A police rap sheet probably wouldn't look very good on an application for the Rhodes.

And John T. Kaden '97 may have some explaining to do to the scholarship committee because of an incident that occurred at a most inconvenient time yesterday--just as he was about to turn his applications for two of the nation's most prestigious fellowships.

On his way to a copy center to make the required copies for the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships, which were due at 10 a.m., Kaden was pulled over by Cambridge Police while going 55 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone of Mass. Ave.

The police held Kaden on Mass. Ave. for about 30 to 45 minutes, making him almost an hour late turning in his applications.

Kaden said he thought the police detained him for a long time because he told them he was in a hurry.

"They even took my car keys," Kaden said. "They asked me if I was on something, to which I said, 'Caffeine.'"

Kaden said the Fellowship Office accepted his application anyway, although they marked it as late.

Kaden was one of about 100 Harvard seniors to file a fellowship application for the Rhodes or Marshall scholarships yesterday.

The scholarships award students two or three years of postgraduate study in England.

The Rhodes scholarship gives a grant for study at Oxford University; the Marshall provides education in any participating British University.

The two are generally regarded as among the most prestigious post-graduate fellowships in the country.

Kaden said he started his application the day before it was due and was running behind yesterday, thus leading to his rush.

"I'm glad I got them in; I almost didn't file them because I was too lazy," he said.

One American history and literature concentrator, Mark J. Greif'97, said he applied for both the Marshall and the Rhodes scholarships so he could study American literature in England.

The application presented a few challenges, Greif said.

"For each of them, the difficult part is writing a short personal statement which is sort of grueling and nightmarish," he said.

Mark R. Freeman '97, an East Asian Studies concentrator in Winthrop House, also applied for both scholarships.

Freeman said he applied for the scholarships because of the honor and significance of the award.

"First of all, they both represent fantastic academic opportunities," he said. "It's a symbol. It's sort of a representation that you've done a good job."

Lisa Clayton-Robinson, the fellowships adviser in Winthrop House, said about a dozen Winthrop students submitted applications this year.

She said she gave the students advice on the essays they wrote for the applications.

"They're definitely well-prepared," she said. "They are a very self-selecting group of students."

The selection committee will choose the students who receive University endorsement. The committee consists of the fellowship advisers in each of the 13 houses as well as faculty members and administrators who are selected annually.

Bonner said there were about 80 applicants for the Rhodes scholarship and about a dozen for the Marshall this year.

About half of the applicants for the scholarships are chosen for endorsement, Bonner said.

The Rhodes requires applicants to submit a record of their extracurricular activities as well as a prospective study plan.

Marshall applicants must be U.S. citizens and have a 3.7 grade point average after the first year of college. The applications also requires students to submit a study plan