Harvard will invite a record number of early admission candidates to spend four years here, as acceptance letters go out today to 691 of the 2001 applicants to the Class of 1991.

More high school seniors than ever before sought early acceptance to Harvard this year. Last year, 1954 students applied early and 558 were admitted.

In addition to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brown participate in the early action program under which students can apply by November 1 and receive an answer by late December.

Under the program students are either accepted, rejected or deferred to the regular application pool.

Harvard this year topped the other schools that participate in the program, both in number of applicants and accepted students.

Yale accepted 467 of 1597 applicants, while Princeton sent acceptance letters to 413 of its 1680 early action candidates. Brown offered admission to 417 of 1610 early action applicants.

The Class of 1991

"We've certainly never seen a stronger early group," said Dean of Admissions William Fitzsimmons '67. "It is an unusually well-rounded group in terms of activities, interests and personal characteristics."

Thirty-six percent, or 440, of the 1237 men who applied early action were accepted. Of 764 women, 34 percent or 261, were admitted.

Admissions officials accepted 112 Asian-Americans this year, a 38 percent increase from last year's figure of 81. Thirty-one Blacks were accepted this year compared to 29 last year.

The College offered admission to 10 Chicanos, the same number as last year, and to five Puerto Ricans. Five students classified as "other Hispanic" were accepted early, up one from last year's figure of four. While no Native Americans won early acceptance last year, three received an invitation to join the Class of 1991.

"Obviously we're very pleased with such a big jump in Asian-American admits," Fitzsimmons said. "Traditionally, Asian-Americans have done well in early action. Other minorities have not," he said.

"We have been disappointed with Black student yield in particular," Fitzsimmons said, adding that because fewer Blacks have been applying to top colleges, the competition among those schools for the students has intensified.

The dean said that publicity from the 350th anniversary celebration may have been part of the reason for the sizable increase in applications,. but he said that number of applicants has been increasing for five years. He cited Harvard's need-blind admissions program, the diversity of the student body and broad recruiting program as factors which contribute to the growing applicant pool.

"We are running 500 to 1000 applications ahead of our regular numbers, but it is still too early to tell whether that will continue," Fitzsimmons said, adding that it won't be until after the January 1 application deadline that he'll be able to indicate application trends.