ENTRANCE COMPETITION

Close observers of academic progress in general and of Harvard progress in particular cannot help but be interested in the news that for one reason or another there has been a surprising increase in the number of applicants seeking admission to Harvard College. This condition marks the effect of the increased liaison between college and secondary school that has been developing during the last few years. As a factor in keeping high the standards of the College, this large group of men seeking entrance is of great importance. There will also be an effect in raising the standards of the schools below who must prepare their graduates to meet the increased competition which this number will create.

A meeting of educators of responsibility was held in Cambridge last April for the purpose of reaching some kind of agreement between secondary schools and colleges. The aim was to find some method by which secondary education "can become modernized in the direction of greater breadth and coordination of study." Close contact with colleges enables secondary schools to meet all the necessary admission requirements, and then branch off into a wider and more mature form of scholastic work.

The House Plan has doubtless influenced the popularity of Harvard over other institutions. The depression also will doubtless cause many jobless young people to continue their education. The large group of men wishing to enter Harvard is also the result of the liaison which Harvard, together with many other colleges, has pushed into prominence. The recent changes in Harvard College have already made their mark in the evident seriousness of students, and the independence with which the work is carried out. The House Plan and the tutorial system are both designed for a higher grade of student. Liaison between College and secondary schools is a third influence towards rising standards. Under these circumstances the noticeable increase in Freshman applications is a change that is both a natural and a necessary one.