Applications for the Class of '72 climbed to a record total of 7583, David K. Smith '58, director of admissions, reported Friday.

The number represents a seven and one-half per cent increase over applications for the Class of '71. Last year, the admissions office considered 7052 applicants for this year's freshman class.

Financial Aid

The number of applications for admission with financial aid has also increased. This year 4252 of the applicants have asked financial help, compared to 3966 last year. The percentage of scholarship applicants is, however, almost the same as last year.

L. Fred Jewitt '57, director of freshman scholarships, said he hopes that there will be enough scholarship money to satisfy the needs of everyone admitted.

The freshman scholarship budget was increased to $850,000 for next year. The increase, from under $800,000 last year, was authorized to offset among other things, the expected reduction in National Merit Scholarships, which have always lightened Harvard's scholarship burden.

There has also been an increase in the number of scholarships to be awarded freshmen, from 475 to 500.

The Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid began meeting last Wednesday afternoon to vote on this year's applicants. It will meet six days a week up to nine hours a day until next year's freshman class is "created."

Reading Folders

For the last three months the Admissions staff has been reading the admissions folders and rating the strength of each applicant.

Smith said that on the basis of these readings--two or three for each folder--the overall quality of this year's applicants is "slightly higher" than last year's. He added, however, that a true picture of this year's applicants is impossible to draw until the entire Committee has gone through every folder.

The Committee will mail out acceptances for the 1200 members of the Class of '72 by April 15.