On the first committee, each House is permitted one vote for each applicant, though fellowship tutors are prohibited from voting on students living in their own House. Those applicants who receive at least nine fellowship tutor votes are almost assured a nomination.

Other applicants are approved only after the secondary Faculty review. Aware that only three applicants per state will advance in the Rhodes competition, Harvard has traditionally been extremely selective in this secondary review.

Bohlmann said the school nominated more of these on-the-cusp applicants this year, as Rhodes officials had argued Harvard already attracts the "best of the best" of aspiring intellectuals.

The process remains extremely competitive, and Bohlmann stressed that turning away highly qualified applicants puts committee members in an unfavorable position.

"None of us like to be in the position of doing this," Bohlmann said. "We hope that people who don't get endorsed will look at all other options... [We look at Rhodes] as a means to an end, rather than an end."

For those students nominated by Harvard, the process is just beginning.

" I think I've done the bulk of the work. I just hope I advance," said Jacob Chudnovksy '01, who got the good news yesterday. "It's such a prestigious thing if you get it, but not really a disappointment if you don't."