Three Horns of the Presidential Dilemma

Harvard undergraduates aren't exactly in step with their Ivy League counterparts on matters concerning the presidential election and college life, a poll of students at five Ivy League colleges showed this week.

Ivy Leaguers generally favor Rep. John B. Anderson (R-Ill.) over President Carter, 41 per cent to 29.3 per cent. But among Harvard students, the race is a virtual toss-up with Anderson ahead 40 per cent to 35.7 per cent, a statistically insignificant difference.

Ronald Reagan receives fairly equal support across the board--14.8 per cent of Ivy League students favor him. But Harvard undergraduates are the least supportive of the Republican, giving him only 13.1 per cent of their votes. Princeton University's 18.7 per cent represents the largest amount of support for Reagan at any of the five schools.

The survey--completed by about 2500 undergraduates at the five schools during the week of October 6--also shows that Ivy League students in general consider themselves slightly more moderate than do Harvard students. Whereas 45.6 per cent of Ivy Leaguers call themselves moderates and 34.8 liberals, Harvard undergraduates label themselves liberals and moderates in about equal numbers.

On specific issues, undergraduates here are generally in line with students at other schools. Ivy Leaguers surveyed generally favor passage of the Equal Rights Amendment and federal funding of abortions, and they opposed an income tax cut and increases in military spending.

But on questions pertaining to academics, Harvard students are decidedly more negative than others in the Ivy League. Half of Harvard undergraduates said they think most Faculty members do not care about their academic problems, while only 35 per cent of Ivy Leaguers generally hold that opinion.

Whatever their choice among the candidates, Ivy League students--especially at Harvard--don't think too highly of them. Of Ivy League students generally, 45 per cent said they are more intelligent than both Carter and Reagan. At Harvard, more than half consider themselves smarter.