The announcement of mid-year grades of students, which was made yesterday at University Hall, reveals an increase as compared with last year in the total percentage of undergraduates attaining Dean's List standing. Coincident with the release of the lists came the announcement of a new ruling that has been made by Dean A. C. Hanford as regards the counting of thesis courses towards the ranking of Seniors.

In the past a B grade in a thesis course did not count towards Dean's List standing, and for this reason students with three and one-half B's and one-half C, of which one of the B's was obtained in a thesis course, were not included in the Dean's List, as would have been the case if the student was not counting the thesis course in his total of B grades. The list made public yesterday was based on the old system, and hence the totals are less than they should be. The net effect of the new rule will be to add the names of approximately 20 Seniors to the list as given out yesterday, while at the same time men already on the Dean's List may advance one group in standing since any B grades they may have in thesis courses will now be counted.

The list this year contains 605 students, or 18.6 per cent of the undergraduate enrollment, as compared with a list of 567 men last year, or 17.7 per cent of the enrollment. This year's results are also better than those of the 1929 mid-years, when only 16.8 per cent of the undergraduates achieved honor grades. The 605 men, this year are those whose work has been B average or better, and who stand in the first three groups of the rank list.

During the past half year 27 men throughout the College were Group I scholars, with an average of at least three and one-half A's and one-half B, while the Class of 1932 leads with S Group I scholars. In Group II there are 179 men, and in Group III there are 399 students listed. The requirement for Group II is one and one-half A's and two and one-half B's, while for Group III three and one-half B's and one-half C are necessary.