Chase Casts '75 Class; More Parts for Smarts

This year's annual report from the Admissions Committee contains a revealing profile of the philosophies and practices which govern Harvard's admissions policies.

"Many people see the basic admission question as whether Harvard should keep its academic standards high, or seek students from all segments of society. In fact we think the data show that there has been no conflict between these goals," Admissions kingpin Chase N. Peterson says in the report. He cites rising average College Board scores as evidence.

The first group of applicants the committee admits, the report says, are those "of recognizable brilliance." "These are men whose intellectual promise seems to be beyond and apart from the usual measure of scores and grades-a potential William James, Percy Bridgeman, T.S. Eliot, W.E.B. Dubois, Norbert Wiener or Robert Frost," the report says.

Next of importance for admissions are "environmental and personal factors." Prime among such factors are "overcoming adversity or having mastered some skill." Both of these are considered to be signs of intellectual promise.

Applicants from wealthy or prominent families or from poverty backgrounds may receive special attention, the report says, but only when such backgrounds have had character-building influences.

The report says one of the benefits of such a program is that a diversity of economic backgrounds is "intellectually stimulating."

In the last two years, the report says, the Admissions Committee has reversed a previous policy, and begun acceptingmore applicants from the greater Boston area. "We hope to continue to find better applicants in the future among our near neighbors." Peterson says.

The report also includes a long list of justifications for the scholarship program at Harvard and a definition of the University as seen by the Committee.

"We should now remind ourselves that at bedrock Harvard College is an academic experience... Harvard College is not a 'T' group. It is not an 'encounter group.' it is not the Urban League or Common Cause.' It has something of all of this, and we are the richer for it. But fundamentally it is a place where one's mind is trained and stretched in the presence of peers and faculty who encourage, guide-and at times even inspire," the report says.