You may not know it yet, but the hallmark of your Harvard experience just changed.

Harvard's viewbook, which for years has touted "diversity" as the mark of a College education, recently added "distinction" to that description.

The viewbook has a new, modern design to appeal to today's high school seniors. Other Ivy League schools are also repackaging themselves this year, in hopes of drawing "Generation X"ers and bucking a stereotype of traditionalism.

"We wanted to say that Harvard is a contemporary place with a very rich tradition," says senior admissions officer Keith W. Light, who was instrumental in the redesign. "So the cover itself has a very traditional image of Harvard with a contemporary look."

While the College dramatically altered the way it presents itself to all potential students, top administrators had no input into the change. Neither did Harvard students, with the exception of undergraduates who work in the admissions office.

Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III says he still hasn't seen the whole viewbook.

And Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 says he didn't see the book before it was printed and has only recently seen the whole thing.

Nothing more important than taste dictated the change in Harvard's "hallmarks," admissions officers say.

"It had gotten to be an unbelievable cliche. We are sick to death of that phrase," says director of admissions Marlyn McGrath Lewis '70. "I thought [the new sentence] was a bit of a curveball, a variation, variety."

But for students the description of their education may mean more.

"I don't see much of a difference really," says G. Brent McGuire, senior Peninsula council member. "I still don't subscribe to the view that diversity by itself is a good thing. So I guess in that sense it's an improvement."

Kristen M. Clarke '97, president of the Black Students Association, says she sees the use of "distinction" as a broadening of the previous theme.

"Diversity is always a term that specifically refers to racial and ethnic identity," Clarke says. "But distinction includes differences including religion and sexual orientation. It seems Harvard is starting to embrace the many ways that we are all different."

The new viewbook has an sea-green and yellow cover, with a bold, clashing crimson stripe across the middle. Gone is the glossy photo of traditional red brick buildings.

The book uses more white space and nontraditional colors and backgrounds, with pastels and few primary colors. Many of the pictures are either black and white covered in stripes of solid color or shaded behind the text.

"We try to imagine what will appeal to high school seniors," Lewis says. "We want you to keep reading it even if you hadn't intended to."