Applications to Harvard's class of 1973 have increased at the expected rate of approximately 10% over last year's total.

David K. Smith '58, Director of Admissions, said yesterday that 8266 students have applied for 1200 places in next year's Freshman class. The total at this time last year was 7405, Smith said, adding that scholarship applications have kept pace, rising from 4110 last year to 4727. The 10% increase is the same as the rise in applications for the class of '72 over the previous year.

Applications from black students have also increased, Smith indicated. "This is just my personal feeling," he said. "We don't have any exact figures on this." Smith attributed the increase to recruiting by Harvard alumni groups and to efforts by Harvard undergraduates--both black and white--in a program begun this fall.

Smith also said that the Admissions Office has given fewer ratings--advance estimates of chances for admission--to prep school students this year because of a change in Harvard's rating system. "We now ask that a student submit his full folder before we will give him a rating," he said. Previously, applicants from certain schools could obtain ratings be-before applying by submitting their transcripts and recommendations.

Coeducation at Yale may lead more students to turn down Harvard, Smith said. "Although it certainly hasn't hurt the number of applicants, I feel that we may lose more students to Yale than we have before because of coeducation," re said.