200 Apply for Admission To New Radcliffe Institute

Nearly 200 women have applied for admission to the Radcliffe Institute for Independent Study, which will begin its pilot year next Fall with 20 Associate Scholars.

In addition, the Institute has received more than 200 inquiries from interested women, many of who more expected to apply before the deadline later this month.

Most of the applicants fall into the hypothetical category projected by President Mary I. Bunting, according to Rene K. Bryant, assistant to the Director of the Institute. Approximately 60 per cent are married women with a Ph.D. degree or its equivalent but little or no opportunity at present to use their advanced training.

"I am impressed by the amusingly high order of competence and talent evidenced by the applicants," Mrs. Bryant declared yesterday. "There are no crackpots among them." She emphasized that although most feel their specialized education has been partially or wholly wasted, "these are not neurotle women. They are happily married and satisfied with their personal lives--but they feel that they could and should be doing more in their fields."

All of the applicants have specific research or creative projects, often ones they have planned for several years, Mrs. Bryant commented. The response "amply proves Mrs. Bunting's point that women want to use their education productively," she maintained. "It's a matter of finding means and tailoring them to the unique needs of women as opposed to men."

Among the applicants, humanists outnumber scientists five to one. Although the Institute "will try to maintain a balance between science and the humanities," Mrs. Bryant stressed that selection of Associate Scholars will depend more on the worth of the individual project suggested by the applicant than on her chosen field of concentration.

Approximately eight or ten wives of Faculty members have submitted applications, Mrs. Bryant noted. In addition, the Institute has received project plans from wives of Faculty members from M.I.T., Brandels, Boston University, and Brown.