Last November, Alpha-Iota Chapter President James T. Engell '73, who is also professor of English and comparative literature, told The Crimson that the selection process is "gender blind."

When the final 48 members from the Class of 1997 are elected in June the male-female Phi Beta Kappa ratio should approximately equal the ratio of the graduating class, according to Engell.

There are three rounds of elections to Phi Beta Kappa for each class. Twenty-four members are elected in April, followed by 48 in November and 48 just before Commencement.

At the end of the three elections, approximately 10 percent of a given class will have been elected.

Until July 1995, male and female students were selected separately for admission to the honor society. The selection process for the male Alpha and female Iota chapters was merged in accordance with the integration of Harvard and Radcliffe colleges, according to Kobrinsky.

There has been more controversy over why the merger occurred so late than over why it occurred so at all, Kobrinsky added.

"Everyone has been very happy with the change and the change was kind of late in coming," she said.

But Kavita Kacholia '98, co-president of the Radcliffe Union of Students, said any disparity between men and women deserves attention.

"In terms of selection criteria the most basic thing to be aware of is [that] we are being critical of all subjective measures, making sure that they are in fact gender- and race-blind," Kacholia said.

If the criteria are indeed unbiased, Kacholia said, she supports a gender-neutral selection process.

"People should be selected based on their academic achievement," Kacholia said. "But our college should definitely be working towards academic excellence for women students."

Most students said they support males and females facing the same selection process to the society.

"If you're not going to distinguish the two colleges then you shouldn't distinguish males and females afterward," Dunogue added. "It is strange and disconcerting that there was this ratio, but I feel that it would be inconsistent to have two separate chapters.