Hillary Rodham and Chelsea Clinton made an unannounced visit to Harvard yesterday as part of a college-hunting trip for the "first kid."

Chelsea, 16, who will be a senior in high school this fall, had lunch in Loker Commons with her mother and about 10 other girls and women, including Harvard Associate Professor of History Ellen Fitzpatrick.

Neil Lattimore, Mrs. Clinton's press secretary, said in a telephone interview from Washington that the Clintons' visit was just part of an ordinary college tour.

"They're looking at schools this week, doing nothing a lot different than other mothers and fathers do with their children," Lattimore said.

The Clintons also apparently attended the 10 a.m. information session before embarking on a private tour of the campus.

Security for the Clintons during their visit was far from elaborate, according to Harvard Police Chief Francis D. "Bud" Riley.

Several plain-clothed security agents accompanied the Clintons throughout the day.

"We had officers assigned to accompany them but it was a fairly low-key visit," Riley said.

The visit was so low-key that Alex Huppe, Harvard's director of public affairs, said he had no idea the Clintons were visiting Harvard when contacted by The Crimson yesterday afternoon.

Later, he and other Harvard spokespersons declined to provide specific information on what the Clintons had done during their visit.

"We really cannot comment on the private visits to Harvard of individuals who may be interested in studying here," Huppe said. "We receive thousands of such visits each year from many of the world's most promising students."

"She visited the campus and beyond that, we don't have any comment," said James H. Rowe III '73, vice president for government, community and public affairs.

In Loker, Chelsea sat with Fitz-patrick and several young women in the large booth across from the coffee shop. Her mother sat in an adjacent booth