"The recruitment of outstanding women has been a top priority for many years," Lewis said.

Less promising this year were enrollment numbers at Harvard Business School (HBS).

The number of females attending HBS dropped below 25 percent this January, its lowest level in at least a decade.

Administrators, who said they were alarmed by the statistic, decided to purchase the names of female students with high GMAT scores and direct-mail them information about HBS.

In addition, the Women's Students Association began a referral service, which aimed to generate a list of women who are likely candidates for admission but might not apply without proactive contact.

"Sometimes women, more than men, need more proactive encouragement to say, 'you do fit the bill for this place,'" said WSA Co-President Cynthia L. Rutherford. "The career opportunities are much larger than I think a lot of women realize."

Another statistic that has raised concern is the low number of female students inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.

Before 1995, male and female chapters of Phi Beta Kappa selected candidates independently, with each allowed to induct the same number of students.

But since the merging of male and female elections in 1995, males have held a decisive edge. Of the 72 students thus far elected from the class of 1997, only 26, or 36.1 percent, were women.

While students inducted said they did not see bias in the Phi Beta Kappa selection process, others said that any discrepancy deserves attention.

"In terms of selection criteria, the most basic thing to be aware of is...[the need to be] critical of all subjective measures, making sure they are in fact gender- and race-blind," said Kavita Kacholia '98, co-president of RUS.

Those concerned with the equality of women at Harvard were also troubled this year by the University's attempts to comply with the Title IX statute, which prohibits sex discrimination in education.

Figures released by the athletic office show the University spent nearly twice as much on men's as women's athletics in the 1994-'95 academic year, according to a report made public last October through the 1995 Congressional Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act.

Although a 1992 NCAA study indicates that Harvard's figures are less disparate than the national average, Crimson female athletes receive less than 35 percent of the athletic operating budget and less than 20 percent of money earmarked for recruiting.

"It's hard to compare apples and oranges, but when you compare the bottom line, it's a little shocking," said women's swimming coach Costin Scalise.