House Transfers Hit New High

College administrators yesterday granted the highest number of house transfer requests in recent years, according to Housing Officer Catherine M. Millett.

Millet said 127 out of 170 applicants will change houses next fall, far surpassing the previous high of 81 transfers for the fall of 1989. Only 54 students moved to new houses this fall.

Both Millet and Thomas A. Dingman '67, associate dean for house life, refused to release a breakdown of the number of students who will transfer in and out of the individual houses. They said such information could hurt the reputation of some houses.

House officials contacted yesterday said they took as many students as numerically possible. But they also refused to report specific figures.

"I guess we're afraid of people misinterpreting he information," said Suzanne M. Watts, assistant to the master of Quincy House.

But Dunster House Master Karel F. Liem said those fears are unwarranted.

"I think the College is a bit sensitive on this issue," Liem said. "They want to protect the houses from being perceived as more popular, but I don't believe the students take the transfer figures into account. They like certain houses just because they have more friends there."

"I myself am dying at find out how many students are moving to other houses," he added.

The drastic increase in transfers resulted from changes in the application process, Dingman said.

In previous years, students turned in transfer applications in the summer and filled in the spaces remaining after the lottery for first-year students.

But earlier this year, the Committee on House Life arranged a new system in which up to 6 percent of the spots reserved for first-year students are allocated to interhouse transfers.

In addition to the increased number of available slots, the change makes it "more likely that students can move as part of a group," Dingman said.

Carol A. Finn, assistant to the master of Dunster House, supports the new system because transfer students can now enter the lotteries in their new houses instead of floating into leftover spaces.

"It certainly increases people's chances to transfer, and they can come in withtheir friends and go through the lottery," Finnsaid. "We used to just place them in nooks andcrannies."

Dingman said the housing office will sendletters to the transfer applicants "as soon aspossible.

But some students have already learned theirfate by calling their current house offices.

Abigail A. Heitler '94, who will move with twocurrent roommates from Adams House to Lowell Housenext year, said she approves of the new system.

"It's much better because you can transfer toanother house without breaking up with roommatesand without missing the house lottery," Heitlersaid.

Sonya A. Royston '94 said she and her tworoommates were denied a transfer from Quincy Houseto Adams House, but she is not that upset aboutthe decision.

"There were a lot of students trying totransfer, and we knew that juniors would getpreference," Royston said.

Dingman said disappointed students can tryagain during an additional transfer period thissummer.

"People who are still persistent about changingmay still get into their house of choice," hesaid

Dingman said the housing office will sendletters to the transfer applicants "as soon aspossible.

But some students have already learned theirfate by calling their current house offices.

Abigail A. Heitler '94, who will move with twocurrent roommates from Adams House to Lowell Housenext year, said she approves of the new system.

"It's much better because you can transfer toanother house without breaking up with roommatesand without missing the house lottery," Heitlersaid.

Sonya A. Royston '94 said she and her tworoommates were denied a transfer from Quincy Houseto Adams House, but she is not that upset aboutthe decision.

"There were a lot of students trying totransfer, and we knew that juniors would getpreference," Royston said.

Dingman said disappointed students can tryagain during an additional transfer period thissummer.

"People who are still persistent about changingmay still get into their house of choice," hesaid