Once they get to campus, Harvard students may not often hand their work in early, but a record number of Harvard applicants are trying to get ahead of the game.

Harvard received 6,042 early action applications by the November 1 deadline, 31.8 percent more than last year. The numbers reflect especially large increases in the number of women applicants, up 34.6 percent--though women still make up slightly less than half the pool--and applicants from the Midwest, up 43 percent from last year.

Although the final numbers are not yet tallied, Harvard admissions officials say there is greater diversity among the applicants.

"Already we have significantly more minority students in our pool this year," said Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons '67. "I think the word is getting out."

Fitzsimmons said the admissions staff has been working hard on diversity recruiting. This week's numbers are particularly promising since the office recognizes that students who choose early action have usually benefited from more individual counseling in their high schools--and are usually more affluent and more white.

Fitzsimmons noted that a recent survey estimated the student to guidance counselor ratio in four of the nation's 10 largest cities at 740:1.

Some additional students may have applied early due to Harvard's change to a non-exclusive early action program. The new policy means that students may simultaneously apply early to Harvard and other non-exclusive early action schools.

But high school counselors said the change has affected the applicant numbers of other early action schools, such as Brown and Georgetown, more than Harvard's.