Applications for admission to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's freshman class next fall show a 93-per-cent increase in women candidates, the university reported yesterday.

Peter H. Richardson, director of admissions, said that MIT has received 852 final applications from women, a sharp rise over the 438 submitted by the same date last year.

Between 15 and 20 per cent of the incoming class will be women. Richardson said, an estimate based on "experience which shows that the admission percentages of women are roughly proportional to the number of applicants."

Richardson noted, however, that, "Our admission process is designed to admit the most qualified students--not men or women. We have no quotas."

Mary A. Schwalbe, director of admissions at Radcliffe, attributed the rise in female MIT applicants to a "student search" conducted in conjunction with College Entrance Examination Service last year.

"The service, for a fee, sends you the names of students with certain characteristics," she said. "In this case, names of female students who did well in their math and physics achievements were requested."

The college then contacts these potential candidates to encourage them to apply. Schwalbe said that Bryn Mawr College has also participated in a program of this kind, with similar results.

Radcliffe applications are also on the increase, she said. Preliminary reports show approximately 3350 applicants for next year's freshman class, an increase of 200 over last year.

"As long as you are turning down four out of every five people who apply," Schwalbe said, "you really need not worry about the fact that your applications are not up 95 per cent."