When Radcliffe College signs a merger deal with Harvard this week, it will lose many of its familiar elements--its ties to undergraduates, its board of trustees and even its president.

But one symbol of the college, often overlooked, will remain: its name.

In the college's 120-year history, the Radcliffe name has symbolized a commitment to women's education and advancement. More recently, specialized programs like the Radcliffe Publishing Course have won significant acclaim in their fields.

But despite that tradition, many alumnae say that outside the Northeast and the academic world, a mention of Radcliffe often draws a blank.

Alumnae say the new Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study could help reinvigorate the Radcliffe brand by attracting prominent researchers and intellectuals to Cambridge.

In certain arenas, the Radcliffe name still packs a punch, although sometimes not quite as powerful as Harvard's.

In the intellectual world, for example, Radcliffe does not enjoy all of the luster of Harvard, alumnae say--which is ironic since Harvard and Radcliffe students have shared the same classes for more than 50 years.

Still, "it's a very prestigious name in academic circles and carries a certain panache," says Ellen H. Goodman '63, a Boston Globe columnist. "I think it's a powerful influence."

"People who are university people anywhere in the country would recognize Radcliffe," adds Phyllis R. Stein '63, former director of Radcliffe Career Services.