Harvard Considers Increasing Number of Transfer Students

Harvard will probably admit at least 30 and possibly as many as 40 transfer students for the 1975- 76 academic year, Calvin N. Mosley. Associate Director of Admissions for transfers and special students, said yesterday.

The final number, which will not be determined until later this spring, will depend on the amount of space available in the Houses and on Harvard's willingness to let transfers live off campus, Mosley said.

Because of overcrowded housing conditions, Harvard told prospective transfer applicants last year that it was not accepting transfer students for the current school year and in fact admitted only three transfers.

Louise A. Cohen, Associate Director of Admissions in Radcliffe College, said yesterday that Radcliffe is aiming to admit 25 transfers next year, though this figure is "just a guess."

More Space

Mosley said he felt that more space is available for transfers now than was the case a few years ago. "We're certainly going to increase over the last few years," he said. In September 1973, the year before the transfer moratorium went into effect, 19 Harvard transfers were matriculated.

L. Fred Jewett '57, Dean of Admissions, said that an estimate of 40 transfers was probably "on the high side. My guess is that the number will be between 15 and 30." Jewett added that "the number of transfers will be decided with the idea of keeping the same size freshman class."

Mosley attributed the small number of transfers admitted in the past in part to Harvard's "tight" transfer admission policy. A survey of 20 major colleges conducted by Mosley last year revealed that Harvard was the only school that did not use the transfer admissions process to combat attrition from the original student body, Mosley said.

In the past, Harvard has tended not to admit "one-dimensional academics" who would not be a part of the Harvard residential community but, "as the money crunch gets tighter, this option becomes more attractive," Mosley added.

Radcliffe accepted 20 transfer students last spring, 14 of whom are commuters, Cohen said. "The women's applicant pool is different from the men's. We have a lot of older students, many of whom are married, who are more likely to live off campus."