Harvard endorsed 40 students and alums for the Rhodes Scholarship last night, a near 10 percent increase from the number of students nominated last year.

The change came after Rhodes officials and Faculty members requested that the University be more flexible in its endorsement process, said Paul A. Bohlmann, director of fellowships at the Office of Career Services (OCS).

Annually, the United States grants 32 applicants the opportunity to become Rhodes Scholars and study at Oxford University.

Last night, Harvard endorsed 40 of the 81 students who submitted preliminary Rhodes applications. Last year, the College selected only 33 of 82 candidates.

According to Bohlmann, the United States Rhodes secretary and the warden of Rhodes House in Oxford visited him and Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68, "encouraging us to be a little more liberal in our endorsements."

While securing Harvard's endorsement remains a highly competitive process, this year's increase in Rhodes nominations underscored the University's new approach towards the prestigious award.

Harvard students interested in the Rhodes first submitted applications to OCS Sept. 16.

Each application was then reviewed by two committees, one made up of fellowship tutors from each House and another composed of Faculty members.

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."

Those students who received the University's endorsement will now have their applications sent to selection committees in their home states. If they clear the state hurdle, nominees finally compete for one of Rhodes scholarships awarded at multi-state district levels.

In addition to announcing Rhodes nominees, Harvard also endorsed 29 Marshall Scholar applicants last night. The Marshall Scholarship offers up to 40 students in the United States the opportunity to study at various universities within the United Kingdom.