Six-Year Trend Broken In Advanced Placement

In marked contrast to a trend which had held for six years, the number of freshmen seeking advanced placement in individual subjects did not increase this fall.

Before this year, the number of students applying rose by about 80 with each succeeding class. But the present freshman class has yet to surpass the total for the class of 1964, and it is doubtful that late test scores will raise the freshman total by more than five or six students.

In the class of 1964, 526 students applied for advanced placement. This year's total, though not complete, is identical.

Edward T. Wilcox, director of advanced standing, said yesterday that the increase had stopped because the small group of secondary schools able to prepare students for advanced placement were now teaching virtually every candidate for Harvard enough to put him in upper level courses in at least one field.

Must Change Admissions Policy

Thus the admissions office, by deciding how many students from this group of schools will get into the College, also decides how many members of the incoming freshman class will be qualified to take advanced placement. The only way to change the advanced placement totals, Wilcox pointed out, is to change admissions policy.

The leveling in individual-subject advanced placement did not hold for sophomore standing. This year 132 students were eligible, and 103 accepted. Last years, the same totals were 96 and 88. One reason for the increased number of rejections, Wilcox said, was that for the first time this year there was a major effort to explain to students some of the disadvantages of sophomore standing.