History Tutorial Raises Admissions Standards

The History Department has "reluctantly" decided to tighten the requirements for honors candidates, Elliott Perkins '23, Head Tutor of the History Department, said last night.

The department voted last Thursday that those admitted to History 98 must have at least Group IV ranking, a C-plus on the sophomore essay and in sophomore tutorial, and the recommendation of the tutor. For History 99, a student will have to be in at least Group IV and have a C-plus in junior tutorial.

In the past, concentrators had to be in Group V or above, had to have a C-minus or better on the essay and in tutorial.

Perkins said that he proposed the change because the increasing number of honors concentrators is placing a burden on tutors. This increase had already forced the department to change junior tutorial from individual to group tutorial this year.

He pointed out that if senior tutors are forced to conduct the writing of six to eight theses at once, it is better to load them with only "good people."

Perkins emphasized that the change is not as radical as it appears. Although the standards are higher, he said, the decision to permit a student to take tutorial is now open to interpretation, which was not allowed in the past.

Because of the wider interpretation, Perkins continued, the new standard will not be just another cut off line as it was in the past. He said that a C in tutorial or Group V would not keep a student out of honors if there were a good explanation for his grades.

Perkins estimated that the change would affect about 15 juniors planning to take History 99 next year. Some sophomore tutors feel that if the new standard was absolute, about one-third of their tutees would not be admitted to History 98. But since the cut-off line is not definite, the number will vary.