Third World, Cultural Groups Support Minority Recruitment

Speakers at an introductory meeting of the Third World Pre-Freshman Weekend held last night welcomed prospective members of the Class of '84 and discussed problems they said a minority student might encounter at Harvard.

"Prospective freshmen need to find out there is a community, because when you think of Harvard you didn't think of minorities," Connie L. Rice '78, affirmative action officer of the Office of Admissions, said yesterday, adding the weekend is "the final phase" of minority recruitment.

'Not Traditional'

"Not all minorities are going to need special attention; that's not an assumption behind this program," Rice said, adding that Third World and cultural organizations along with the admissions office sponsor the weekend "to orient the type of person that has not traditionally been in this environment."

The admissions office released figures which showed the percentage of minority students admitted this year (21 per cent) exceeds last year's record of 20 per cent.

This percentage breaks down as follows: Blacks, 8.2 per cent; Asian Americans 7.5; Mexican Americans, 2.7; Puerto Ricans, 1.6; Native Americans, .51; and other Hispanics, .42.

Henry C. Moses, dean of freshmen, said he feels the program is "effective" and that "the comments I get from freshmen when they arrive in September are all favorable."

George Sanchez '81, a coordinator of the program, said yesterday the program's success does not depend on "how many students decide to attend Harvard, but on the sort of information we can provide," adding that without the weekend, "a great deal of pre-freshmen would have many misconceptions about Harvard--especially for Third World people."