000

SSP Proctor

Secondary School Program
Time Commitment: Part-time position, 20+ hours/week

Outside Commitment: One outside commitment up to 20 hours/week is permitted.

Population Served: Supervising high-school-age students in the Yard and/or Harvard Houses

Compensation: free room, meal plan, and a 4-credit, 7-week Harvard Summer School course

Job Description with Key Responsibilities:

All Proctors share the same key responsibilities, but as each of our programs serves a different student population, each program has its own unique features and additional requirements. Please refer to the full job description https://summeropportunities.dce.harvard.edu/files/2025/11/2026-HSS-Proctor-Job-Description_Final_Rev_11_20_2025.pdf.

The Key Responsibilities listed below include but are not limited to the following:



Proctor Commitment

Dates in Residence (varies by Program): Proctors must be in residence for all nights and weekends. Dates below are tentative and subject to change.

GP Proctors must be in residence from 4:00pm on Sunday, June 14 through 2:00pm on Saturday, August 8, 2026 including all nights and weekends.

Pre-College Proctors must be in residence from 4:00pm on Sunday, June 14 through 10:00am on Saturday, August 1, 2026 including all nights and weekends.

SSP Proctors must be in residence from 4:00pm on Sunday, June 14 through 2:00pm on Saturday, August 8, 2026 including all nights and weekends.

No Proctor from any Program may schedule a return flight home that requires them to leave campus before their Program’s stated check-out time on the final day of their Program’s session.

Orientation and Training: All Proctors must participate in a pre-summer orientation meeting held in April (exact date TBA), complete online pre-work to be done as assigned (April-June), and attend mandatory in-person Proctor orientation and training sessions running June 14-18, 2026 (dates subject to change).

Course Enrollment (varies by Program):

GP and SSP Proctors may not enroll in more than one, free, four-credit, seven-week Harvard Summer School course that is offered as part of the job’s compensation. Enrolling in an eight-credit course, a three-week course or four-week course is not permitted under any circumstance.

Pre-College Proctors are not permitted to enroll in any course as the job is full-time at 40+ hours per week.

Outside Commitments (varies by Program):

GP and SSP Proctors are permitted to hold one outside commitment (i.e. research, internship, public service) that does not exceed more than 20 hours/week. Proctors can expect to commit an average of 20+ hours/week to proctor-related responsibilities (note: some weeks will be more than 20 hours) and are strongly advised to take care in balancing competing summer priorities.

Pre-College Proctors are not permitted to have any outside commitments unless they are pre-approved by the Associate Director of the Pre-College Program as the job is full-time at 40+ hours per week.

Requirements

We invite applications from undergraduate and graduate degree candidates from Harvard University and other institutions with comparable experience.

Qualifications

Qualifications 

We invite applications from undergraduate and graduate degree candidates from Harvard University and other institutions with comparable experience. We are seeking candidates with a demonstrated interest in working with students. Applicants with relevant leadership experience supporting an ethnically and culturally diverse population of students (high school students or adult and college students) are strongly preferred. Applicants must possess the physical capability and social communication skills sufficient to supervise and address the health and safety needs of students entrusted to their care. Individuals selected for the HSS Proctor position must be authorized to work in the United States. Please note that Harvard Summer School will not provide visa sponsorship for this position. 

Note: As a condition of employment, proctors must complete and be cleared through the Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) background checks in order to complete the hiring process. Before arriving on campus, proctors must complete pre-work, which includes online training through Canvas, online surveys, and HR training modules on Title IX policy, the safety and protection of minors, mental health, and other topics. Proctors must attend a Pre-Summer Orientation Meeting in April. Key dates for orientation and training will be provided to applicants during the interview process. 

Instructions

Applicant Instructions 

After carefully reviewing the Program information, applicants should select one program to apply to. When making your selection from the three available programs, we recommend considering the following:   

  • Time commitment (part-time – 20+ hours per week, or full-time – 40+ hours per week) 
  • Demographic (high school students, or college age & adult students) 
  • The job requirements (those shared among programs, and those unique to each individual program).   
  • Each program’s specific compensation structure (varies by program). 

  • Apply online by the Priority Deadline, January 30, 2026 by 11:59pm ET using the link found in the box in the Application Information section below.

  • Interviews: Applicants who are invited to interview will be contacted by email. First-round interviews are conducted via SparkHire and must be completed before applicants can be considered for advancement to the second-round, live interview conducted via Zoom. 

Questions?

Email us: summerproctors@summer.harvard.edu

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions. 

Question 1. How should I choose which program to apply to Proctor for? 

