Freshman Prefer Vocational Subjects for Their Field of Concentration--Bio-Chemistry and Economics Increase

According to a report of the Committee on the Choice of Electives released yesterday, Economics continues to be the favorite field of concentration for the Freshmen, with English coming second, and History third. As a rule, there seems to be a tendency for Freshmen to concentrate in fields which prepare directly for a graduate school or for earning a livelihood.

Of the 806 men in the Freshmen Class, 15 have not yet filed their cards giving their choice of fields of concentration. Of the remainder, 147 or 18.6 per cent of the class will concentrate in Economics. This figure is an increase of 22 or 2.5 per cent over last year, although it is not up to the mark of 19.4 per cent set by the Class of 1930.

Nevertheless, for the past few years, the field of Economics has been attracting more undergraduates. It may be because of this fact that the registration of Harvard men in the Graduate School of Business Administration has been increasing.

The Department of English, although still second in popularity has been drawing less men for the past two years. Of the Class of 1932, 105 men or 13.3 per cent of the whole class are going to concentrate in English against 121 men of the Sophomore class.

The Department of History has taken 82 men or 10.4 per cent of this year's class. This is a decrease of 3 per cent from last year's figures.

Within the last few years there has been a gradual and steady increase in the men concentrating in Romance Languages. This spring, the latter department has claimed 8.5 per cent or 67 of the men which is a 4 per cent advance, over last year.

Philosophy and Psychology are receiving more favorable attention from Freshmen. The latter however dropped 4 per cent to 1.2 per cent of the men registered, while the Department of Philosophy claims 13 or 1.6 per cent of them.

The Department of Government is also on the upward trend although the increase is slow. In this field 42 Freshmen are registered.

The Bio-Chemical Sciences field has made the most startling jump of all. This spring 61 men signed up for Bio-Chemistry against 38 last year, an increase of 3.2 per cent.

Corresponding to this increase there has been a considerable decrease in the number of concentrators in Chemistry which fell off from 38 to 26 men. This is decrease of 1.6 per cent.

Aside from a gradual increase in Freshmen concentrating in Geology, numbering 17, and in Mathematics with 34 men and an advance to 53 men taking History and Literature there are no unusual changes. Anthropology claims only three students, which is a great decrease from two years ago when the rule was made restricting concentration in this department to men in or above the fourth group of the rank list.

The figures for the remaining departments are as follows: Astronomy 1, Biology 21, Classics 17, Engineering Sciences 12, Fine Arts 34, German 10, Literature 5, Music 5, Physics 18, Sociology and Social Ethics 8.