"I'm not surprised [by the claim], but thesystem is absolutely not rigged. All the computerknows about a blocking group is its size and thegender of the people within the block," Dingmansaid.

Each year, about 12% of all first-year studentsare randomized, Dingman said. Though thesestatistics are not released by Harvard, aninformal Crimson poll showed that many of therandomized students were placed into Cabot,Currier, Quincy and Leverett.

Dingman said that the housing office receivedto complaints from unhappy first-year studentsyesterday.

Catherine M. Millett, housing officers for thecollege, said that she thinks this year has been agreat one for the housing lottery, and isenthusiastic about the technological advances inthe system. This was the first year that studentscould enter their housing lottery choices fromcomputers in their dorm rooms.

"We hope next year that we can send the housingselections over the network in addition to thetraditional door mailing." Millett said. "Also, wewant the first-year students to be able tocommunicate to their future house over thenetwork, and hope to offer our book, Inside theHouses, on the network also."

Millett, who is also responsible for studentswho wish to transfer to another house, said that244 students applied this year to transfer, andthat 144 students succeeded in doing so.

She said that transfer students are few andthat most people who are initially unhappy withtheir house and up staying there