President Andrea K. Abegglen says the number ofcompanies participating in the firm's recruitmentprograms has been steadily increasing.Twenty-seven additional companies are included inthis year's minority career forum on December 2,an annual event that draws more than 70 firms froma variety of fields to recruit in the New York andNew England area.

"Every event is free to students to the pointthat we provide transportation for the students,"she says. "We bring companies together withstudents and allow them to work out the hiringprocess."

According to Abegglen, 204 of the 750 studentsin the New England area registered with Crimson &Brown this year are Harvard students, an increasefrom 176 last year. Firms gave students 567interviews in last year's career forums and made150 offers.

Crimson & Brown co-founder John J.-H. Kim '87says the companies participating have increasedboth in geographical and industry diversity."Collectively, at least 7,000 Harvard studentshave had some access to our services," he said."Harvard students have a distinctive advantage andhave done very well."

Hunt, OCS minority concerns counselor, sayscompanies offer minority programs to promote staffdiversity. "A lot of these opportunities arebusiness-related and there are a number of scienceand media internships that seek underrepresentedminority students," he says.

"The job market is tough for everyone," saysAbdi, who is a Crimson & Brown campus liaison."One would expect the coming out of the nationalnumber one institution you're guaranteed [a job],but that's not the case."

Elizabeth T. Bangs and Wendy M. Seltzercontributed to the reporting of this story.