Ed School Finds Applications Up

The School of Education, in contrast to a number of Harvard's graduate schools, has encountered a ten per cent increase in applications this year.

As of last Friday, the Ed School had received 1239 applications; last year at the end of January there were 1111. Although the number of applicants for the MAT has not risen this year, the total for all other programs is considerably larger.

J. Gerald Harvey, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, said last night that his office would give "full consideration" to applications that arrive later this month, even though the formal deadline was January 15. "Because of the ambiguous draft situation, we want to be a little more flexible," he said.

Harvard believed, however, that the draft was not a major factor in the increase. "If the draft were a factor, it would be easier to explain a decrease in applications rather than an increase--unless people perceive that deferments may be given to students in education."

Harvey noted that there have been no statements from Washington hinting at this possibility, but that precedent in the past has been for draft boards to give deferment preference to education after medicine and science.

Recruiting

The increase in applicants, according to Harvey, is probably the result of recruiting efforts. "We visited Negro colleges for the first time this year, and we're getting inquiries from remote areas of the country," he said. Applications from Texas, for example, have jumped from 5 to about 25.

In the past the Ed School has admitted about one-third of all applicants. This year, said Harvey, it may admit "a few more." He added that he hoped there would be a draft clarification before the end of February, when his office will begin to make actual admissions decisions.

Harvey said that the School has not yet considered such possibilities as accepting a higher proportion of women. "List fall the School talked about going out and recruiting at girl's schools, but decided against it."