Black Acceptances Down

The Committee on Admissions and Scholarship admitted 20 fewer blacks to Harvard this year, a decline which--in the words of L. Fred Jewett '57, dean of Admissions and Financial Aid--has signaled the Committee "that we've got to get out and work harder."

The decrease of 17.5 per cent, originally disclosed by David L. Evans, assistant director of Admissions, follows an almost 20 per cent drop this year in the number of black applicants.

Evans blamed the decline--from 410 to 330 black applicants--on a substantial decrease in the number of black high school seniors referred to him by undergraduates.

While 1445 happy high school seniors consider attending Harvard, Evans, other Admissions Committee members and students are approaching the 94 blacks who were admitted, hoping to offset the decline from 114 by increasing the acceptance rate among blacks. How successful they are will be known sometime after May 1.