Application System Here Causes Confusion in Amherst Admissions

The College's trial system of tentative admissions to the freshman class has fouled the calculations of at least one other New England college, Amherst, which reported yesterday that its Class of 1959 will be almost 30 percent larger than expected.

As of yesterday, Amherst's entering freshman class of 325, 75 above the usual number, had forced the college to hire several new instructors and make arrangements for doubling up in fraternity living spaces. Assistant Director of Admissions John C. Esty, Jr. predicted, however, that 15 or 20 would make last minute withdrawals.

Esty remarked the verbal acceptance of applicants at interviews at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton had cut down the common practice of applying to Amherst as second choice. Since Amherst also gave tentative acceptances to outstanding candidates, multiple applications were out down, and a greater percentage of the college's applicants were interested only in Amherst.

The main burden of the marked increase will come in freshman courses, since Amherst will have to add about three sections to each in order to maintain the student teacher ratio at 20 to 1, Esty said.

Harvard admissions, meanwhile, were only one percent above expectations, after being almost three percent ahead last week, Dean Bender revealed yesterday.