In an interview this week, Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 said that overcrowded conditions in the houses this year are attributable to an "unusually low" rate of leave-taking.

Although exact numbers from the registrar's office were unavailable yesterday, Jewett said that this year's rate of undergraduate leave-taking was the lowest in years.

Associate Dean of the College Thomas A. Dingman '67 said the overcrowding may be related to the Gulf War. He said he expected students who had been afraid to travel last spring to take time off this fall.

"Obviously, that hasn't happened," Dingman said.

The trend is apparent in figures provided by the Office for Career Services (OCS) on numbers of undergraduates who study for credit away from Harvard.

Last fall, approximately 126 students studied out of residence for credit, according to OCS. This fall, however, that number has fallen nearly 32 percent. So far, OCS knows of only 86 students studying away from Harvard.

Some students apply for retroactive credit, so the drop may end up being smaller than it is now. And most students who take leave from Harvard travel or work instead of studying.

But William Klinghofer, associate director of OCS, offeree possible explanations for the drop, citing the recession and the Gulf War.

Whatever the reasons, the fact is that more students than expected means less space than expected.

"Obviously, when less people take leave, you're going to be more crowded," Dingman said.

The meaning of "crowded" depends on the house. In popular river houses such as Winthrop House, Leverett House, Eliot House and Dunster House, sophomores are being squeezed into suites that in the past have held fewer people.

And, according to Jewett, while all students who asked to be affiliated with residential houses were granted that affiliation, approximately 20 visiting and transfer students are living in overflow housing in Peabody Terrace and Apley Court.