Eligibility
Membership in the Signet Society is open to currently-enrolled Harvard College undergraduates. The Signet holds open applications at the beginning of each semester. If you are a currently-enrolled Harvard College student, you are invited to apply when you have completed at least three semesters of college and have at least two semesters, including the application semester, remaining before graduation. (For example, if you haven’t taken any time off, you can first apply in the spring of your sophomore year, and can apply as late as the fall of your senior year.)
In addition to undergrad members, a limited number of individuals from the wider community are elected to join the Signet as Affiliates. The Signet Affiliates Program (previously “small-a associates”) is open to the wider Harvard community of faculty and instructors, administrators, grad students, fellows, visiting artists and scholars, and alumni. Affiliates may also be individuals working in the arts and letters in Cambridge or nearby. (Undergrads are not eligible for the Affiliates Program.)
All members are chosen with regard to their intellectual, literary and artistic ability and achievements, and with regard for the purposes for which the Society was founded. The Signet does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin; sex, gender, or sexual orientation; physical ability or disability; religion; or veteran status.
apply to the signet SOCIETY
Click here to submit your application.
Spring applications will open in early February for sophomores and juniors who are currently enrolled at Harvard College for the semester. The application is due on February 8, 2025 at 11:59pm (Eastern Time). The deadline has been extended to Sunday February 9th, by midnight (11:59pm). No late applications will be accepted.
To learn more about the Signet and meet its current members, we’re hosting several events at our house, 46 Dunster Street, Cambridge.
Welcome Tea: Sunday, February 2, 4-6pm. Drop in!
Lunches: Wednesday, February 5, Thursday, February 6, and Friday, February 7, all at 12:15pm. Sign up at www.SignetLuncheon.org (If sign-up is full, please just come to lunch anyway - we want to meet you!)
POC in the Arts Mixer: after lunch on Thursday, February 6th at 1:15pm. We plan for the mixer to be a chance for you to get to know us and our beloved Hive.
Tea: Friday, February 7, 4:30-6:30pm. Drop in to share some refreshments and conversation. This Tea will feature an interview with the author of Muppets in Moscow, Natasha Lance Rogoff. (RSVP here)
Open Mic: Friday, February 7th from 8-10pm. Performers of all kinds — singers, musicians, comedians, poets, and more — are welcome to perform. No need to sign up if you would simply like to attend, but if you wish to perform, please RSVP here.
Attendance is not required and will not be considered in the application. You’re welcome to bring a friend!
There are four components to the Signet application: an artistic resume, a personal statement, a community statement, and an artistic supplement (work sample). No single portion of the application is more important than any other. Please keep in mind that the Signet seeks no single type of applicant. Your completed application should consist of:
1. Artistic Resume (no more than one page):
List any relevant artistic projects, coursework, work experience, or awards
No need to include your GPA or test scores
Focus on artistic experiences from college and after high school
Example resumes are available here
2. Personal Statement (no more than one page):
As you write, consider reflecting on the following questions:
How do you think about your art? In what ways is your art unique to you, who you are, and to your community/communities? What are ways that your various identities contribute to art-making? How do you describe yourself artistically? If there is anything else you think we should know about you or your artistic background, please feel free to include that here.
3. Community Statement (no more than half a page):
As you write, consider reflecting on the following questions:
What do you look for in an artistic community? What would you want to contribute to the group? In what ways would your unique identities and life experiences contribute to the vibrant community of the Signet? What kind of artistic collaborations would you wish to engage in through the Signet?
4. Artistic Supplement:
Please limit your artistic supplement to up to 3 pages of writing/images OR up to 3 minutes of audio/video. You may combine mediums, but they must not exceed the maximum 3 page/minute limit. For example, if you submit 2 pages of typed work, you may also submit 1 minute of recorded material; you may not, however, submit 3 minutes of recorded material AND 3 pages of typed work. In other words, your supplement must not exceed a total of “3” by any measurement. *The only exception is for those submitting screenplays or plays, which can be up to 5 pages*
Due to the volume of applications we generally receive, if you submit a supplement that exceeds these limits, we will only consider the first “3” we see and/or hear.
Artistic supplements created in collaboration with others are welcome, however, we ask you to name your involvement in the creative process if not already clear. For example, if you oversaw the creative direction of a painting, but someone else was responsible for physically painting it, please denote this on your application. Artistic integrity is important to sustaining our artistic community.
Once you have completed all portions of the application, please compile them into one PDF. If your artistic supplement is not text-based, please do not send ZIP files. Upload videos and audio files to online platforms like Vimeo, YouTube, or SoundCloud, then put the links and timestamps in the PDF.
Click here to submit your application. If you are having technical difficulties or have any questions, you can reach the undergraduate board at thesignetsociety@gmail.com.
inquire about the Signet Affiliates Program
For an overview of the Signet Affiliates Program, our non-undergraduate membership, please click here.
Affiliates advance the Signet’s purpose by encouraging the artistic, literary, and creative efforts of our undergraduate members. Their engagement in this multigenerational community is at the core of the Signet’s mission, and provides a unique opportunity for students, faculty, and practitioners to converse and collaborate.
Many Affiliates are Harvard faculty, fellows, administrators, alumni, and graduate students; others may be visiting or local artists, journalists, authors, scholars, or individuals involved in a wide range of other artistic, literary, and scholarly fields.
If you are curious about becoming a Signet Affiliate, please complete the Affiliate Inquiry Form below. Please contact us with any questions.