"We offer a small, personalized service. Weactually care," Hufton says, suggesting that thispersonal approach may help explain the largepercentage of prize-winning theses--four of the 10concentrators won Hoopes prizes.

"You have to really think about theconcentration before you choose it. Your familymay ask what you are going to do with it. Women'sStudies tends to week out the nebulous orindifferent," Hufton says.

Robertson has found, in the Women's Studiesdepartment, a forum for women's issues at Harvard.She does not feel that Radcliffe has provided thesame.

"Before I came to Harvard," she says, "I likedthe idea of a history of women's education, buttoo often Radcliffe functions as an excuse not tomeet the needs of the undergraduates."

"The RUS approach is preventive, encouragingwomen to educate themselves, while Response dealswith issues after the fact, giving students achance to talk about sensitivity issues likeacquaintance rape."

Robertson cannot remember any formative eventthat sparked her interest in women's issues, butHufton attributes Robertson's interest to herability to cut through hypocrisy.

"She has a very powerful analytical mind,"Hufton asserts. "She sees much of theirrationality in what passes as rational."

Next year, Robertson plans to study 18thcentury English literature at Oxford University."I like reading 18th century novels that featurethe dilemma of women's choice of partner," sheexplains.

After receiving her masters in philosophy fromOxford, Robertson plans to study law at Stanford,perhaps focusing on legal history and feministjurisprudence.

Beyond that, she is uncertain of what type oflaw she will want to practice--though she knowsshe does not want to work in a large corporatefirm.

Her uncertainly, however, has left neither heracademic advisors nor her friends concerned.

"I never really worry about her," Toole says,"because I know she will come out on top.