About one-third fewer freshmen opted to take the fast track toward their undergraduate degrees this year as only 28 percent of those eligible elected to accept Harvard's offer of "advanced standing," according to College records.

Of 500 freshmen given the opportunity to take the three-year degree program, 359 declined. Many said they desired a full college experience and wanted to take their time in selecting a concentration.

Students who score at least a 4 out of 5 on three advanced placement examinations are offered advanced standing.

In 1987, 209 students, or 33 percent more, chose the accelerated degree option, said Georgene B. Herschbach, director of the program.

"If you had asked me to predict how many people would have accepted the program, I would have estimated about 200 because that's been the trend in the past two years," Herschbach said yesterday. She said she believed more open communication this year about the drawbacks of advanced standing may have contributed to the decline.

"Advisers spoke openly about the disadvantages of the system, especially to students unsure of what they will concentrate in," she said.

Advanced standing students had to decide whether to enter the program and select a concentration by Oct. 31. Many of those who decided against advanced standing said they were unprepared to settle on a major at such an early stage.

"I wanted to explore," said John Hwang '92. "I just wasn't ready to commit."

The most popular advanced standing major this year is Biochemistry, followed by Physics and Government. Last year, Physics was first, Biochemistry second, and Math third.

"This class has fewer scientists," said Herschbach. "Usually, the majority of "sophomore standing" students pursue the sciences because these concentrations require specific sequences."

Those who accept advanced standing have the option of graduating in three years, taking a year to travel abroad, or entering a four-year program to earn a master's degree.

Many of the students who accepted advanced standing cited financial reasons or a desire to expedite graduate studies.

"I plan to stay [at Harvard] for four years," said Chetan Nayak '92, who accepted sophomore standing. "I will probably do research in physics in my last year, and so the program works for me. But before I accepted it, I learned the pros and cons by talking to a lot of people."

Only 36 students in the Class of 1988 opted for the three-year program, Herschbach said. She said many students later complained of feeling rushed, being unable to take many elective courses, and of graduating without their friends.

"It is distressing to speak with students who felt rushed," she said.