Houses Pick Freshmen; 61% Get First Choice

Leverett House, the annual freshman favorite which dropped to sixth place in first choice applications last year, has returned to favor and outdistanced all other Houses in popularity among the Class of '68.

Freshman received the acceptances, which concluded a complicated six-week selection process, on Saturday morning. According to Dean Watson, 79 percent of the class, about the same number as last year, were admitted to one of their three choices. Sixty-one per cent will enter their first-choice House in September; slightly fewer did last year.

In the meantime, it has become clear that this is the last year for the operation of the present House assignment procedure. Dean Ford is expected to submit a recommendation for a new system to the Corporation for its approval at today's meeting.

The final details of the new procedure may not be settled until next December, however, Ford has solicited suggestions from each of the Masters and Deans, as well as the Harvard Undergraduate Council, in compiling a new plan for House assignment. Watson, has said he hopes any procedure will retain the traditional choice for both the Masters and students.

The HUC's proposed method for House assignment would allow students in rank Houses and Masters to rank students, than have a computer tabulate the assignments.

An administration spokesman revealed last week that the new assignment process will definitely not emulate the Yale plan. Yalies are assigned to a College by a computer at the beginning of the freshman year, but may transfer later if they wish.

Lowell--Everybody's second

While Leverett led in first choices, Lowell had the largest number of total applications, because of "a colossal number of second choices," Watson said. Adams House had the most first-choices last year, and Winthrop the highest overall total.

Once again, the class did not distribute itself the way the Deans had hoped, Watson said, and some juggling had to be done to make each House "equal in talent." The low number of applications to Dunster and Kirkland brought about new adjustments in the selection process that gave them special priviledges.

The Masters filled 70 per cent of their spaces with their choices, and the last 30 percent were assigned from a pool, in order to guarantee established quotas in certain categories.