But Harvard could illustrate how its systems of admissions differ from quota systems, he added.

William R. Fitzsimmons '67, director of admissions for the College, said yesterday that although Harvard-Radcliffe admissions has had good success with affirmative action programs, there has never been a quota system. The admissions, committee has relied on increased recruitment, Fitzsimons said and probably would not have to change its policy because of a Supreme Court ruling.

Edwin J. Furshpan, professor of Neurobiology and chairman of the admissions subcommittee on minorities for Harvard Medical School said yesterday that there are no quotas for minority adissions at the Medical School.

However, it is possible that a ruling against special minority admissions would make it more difficult to admit minority applicants, who might be highly qualified to be physicians although their test scores and grade point averages might not be as high as those of others, Furshpan said.

"The notions of reverse discrimination are totally misguided," Furshpan said. "We have a history of assuming that applicants with high scores and grades will make the best physicians, but it is not clear that this is always the case."