"If you're talking about research, Harvard isprobably the best in the world," says Robert B.Stevens, master of Pembroke College at OxfordUniversity in England.

Harvard has over 10 centers in Cambridgedevoted to international studies--places wherestudents from abroad can learn about their homecountries from a global perspective.

Although Harvard is younger than many of itsinternational competitors, its age does play arole in enhancing its reputation, according toPresident Neil L. Rudenstine.

"We've been at it longer than most people," hesays.

Harvard will only be at it longer as it entersthe 21st century and focuses more and more on itsinternational position.

THE MYSTIQUE

Although officials at Harvard and abroad citethese reasons for Harvard's internationalpreeminence, most admit there is little logicalexplanation for the world's enduring fascinationwith the school founded in Cambridge more thanthree and a half centuries ago.

Harvard's name simply attracts attention, andthere is no indication this attraction willdiminish in the 21st century.

"Harvard is a reality and an image," Finebergsays. "You can't extract one from the other."

This is more true overseas than in the UnitedStates, where the combination of domestic mediascrutiny and publicity campaigns by other collegestend to remove the shroud of mystery surroundingHarvard.

In Europe, however, many of the other Americanuniversities are relatively unknown.

"The impressions of students here about Harvardare what they might have been by American studentsyears ago," says R. Scott Muir, guidance counselorat the International School of Brussels, where thestudent body comes from more than 60 countries.

Harvard's consistently high ratings in magazinesurveys, such as U.S. News & World Report, onlyenhance the mystique abroad, says Craig W.Worthington, academic dean at the AmericanCommunity School in the London suburb of Cobham,which sends a few students to Ivy League collegesevery year.

"It's perceived probably as being the mostprestigious and the most competitive," he says.

According to Fitzsimmons, this indefinablemystique makes his admission job that much easier.