Crimson Key Society Plans, Summer 'Recruiting' Of Nation's Outstanding' High School Students

Some 85 undergraduates will be combing their Home town high schools all over the country this summer is search of "outstanding College prospects." These 85 are members of the Crimson Key Society's recently organized Schools Committee.

Last November, Key executives John T. Hazel '51 and Marvin H. Kraus '51, convinced that Harvard was not attracting all be best possible applicants, made up their minds to give College admissions procedures a shot in the arm. They organized a committee of undergraduates to work with Harvard Clubs in "resulting" prospective freshmen.

"We are not looking just for athletes," Charles E. Nelson '52, president of the Crimson Key and Schools Committee chairman, explained yesterday, "we want top scholars who show outstanding ability in many fields."

Like members of the administration. Nelson is convinced that many high calibre students particularly in the South and West are frightened away from the University because of regional "Harvard myths." These men never even think of applying here, according to Nelson, because they imagine the University is intellectually far above them.

Hazel told of an Arlington, Virginia high school junior who, besides being an all-star basketball player and trackman, is first in a class of 500 with a straight A average. Yet the boy was convinced, Hazel said, that Harvard was completely beyond said, that Harvard was completely beyond his reach.

Use His Own Judgment

Last Christmas, 50 Schools Committee men visited their hometown Harvard clubs and interviewed promising, students. Their reports indicated that many Harvard clubs fell far behind other Ivy League organizations in "selling" their school.

The summer the Crimson Key hopes to send at least one of its representatives to every state. These men are chosen by the Key executives, and each representative uses his own judgment in picking prospective College applicants.

Nelson mapped out what will be typical "recruiting" strategy: The Schools Committee, representatives will interview promising High School seniors during the summer, "attempting to dispel any false notions" they may have about the University.

When the representatives come back to college in the fall, they will file reports on the students interviewed to the Committee on Admissions here. the committee will then pass the information on to the local Harvard Clubs which can then re-interview the applicants.

If a prospect still has not made his mind up by Christmas vacation, the Schools Committee representative "works on him some more." Finally, if the applicant comes up to Cambridge to look the place over, a Crimson Key man will be on hand to show him around.

By setting up a long-range program like this, the Crimson Key hopes to encourage the entrance of some 150 exceptional students from hitherto untapped source is in this endeavor the Society has the blessings of administration and alumni. Its members work in close cooperation will Dean Bender, the Admissions Office, and the Associated Harvard Clubs.

But the Schools Committee is only the latest addition to the Crimson Key Society's multiferous activity which ranges from sponsoring spring formals to providing guided tours for visiting professors.

Now in its fourth year, the Key was originally organized in 1947 to arrange lodging and entertainment for visiting varsity teams. Since then it has expanded into a 72 member society whose ever growing list of services seems to contrast with the usuals Harvard apathy.

Whenever a visitor arrives here, the Crimson Key's University Committee is prepared to show him around. In the past year this committee provided beds for 150 guests at the Dartmouth football weekend, conducted an equal number of freshmen on tours of the College, and gave six Japanese college presidents their first look around the University.

Most of the Yard's is familiar with the activities of the Crimson Key's Freshman Affairs Committee. This group runs the annual P.H.B. tea dances with the 'Cliffe each fall, and supervises freshman orientation.

Advice Freshman

Next year this committee plans to set up a Freshman Advising Bureau for Yardlings who want more help than their regularly assigned advisers provide.

Money to finance these numerous undertakings is one of the Crimson Key's most uncertain aspects. So far it has been running on a year to year discretionary fund from Dean Bender and an occasional grant from the Student Council.

Membership in the Crimson Key society is open to all undergraduates by competition. Forty of its 72 members have successfully completed six-week fall try-outs, and the remaining 32 are representatives from other undergraduate organizations.