Applicants For Freshman Class Indicate Increase

Applications for the Class of 1963 are running slightly ahead of last year's figures, David D. Henry '41, Director of Admissions, stated yesterday.

Some 3,636 secondary school seniors had filed applications by Monday, an increase of 125 from the comparable date during last January. However, Henry doubted that this increase represented any "significant" jump.

Scholarship applications comprise nearly 50 per cent of the total--some 1,793 of the 3,636 applications. Henry pointed out that 141 more students filed financial statements this year than last, a number which corresponds almost exactly with the increase in total applications.

Total Near 4,200

Judging from present figures, Henry expected that the final number of applicants would approximate last year's figure of 4,200. No decision has yet been made whether the size of the freshman class will be increased.

Delmar Leighton '19, Master of Dudley House, predicted earlier this month that the size of the student body may be increased with the addition of new Houses. He said that students will not be willing to bear the cost of deconversion beyond a certain point, and, at that point, the College should start to expand.

One highly-placed Administration official predicted that the Class of '63 might include up to 100 additional members, due to the addition of Wigglesworth and the reopening of Thayer North. However, Dean von Stade said that deconversion, plus the elimination of forced commuting, would prevent any increase in the size of the entering class.