Today, the freshman seminar program is not exceedingly competitive. In the 2011-2012 school year, over 1300 students enrolled in a seminar. Although freshman may not always receive their first choice of seminars, many open spots are available after the initial placement of students.

However, this was not the case in the fall of 1959. About a quarter of the incoming class chose to apply to 22 seminars outlined in a catalogue sent to freshman before the start of the semester. This pool was nearly twice the amount expected, prompting Director of the Office of Advanced Standing Edward T. Wilcox to consider increasing the size of the individual seminars to meet demand.

While more than 400 students wanted to participate, just 160 freshman were chosen to be part of the seminars to ensure that each seminar consisted of no more than 12 students.

The purpose of the seminars, from the perspective of professors and administrators, has remained consistent since the program’s inception.

“Its purpose from the beginning has been to introduce students to new disciplines and areas of study in a discussion-based, small-group instructional setting under the expert guidance of a faculty member,” said Sandra A. Naddaff ’75, current director of the Freshman Seminar Program.

The seminars currently provide a unique learning opportunity that differs from that of standard concentration courses as well as those in the General Education program.

“These are not department courses or intro courses. They’re not really related to the Gen Ed requirements [either],” Menand said.

The seminar program followed the idea of the Gen Ed curriculum, first proposed in 1946, which allowed students to discover new fields of study that they may have not otherwise found.

“Like Gen Ed courses, freshman seminars can offer a wonderful introduction to a new field of study in an area outside of a student’s current academic interests or intended field of concentration,” Naddaff said.

—Staff writer David W. Kaufman can be reached at davidkaufman@college.harvard.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @DKauf.