Fifteen women have been nominated for the two fellowships opened up to Radcliffe students this year.

Harvard announced on February 12 that 13 prizes and the Knox and Tower Fellowships for European study can now be awarded to female undergraduates.

As of yesterday's nomination deadline, three of this year's six applicants for the Tower Fellowship are women, according to the Office of Career Services and Off-Campus Learning (OCS-OCL). Between the Feb. 12 announcement and Feb. 20 deadline, 12 Radcliffe nominees raised the Knox applicant pool to 55.

'Proof Positive'

"The better-than-expected response is proof positive of the strong standing of women in the college this year," Joseph P. Healey, an OCS-OCL counselor, said yesterday. He attributed the response to the willingness of department tutors and House masters to nominate women quickly.

The requirement that an applicant already have applied to a British university may have handicapped female applicants for this year's Knox Fellowship, Healey said.

Although ten prizes and fellowships remain restricted to male undergraduates, women will be able to compete for the Rhodes Scholarships beginning next year, Healey said.

Healey said he anticipates that the Fiske and de Jersey Fellowships for study at Britain's Trinity and Emmanual Colleges will be opened to women if the colleges begin admitting females.

The Knox and Tower Fellowship winners will be selected by the end of the month.