Answer. Start by thinking about the kind of students you’d like to work with. Would you rather support high school students in our Pre-College Program or Secondary School Program, or work with college-age and adult learners in the General Program

Next, think about your own background and summer goals. Have you spent more time mentoring teens, or working with peers closer to your age? Choosing a program that matches your experience will help you feel confident. 

Finally, consider your summer schedule and availability: 

  • General Program: part-time, 20+ hours per week 
  • Pre-College Program: full-time, 40+ hours per week 
  • Secondary School Program: part-time, 20+ hours per week 

There’s no one right choice, it is all about choosing the program that best fits your interests, experience, and summer plans. 

Question 2. Can I apply to proctor for more than one program? 

Answer. Candidates must choose one primary program when filling out the proctor application. However, if you have interest in your application being considered for another program, you are able to indicate interest in the final, optional essay question where you are able to provide additional information. 

Question 3. Who should I choose as a reference? 

Answer. You want to choose someone to be your reference who can speak to the qualities that you possess that will make you a good proctor. We recommend sharing the job description and the program you have applied to proctor for with your reference. Should it be necessary, applicants have the ability to send reminder messages to their reference or change their reference in the application dashboard. 

Question 4. How do I know if my reference submitted the online reference form? 

Answer. By logging into your application dashboard, you will see if your reference has or has not yet submitted the online reference form for you. A red circle beside the reference line-item indicates the form has not been submitted. A green circle beside the reference line-item indicates that the form has been submitted. 

Question 5. How do I know my application has been submitted? 

Answer. The required application items (transcript and resume) you upload directly into the application yourself. The final application page that requires you to enter information is titled the Verify & Submit page. Once you verify your information and submit your application you can then see your application dashboard, so you know your application has been submitted. 

Question 6. When will my application be reviewed? 

Answer. Submitted applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, meaning you have successfully entered all the parts of the application that you, the applicant, are required to submit.   

Question 7. If my application is reviewed, is that the same as my application being complete? 

Answer. No, submitted and complete are not the same. A complete application includes a college transcript, resume, and reference form. 

Question 8. Does everyone receive an interview? 

Answer. No, not every applicant will receive an interview. Applicants must meet the stated eligibility requirements, essays must be sufficient to demonstrate interest and relevant experience in serving the particular student population for which you are applying to proctor for, transcripts must reflect good standing, and resumes should display related skills and experiences relevant to the Proctor job description.  

Question 9. What do you offer proctors as compensation in exchange for their work? 

Answer. Compensation varies by program depending on whether you apply for a part-time Proctor job or a full-time Proctor job.  

Compensation by program is as follows

General Program (Part-time job 20+ hours weekly proctoring for college-age & adult students) 

  • One free, 4-credit, 7-week, Harvard Summer School course 
  • Free room and free meals 
  • The ability to hold one outside commitment (not including the free course) that does not exceed more than 20 hours per week. 

Pre-College Program (Full-time job 40+ hours weekly proctoring for high school students) 

  • Payment of $4,000 
  • Free room and free meals 
  • 4 vacation days 

Secondary School Program (Part-time job 20+ hours weekly proctoring for high school students) 

  • One, free, 4-credit, 7-week, Harvard Summer School course 
  • Free room and free meals 
  • The ability to hold one outside commitment (not including the free course) that does not exceed more than 20 hours per week. 

Question 10. If I proctor for GP or SSP and do not take a course, can my one outside commitment be for more than 20 hours a week? 

Answer. No. Taking the free course is optional, and while it does not count towards the one 20 hours per week, outside commitment allowed, not taking a course does not permit exceeding the maximum of 20 hours per week for the one outside commitment.  

Question 11. Can the required weekly proctoring time commitment exceed 20+/40+ hours? 

Answer. Yes, which is why the + plus sign is added after the base number of required hours: 20 hours per week for GP & SSP and 40 hours per week for Pre-College. Some weeks will require proctors to work beyond the stated weekly time commitment due to things such as being on-call (a 24-hour duty done in rotations), taking part in required activities/events or incident/emergency response. Being able to be flexible with your schedule is extremely helpful when proctoring. Proctors are expected to prioritize their Proctor job duties first and foremost and then depending on the role (part-time vs. full-time) fill whatever remaining time that is permitted on a weekly basis.  

If you still have questions, please email us: summerproctors@summer.harvard.edu 

Application information

Choose a Program

General Program (GP)

Pre-College Program (Pre-College)

Secondary School Program (SSP)

Application Materials

4 Essays
Transcript
Resume
Online reference form

Interview Timing

Interviews: Rolling beginning in December

Decisions: Rolling

Note: Applicants who are invited to interview will be contacted by email. First-round interviews are conducted via SparkHire and must be completed before applicants can be considered for advancement to the second-round. Second-round live interviews conducted via Zoom.