More than 1500 Harvard students sporting their best pre-professional attire streamed into the Gordon Track and Tennis Center by the busload yesterday for the annual Career Forum sponsored by the Office of Career Services (OCS).

Undergraduates met representatives from 87 companies--mostly consulting and investment banking firms--from across the country.

But students had more reasons for crossing the Charles River than simply to job hunt.

"I'm basically going to make contacts for my club, Horizons, which is an organization for pre-professional minorities," said Amy H. Saxton '97. "And I want to check out study[ing] abroad for myself."

While some students were meeting and greeting the representatives at the Career Forum, others said they were unable to find what they were looking for.

"I'm looking for a variety of careers," Pengelly said. "Harvard has a lot of diversity, but we can't all work in the same job."

A number of other students seemed sorely disappointed by the limited selection.

"I think that there are only about five careers being represented here, and only about two that are well attended," said Christina Ho '95. "Advertising this as a career forum is a little misleading, but it's a nice social browsing tool."

Matthew J. Strong '95 said he was disappointed that only one communications firm came to the forum.

Another student lamented that he was looking for more health care representatives.

But Jonathan C. Korngold '96, who is interested in investment banking, said he benefited from the large number of banking firms present.

"It's good, because I get a closer look at these firms, and it helps me narrow down my choices," Korngold said. "I get a better feel of what the work environments in these companies is like."

But the atmosphere at the forum wasn't completely career-oriented, students said.

As far as "social browsing" opportunities went yesterday, chances abounded to catch up with Harvard grads who came back to recruit.

"I came...to see my friends who graduated and went on and see how they're surviving, and to get a job," said Richard K. Pengelly '95.

Kiara Y. Ghartey '93, who is now an analyst for J.P. Morgan and Co., a corporate investment firm, came to recruit for permanent positions and summer jobs and to talk about the company.

David S. Carlock, '94 stood behind the Walt Disney table handing out information on the recruiting process for the strategic planning department at Disney, offering Mickey-shaped pencils and key chains and catching up with old friends.

Carlock said his job at Disney is "great--it's an amazing place to work," adding that Disney should be hiring about seven Harvard graduates this year.

Carlock also observed that "key chains are very popular--as were the hundreds of other items given out by forum recruiters, including mouse pads, cameras and tiny footballs.

This year's forum was a logistical experiment for OCS.

While the event usually takes place in Memorial Hall, construction in the Civil War memorial building forced a move to the Gordon Track and Tennis Center.

Shuttle buses, packed with students, ran every 15 minutes from OCS and Johnston Gate to the track and tennis building across the river. But despite the distance factor, the forum may have found a permanent home in Gordon.

"This facility has worked out very well, because it's more spacious," said Martha P. Leape, director of OCS.

"We plan to do this again," Leape said. "We're very happy about how things have gone so far.