Peterson Reveals Surge In Harvard Applications

Applications have increased about 15 per cent over the previous year for the Harvard and Radcliffe classes of 1976.

Dr. Chase N. Peterson '52, dean of Admissions and Financial Aids, said that Harvard applications "were running about 1000 ahead of last year."

Peterson said he thought the rise in Harvard applications was due more to a return to normalcy rather than a break from any long-standing trend.

At most Ivy League schools, last year's application figures plummeted well below those received for the class of 1974. Harvard applications for the class of 1975 declined 11 per cent from the previous year.

Catherine Williston, dean of Admissions at Radcliffe, noted a rise in Radcliffe applications and said that the increase was probably due to an easing of campus turmoil and an improved national economy.

Williston also revealed that the deadline on the last 300 Radcliffe applications has been extended from January 1 to January 15. She said the additional two week grace period was due to late notification to the secondary schools of increased female admissions under the Bok plan.

Late Announcement

Williston added, however, that the increase in Radcliffe applications probably did not reflect a reaction to the Bok plan because "it was announced too late to affect significantly the number of applicants."

Statistics on this year's minority applications to Harvard and Radcliffe are presently unknown. David L. Evans, a black assistant director of Admissions at Harvard, said that the precise figures will be known "about the middle of February," although he believes the number will exceed last year's figure.

Peterson said he hopes to get "more and better minority applicants." He reaffirmed that no minimum quotas will be set on any minority acceptances and stated that to do so "would be an insult to the minority students who come here."

A sampling of other Ivy League campuses showed that applications for their classes of 1976 are about the same as last year. The only exception, besides Harvard, is Brown which shows an 8 per cent increase over last year. A Sampling of Applications Statistics Colleges  Class of 1974  Class of 1975  Percentage Difference Between '74 and '75  Percentage Difference Between '75 and '76 Harvard  8005  7000  12 per cent down  15 per cent up Yale  10739  8869  17 per cent down  Not obtainable Princeton  8382  8155  3 per cent down  Not obtainable Dartmouth  4593  4753  3 per cent up  Not obtainable Columbia  3800  3842  1 per cent up  Not obtainable Brown  9397  9400  ________  8 per cent up Pennsylvania  8100  7200  11 per cent down  Not obtainable M.I.T.  4559  3762  17 per cent down  Not obtainable