"I think it's the most challenging course we have. It's really the crown jewel of the program," says Stephen M. Kosslyn, head tutor of the Psychology Department.

"The tutorials are what we're all about," says Judith E. Vichniac, director of studies for the committee on Social Studies. "It's within the tutorials that students hone their skills of thinking critically and analytically, writing, and learning about the particular subject matter."

But Vichniac emphasizes that while the tutorial programs are special courses, they also require special effort from the students.

"I think our sophomore and junior tutorial programs are very demanding," Vichniac says, "It's clear whether you're committed or not committed."

History concentrators say that their tutorial program--which requires a minimum of 90 pages in papers during the sophomore year alone--is also extremely challenging.

"You're expected to decipher massive amounts of information in a very short period of time," says Helen L. Gilbert '02. "They really expect you to know what you're talking about."

Christopher L. Foote, director of undergraduate studies for the economics department, says that while his department is proud of its program, the difficulty level is more modest.

"I would think that our tutorial program is about in the middle level of difficulty compared to our other courses," Foote said.