A total of 332 graduate students applied for residential tutor positions in Harvard’s 12 residential Houses for the fall 2011 term, 5 more than applied last year.

Residential tutors, which are typically Harvard and MIT graduate students, receive free room and board in exchange for monitoring and advising undergraduates.

Applicants are able to apply to multiple Houses, an option many take advantage of, according to Dustin M. Saldarriaga, a Cabot tutor involved in the selection process.

Although the number of applicants leveled out this year, over the past three years the number of applicants increased, which many attributed to the difficult economic climate.

Gina D. Burke, director of housing for the Office of Student Life, said that she did not know why the number seems to have stabilized this year.

There was some variation in the number of applicants among individual Houses.

Cabot received about 230 applicants according to Saldarriaga, which he said represented a decrease from last year’s number.

About 250 people applied to Adams House, which Adams House Master John G. “Sean” Palfrey ’67 said is about 30 to 50 fewer than last year.

Diana L. Eck, House Master of Lowell, said that Lowell received 275 applications for its two open spots—a significant increase over the 212 applications it received for the fall 2010 term.

Currier had 247 applicants, according to Kristen A. Lindquist, a senior resident tutor in Currier who was involved in the selection process.

The priority deadline for tutor applications was Jan. 28, but most Houses are still accepting applicants.

Kirkland, Lowell, and Adams generally receive the largest number of applicants by the time the process is complete, according to Van C. Tran, Lowell House tutor.

The tutor application website said that preliminary decisions should be made around Feb. 25.

Most houses are still in the process of determining how many residential tutors they will be able to hire.

That number varies between houses and depends on the number of tutors departing at the end of the current school year.

Anne G. Douglas ’12, co-chair of the Adams House Committee, said the number of available spots can change throughout the year as current tutors finalize their plans.

“It isn’t really a black and white process because even when they send out the invitations to applicants, things can still change,” Douglas said.

Many Houses involve students and tutors in the selection process, which generally involves reviewing the applications and a series of interviews.

“We’re looking for someone that either has experience in a residential community or really does seem to value community,” Saldarriaga said.

House Masters have the final say in tutor hiring.

—Staff writer Hana N. Rouse can be reached at hrouse@college.harvard.edu.